The Mentor Court Program remained highly active this reporting period.
Onsite visits
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa - A cultural onsite was planned with the support of TLPI. This cultural onsite training included Sister Court Keweenaw Bay, Pokagon, potential Sister Court Mille Lacs, and peer Mentor Court Tulalip. This three-day included incorporation of culture through traditional activity workshops on Day 1, recovery capital connection through traditional activities on Day 2, and court observations on Day 3. This training will end with peer-to-peer sharing in a conversation circle.
Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Court Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Program – NM hosted Sister Court Salt River Pima in October 2024. THWC Judge Denise Hosay, THWC Coordinator Laniel Biakeddy, and Treatment Provider Vince Piano attended. This onsite visit included observation of various track staffings, HWC hearings, and a graduation.
Planning continued for hosting of Cher-Ae Heights of the Trinidad Rancheria.
Conference Presentations
Mentor Courts presented at the 2024 Implementation and Enhancement Training.
LTBB - Using Anishinaabe Culture to Support Recovery Principles
Presenters: Kevin Gasco, Miigwaans Smith, Matthew Lesky
The Waabhski-Miigwan Healing to Wellness Court has a foundational principle of utilizing culture as a basis of programming, an increasing practice among Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THTWC) as they reclaim their indigenous sovereignty. The use of culture is often discussed as the element that distinguishes tribal court programs from state court programs. How culture is incorporated and used makes a difference on how effective it is in assisting clients in creating recovery capital. While culture has always been an element of the Waabshki-Miigwan program, how it is used and presented in programming has evolved over time. This presentation will discuss how changes in the approach to the incorporation of culture over time have led to better outcomes for clients and a growth in recovery capital outside of the program. We will also discuss the importance of ensuring that the culture elements you are incorporating reflect the cultural and traditional practices of your community. We will also be highlighting the importance of land-based activities and having clients putting their hands “on the work.” We will also discuss our experience using our cultural assessment tool, the Native Wellness Assessment and its impact on service delivery to clients. This presentation will build and expand upon the presentation given at the last enhancement conference.
NM Urban – Team Approach to Incorporating Cultural Values Reinforcement into Healing to Wellness
Presenters: Renee Torres, Cayla Sanderson, Devin Garcia, Jered Lee
The Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Program is a DWI Adult Treatment Court that operates within the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, which is a state court of limited jurisdiction. The program
serves self-identified Native Americans with two and up to five DWI convictions in Albuquerque, NM, where there is a large urban Native American population. There are 23 tribes within the State of New Mexico and tribal members from across the country residing within the metropolitan area. Operating in an urban setting presents a unique opportunity to reach a varied population of Native participants. The Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Court strives to effectively implement innovative cultural values reinforcement through a unified team approach. The session will provide an overview of how each team member practices cultural competence and strives to uphold a cultural values reinforcement approach when interacting with participants. This session will provide an overview of how best practices are implemented through the unification of substance use treatment with community resources to achieve physical and spiritual healing.
Tulalip – Healing to Wellness Roadmap; A Start to Finish
Presenters: Peter Boom, Christine Frausto
This session will guide attendees through a Wellness Court case, from initial referral to successful graduation. The presenters will navigate attendees through each step, offering invaluable insights and guidance along the way, as well as share checklists, forms, and the participant handbook.
Joint Mentor Court Session - Reclaiming Indigenous Justice: Mentor Court Roundtable
Presenters: Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Court Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Program, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians Tribal Court, and Tulalip Tribal Court
The Mentor Court Roundtable will feature a storytelling facilitation process to highlight the innovative strategies and foundational cultural principles of Mentor Court Healing to Wellness Programs, aimed at reclaiming Indigenous Justice. The session will highlight experiences and strategies from Mentor Courts, including the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Tulalip Tribal Court, Urban Native American Healing to Wellness Program. Participants will engage in peer-to-peer learning, exploring best practices within a culturally appropriate framework.
Fundamentals Training
Mentor Courts attended the Fundamentals Training Pilot on September 16-17, 2024. Mentor Court were invited to provide subject matter knowledge and expertise in this piloting process.
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
Please check the box next to the following questions if the answer is 'yes'.
Please enter the applicable Event Date if there is an Event associated with this TTA.
When entering an Event Date, the Time is also required.
If the TTA is targeted to a particular audience or location, please complete the questions below.
Milestones are an element, activity, work product, or key task associated with completing the TTA (e.g. kick-off meeting, collect data from stake holders, deliver initial data analysis).
Please complete the fields below, if applicable, to create a milestone for this TTA.
Please respond to the Performance Metrics below. The Performance Metrics questions are based on the TTA Type indicated in the General Information section of the TTA.
Please submit a signed letter of support from your agency’s executive or other senior staff member. The letter can be emailed to or uploaded with this request. The letter should be submitted on official letterhead and include the following information:
- General information regarding the request for TTA services, i.e., the who, what, where, when, and why.
- The organizational and/or community needs specific to the request for TTA services.
- The benefits or anticipated outcomes from the receipt of TTA services.
By submitting this application to BJA NTTAC, I understand that upon approval of this application for TTA, the requestor agrees to keep BJA NTTAC informed of any circumstances that may impact the delivery of the TTA, including changes in the date of the event, event cancellation, or difficulties communicating with the assigned TTA provider.
Please call [site:phone] if you need further assistance completing this application.