Mental Health and Community Safety Initiative for American Indian and Alaska Native Children, Youth, and Families

The Indian Health Service (IHS) has developed the Mental Health and Community Safety Initiative (MHCSI) for American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) Children, Youth, and Families. The IHS announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 funds for cooperative agreements to develop innovative strategies that focus on the mental health, behavioral, substance abuse, and community safety needs of AI/ AN young people and their families who are involved or at risk of involvement with the juvenile justice system. This effort was first initiated through the White House Domestic Policy Council to provide federally recognized Tribes and eligible Tribal organizations with assistance to plan, design, and assess the feasibility of implementing a culturally appropriate system of care for AI/ANs. The MHCSI planning phase cooperative agreement program will not fund actual services. An important focus will be to integrate traditional healing methods indigenous to the communities with conventional treatment methodologies. These cooperative agreements are established under the authority of 25 U.S.C. 1621h(m). There will be only one funding cycle during Fiscal Year (FY) 2003. This program is described at 93.230 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. These cooperative agreements will be awarded and administered in accordance with: (a) This announcement; (b) IHS regulations governing P.L. 94-437 grants and cooperative agreements at 42 CFR 36.101, et seq. and 25 U.S.C. 1621h(m); (c) 45 CFR Part 92, ``Department of Health and Human Services, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments,'' or 45 CFR Part 74, ``Administration of Grants to Non-profit Recipients''; (d) The Public Health Service (PHS) Grants Policy Statement; and (e) Applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. Executive Order 12372 requiring inter-governmental review is not applicable to this program. The PHS urges applicants submitting strategic health plans to address specific objectives of Healthy People 2010. Potential applicants may obtain a printed copy of Healthy People 2010 (Summary Report 017-001-00473-1) or CD-ROM, Stock No. 107-001-00549-5 through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7945, (202) 512-1800 or you may access this information at the following Web site: www.healthypeople.gov.