To preserve our homelands, defend rights of the Indian Treaties with the United States, speak in a unified voice, offer support to our people, offer a forum in which to consult each other and enlighten each other about our peoples, and to otherwise promote the common welfare of all of the Indian Peoples of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.
Program Description
The Tribal Prevention Initiative (TiPI) is a substance abuse prevention program for youth, ages 12-20, and their families. The purpose of the project is to reduce underage drinking among youth while strengthening the tradition of wellness in six [6] reservation communities in Montana and Wyoming. TiPI builds upon current prevention capacity at the tribal level and incorporates tribal-specific culture and holistic wellness components into all prevention strategies.
TiPI is funded through a 5 year grant from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration). The project is currently in its fifth and final year – it began in October 2014 and runs through September 2019.
Take A Look At Our 10-Year Journey
Program Goals
- Goal One: Reduce self-reported underage drinking
- Goal Two: Increase community capacity to address local substance abuse needs
Prevention Strategies
The TiPI program goals are to be reached by way of the following strategies:
- Alcohol and Drug Free Activities
- Prevention Messages, Trainings and Education
- Traditional Values Curriculum
- Involving Leadership
- Promoting Collaboration
- Broadening Community Participation
- Using a Consistent Media Approach
Key Partners
The following tribes are active participants in the TiPI program:
- Blackfeet
- Eastern Shoshone
- Fort Belknap
- Fort Peck
- Little Shell
- Northern Cheyenne
Each participating tribe utilizes the expertise of a local site coordinator to implement the TiPI strategies in order to reach the program goals. The site coordinators are champions of prevention in their communities and work closely with Tribal Health Departments and other local health and prevention-related programs for planning and collaboration purposes.
Evaluation
TiPI evaluation efforts focus on strengthening data capacity in communities, supporting local data collection efforts, and evaluating the impact of program activities on short and long term outcomes. Lead Evaluator Allyson Kelley works closely with the TiPI staff and key partners to collect and process data into meaningful outcomes for the participating tribal communities.
During the summer months, TiPI hires evaluation interns to support various community-based outreach efforts led by TiPI. These interns are current college students who are members of one of TiPI’s participating tribal communities. In 2019, Allyson Kelley and Associates led an evaluation team of three (3) interns.
The evaluation interns provide support to communities in the way of:
- On-site assistance
- Technical assistance with data
- Report writing
- Survey collection
- Assisting with TiPI event logistics
- Documenting TiPI activities and prevention resources