Sacred Path Indigenous Wellness Center

ORANGE COUNTY CIRCLES OF CARE INDIGENOUS PROJECT - THE SACRED PATH INDIGENOUS WELLNESS CENTER CIRCLES OF CARE PROJECT WILL PLAN, DEVELOP, AND EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A SYSTEM OF CARE MODEL (SCM) FOR DELIVERING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO URBAN AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE CHILDREN (AGES 0-21) AND THEIR FAMILIES IN ORANGE COUNTY. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO IDENTIFY, ASSESS, DEVELOP, AND STRENGTHEN CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY. A PRIMARY FOCUS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCM THAT IS NEEDS-DRIVEN AND STRENGTHS-BASED AND INFORMED DIRECTLY BY CONSUMERS, PARENTS, PROVIDERS, AND TRADITIONAL HEALERS WITHIN THE ORANGE COUNTY AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY. THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDE: (1) A COUNTYWIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY. AN IMPORTANT ASPECT IS THE ISOLATION OF COMMUNITY-IDENTIFIED INDICATORS OF EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING FOR THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH THE USE OF COMMUNITY FORUMS, FOCUS GROUPS, AND KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS WITHIN THE AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY. (2) EVALUATION OF THE EXISTING SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEM AVAILABLE TO AMERICAN INDIAN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN ORANGE COUNTY, TO DESCRIBE SERVICES, IDENTIFY ACCESS BARRIERS, AND ASSESS THE CULTURAL APPROPRIATENESS OF SERVICES. THIS EVALUATION WILL INCLUDE BOTH AMERICAN INDIAN AND NON-AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY-BASED AGENCIES. (3) AN ANALYSIS OF SERVICE GAPS BETWEEN THE IDENTIFIED AMERICAN INDIAN AND THE NON- AMERICAN INDIAN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERS BASED ON THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THE EVALUATION OF CURRENT SERVICE SYSTEM. THE PROGRAM WILL FORMULATE A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS SERVICE DELIVERY GAPS, WHICH WILL INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND SENSITIVE SYSTEM OF CARE SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL. (4) DEVELOPMENT OF A CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND SENSITIVE SYSTEM OF CARE SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL, AS WELL AS AN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT PLAN AND A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT THAT IS INFORMED THROUGH THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND GAPS ANALYSIS PROCESSES AND REFINED THROUGH COMMUNITY CONSENSUS. A PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO INITIATE THE COLLABORATION OF COMMUNITY AND AGENCY STAKEHOLDERS TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL FOR SERVICE DELIVERY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SYSTEM OF CARE. IT IS EXPECTED THAT CIRCLES OF CARE PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH STATUS OF URBAN AMERICAN INDIAN CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN ORANGE COUNTY SPECIFICALLY AND WILL ALSO PROVIDE A VALUABLE TEMPLATE FOR REPLICATION BY OTHER URBAN AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.