Program Description
The Transitional Recovery & Culture Project (TRAC) Project fosters community readiness for recovery support and provides a safe forum for those in recovery to learn about leadership, culture, self-care and resiliency. The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council (RM-TLC) applied for a Peer to Peer Targeted Capacity Expansion (P2P-TCE) grant that was awarded in October 2016. This grant was similar to the Transitional Recovery and Culture project (TRAC I) that was implemented from 2014-2016. RM-TLC was awarded $250,000 per year for three years totaling $750,000 to expand Peer Recovery Support (PRS) services for American Indians living in Montana and Wyoming. TRAC II includes four goals:
Goal One: Improve 6-month sobriety rates from 40 to 80% among peers measured by baseline GPRA and follow-up reports.
Goal Two: Increase community support for substance abuse resulting in a 1-point overall increase in community readiness scores
Goal Three: Increase the number of peers enrolled in educational, training, and skill-building opportunities by 30% from baseline GPRA to 6-month.
Goal Four: Increase the number of locations using peer recovery support from 3 at year-1 to 11 tribes and two urban locations at year 3.
The following Tribes are active participants in the TRAC program:
- Eastern Shoshone Recovery Center
- Crow Tribe
- Northern Arapaho’s White Buffalo Recovery Center
Urban Communities:
- Billings, MT
Facing Addiction announced on March 29th, 2017 that Billings, MT has been selected as one of 15 communities to participate in the organization’s pilot community project. The project, first announced by Facing Addiction (www.FacingAddiction.org) in October 2015, will work to reform the public response to the addiction crisis in Billings, MT via a grassroots-driven campaign strategy. Specifically, Facing Addiction will work with Billings, MT and 14 other communities to:
- Secure increases in localized funding to adequately address the crisis
- Train advocates on proper organizational and advocacy techniques to reform their community’s response
- Invest time and resources in communication opportunities with elected officials and other policy makers
- Provide media guidance to garner press coverage to further highlight the solutions to the problem
- Develop political strategies and aid community stakeholders in the development of an overarching “campaign strategy”
“As addiction to alcohol and other drugs now impacts 1 in 3 households in America, we must urgently work to turn the tide on this health crisis. We received over 50 applications from communities across the country for this program,” said Greg Williams, Facing Addiction’s Co-Founder and Executive Vice President. “We are excited about the prospect of working to train, organize and mobilize citizens in Billings, MT to ensure a shift toward a public, health-centered response to those impacted by addiction.”
The Transitional Recovery & Culture Project (TRAC), a project of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, in collaboration with Community Innovations and other community partners, submitted an application for Billings, MT. “We have been coming together as a community over the past few years to identify solutions to help those dealing with substance use disorders, homelessness, and behavioral health issues. We believe healing is possible through prevention, treatment and recovery support.”, says Dyani Bingham, former Project Director of the TRAC program, which works on building capacity in the realm of peer to peer recovery support for Native Americans.
Facing Addiction is a national non-profit organization dedicated to unifying the voices of the more than 45 million Americans and their families directly impacted by addiction. Facing Addiction is bringing together the best resources in the field in order to reduce the human and social costs of addiction, every year, until this public health crisis is eliminated. The organization was launched in historic fashion on October 4th, 2015, in front of tens of thousands on the National Mall at the UNITE to Face Addiction rally and concert, and recently was co-sponsor of the launch of the U.S. Surgeon General’s seminal report on the addiction crisis in America, in Los Angeles on November 17, 2016.
Since 2014, Community Innovations, a collaborative effort of the Downtown Billings Alliance, City of Billings, Rimrock Foundation, Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council and other community partners has come together to address the issues of substance misuse, behavioral health and transiency affecting the city, and in particular, downtown Billings. The group learns from national best practices, is data-driven and solution-oriented, and has seen measurable positive impacts.
The Billings’ Community Innovations Team, drawing on leadership from the business community, the social service sector, city government and officials, tribal leaders, law enforcement, and the faith community, continues to drive change through creation of 5 working task forces, implementation of comprehensive, downtown community policing program, and a continuum of care where the cornerstone is cultural awareness and sensitivity in counseling and treatment, while intersecting vulnerable populations with resources and alternatives to cyclical, addictive, or negative behavior.
TRAC Stories
Transitional Recovery and Culture Project II
TRAC II is a tribally-led peer to peer recovery support program located in Billings Montana, Crow Agency Montana, and the Wind River Reservation Wyoming. The Transitional Recovery & Culture Project (TRAC) Project fosters community readiness for recovery support and provides a safe forum for those in recovery to learn about leadership, culture, self-care and resiliency. Funded through a 3-year grant from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration).
