Operated under the direction of the Northern Arapaho Nation, the program is the first tribally controlled mental health program on the reservation. The grant program was written in dedication to Anthony Sitting Eagle, a principal Chief of the Northern Arapaho people who died in 1997. The Wind River Indian Reservation is located in West-Central Wyoming and is home to the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Nations. The reservation is multicultural in nature, with many other tribal and racial groups represented in the reservation population. The philosophy of the program is that children with or at risk of serious emotional and behavioral challenges can best be served in their local community when adequate support for the caretaker is probated by wraparound services to ensure the children's needs are met.
Specific Goals and Objectives
1) Provide a system of care for children and youth with, or at risk of , emotional and behavioral challenges and their families. This includes wrap-around services, case management, outreach, aftercare and intensive services as needed.
2) Develop multi-cultural training and resource programs for service providers to promote culturally competent mental health services for our children, youth and their families.
3) Develop a community mental health planning and development board to manage the delivery of culturally sensitive mental health services by consolidating funding and planning for services.
4) Ensure the full involvement and partnership of families through development of a formal parent support network and advocacy program on the reservation.
5) Evaluation of program effectiveness through qualitative and quantitative tools by using a data collection system which is culturally friendly and appropriate.
Welcome House
Welcome House is an innovative pilot program designed to protect children from abuse, neglect and domestic violence situations. The facility provides a safe haven for children. The goal of the program is to minimize trauma in the child's life and to aid parents in protecting their children from the effects of abuse. Welcome house provides four types of crisis shelter programs to children.
1) Respite care for families.
2) 24 hour site for children referred by law enforcement an social services in response to abuse and neglect in the home. Workers will be available to assist in placement of the children, and to encourage utilization of the community based alternatives when appropriate.
3) A 72 hour care program for children whose parent or parents are engaging in active chemical use/abuse.
4) A 24-72 hour safe care program for children from families in which domestic violence is foreseen or occurring.
For more information call 307-856-5953 or 307-857-5940.