Articles
Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Supports Canada’s Piikani Nation as a full member. Reconnecting and reuniting for the good of the people.
https://indiancountrytoday.com/the-press-pool/piikani-nation-of-canada-to-join-the-rocky-mountain-tribal-leaders-council-OxTKZhXIp0GvZ5Tnb9DiBg
Justice Department Welcomes Tribal Nations Leadership Council.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-welcomes-tribal-nations-leadership-council
This is such a powerful approach to prevention. Thank you for hosting the 2017 Wind River War Staff Symposium and Youth Winter Retreat.
https://county10.com/2017%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Bwind%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Briver%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Bwar%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Bstaff%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Bsymposium%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Band%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Byouth%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8Bwinter-ret/
Housing is critical for recovery. We are so glad that Billings is adding more sober homes to support recovery.
The Montana Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Summit was held on Nov 7, 2017, in Helena, Montana. Below you can find Summit recordings and a list of additional reports and resources that were provided to attendees.
https://mthcf.org/2017/10/sud-summit/
We are so excited about the peer recovery movement in Billings Montana. Special thanks to all our partners and speakers who made this event possible!
Native leader, Gordon Belcourt dies.
http://mtpr.org/tags/montana-wyoming-tribal-leaders-council
We are so excited to see this article and the leadership of Charmayne Healy, Miranda Kirk and Melinda Healy. We honor your work and all that you have done to support recovery.
Art House Cinema & Pub has a page with articles relating to the Tribal Leaders Council.
http://lastbestnews.com/site/tag/montana-wyoming-tribal-leaders-council/
Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council names new executive director Bill Snell.
List of regional intertribal organizations.
http://www.ncai.org/tribal-directory/tribal-organizations
Glow Run in Billings, Montana
Studies
Peer Recovery Support in American Indian Communities: A Qualitative Intrinsic Case-Study Approach.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1556035X.2015.1066727?journalCode=wgar20
It is so important to address stereotypes – researchers at the University of Arizona published a study that debunks stereotypes about Native American people and addiction- read this article to learn more!
https://opa.uahs.arizona.edu/newsroom/news/2016/stereotypes-about-native-americans-and-alcohol-debunked-ua-study
Members of TRAC and SAMHSA in Billings, Montana
Tribal Recovery Programs
We love working with Eastern Shoshone Recovery. Their work in the community has such a huge impact on youth, parents, families, and organizations. Thank you!
https://www.easternshoshonerecovery.org
A drug court program that helps resolve substance abuse issues at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation received additional funding in 2016.
https://www.havredailynews.com/story/2016/11/21/local/feds-fund-chippewa-cree-drug-court/511330.html
The Northern Cheyenne Behavioral Health Department.
https://www.ihs.gov/billings/healthcarefacilities/ncheyenne/
Wind River Tribal Youth Program blends prevention, treatment and tribal tradition.
Peer Recovery program brings drug treatment help to Fort Belknap reservation.
Voices of Prevention — The Northern Arapaho Tribe’s Indian Country Methamphetamine Initiative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_XTj-dtsE4
War staff symposium considers drug addiction solutions.
http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/war-staff-symposium-considers-drug-addiction-solutions#stream/0
The mission of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Health & Human Services (THHS) Department is to promote the physical and emotional wellness of Native Americans by providing the highest quality of health care.
http://www2.sbtribes.com/tribal-health-and-human-services/
Alltreatment.com is a community-based public-benefit website connecting people to the addiction resources they need. This resource is free to the public. Here is the link to the local teen rehab center locator: (Note: Click ‘allow’ on the Location Services pop-up.) https://www.alltreatment.com/teen-addiction-treatment/
Heart & Sole Run in Billings, Montana
Peer Support
Learn about the role of peer workers and access recovery-related resources regarding peer support and services.
https://www.samhsa.gov/brss-tacs/recovery-support-tools/peers
The Montana Peer Network is one of our major supporters and mentors. Thank you, Montana Peer Network for sharing your ideas, trainings, and resources with us at TRAC!
Check out the Montana Peer Network Monthly Newsletter!
https://mailchi.mp/2f358318e3c9/mpn-monthly-newsletter-1344645?e=aa8c1f6bcf
Supervision of peer recovery support is so important, and this is a great resource!
https://facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/news-events/blog.html/article/2017/12/01/the-supervision-of-peer-recovery-support-services
Peer treatment program offers new hope in Fort Belknap.
Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Annual Board Meeting in Billings, Montana