Tribal Courts

On October 2, 2023, THWC Coordinator Diana Bonnaha requested assistance with obtaining the LS-CMI assessment. Wellness Court Specialist Alyssa Harrold has extensive experience with the LS-CMI tool and provided guidance to Ms. Bonnaha on completing online training for the assessment, followed by the ability to purchase the validated assessment. Grantee technical assistance will continue next reporting period.

Monthly meetings with NAICJA staff, BJA staff Norena Henry and Geislia Barnes

Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria is a FY22 Adult Treatment Court - Tribal Healing to Wellness Court grantee. Court Administrator, Megan Yost, contacted TLPI to schedule a time to meeting their new Wellness Court Case Manager, Angela Easterling. In this meeting, a request for onsite training and technical assistance was made. Wellness Court Specialist Kristina Pacheco will send a list of potential topics and suggested attendees. The planning of this onsite training and technical assistance will continue next reporting period.

On August 9, 2023, Coushatta Drug Court Coordinator, Kathleen Gregorie, requested assistance in ensuring their Wellness Court participant files were including all of the necessary information for effective case management and programmatic record keeping purposes. Wellness Court Specialists Kristina Pacheco and Angie Juarez-Monger scheduled a virtual meeting for September 27 at 3pm MT/4pm CT to include Ms. Gregorie, Tina Poncho - Grant Evaluator, and Kathleen Canterbury.

Northern Cheyenne is a FY20 Adult Treatment Court - Tribal Healing to Wellness Court grantee. Mr. Jeff Kushner, Montana Treatment Court Coordinator, invited TLPI's Wellness Court Specialist Kristina Pacheco to participate in a 2-day Peer Review Process with Northern Cheyenne's Healing to Wellness Court. Day 1 consisted of team interviews and Day 2 included observations of staffing, status hearing, and participant focus groups. This review was led by Mr. Kushner and a summary report was share with Ms. Pacheco.

Through monthly check ins, each TLPI TTA coach will work to support grantees in completing work plans and tracking their progress in accomplishing grant deliverables.

On October 25, 2023 TLPI staff Kelly Stoner and Bonnie Clairmont presented a workshop - "Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction and Tribal Protection Orders." Kelly and Bonnie provided an overview of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022) . The Violence Against Women Act of 2022 addresses criminal enforcement when non-Indians violate certain provisions of protection orders in Indian country. Issuing and enforcing tribal protection orders is crucial to victim safety in tribal communities.

The Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI), and National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA), will host a 75-minute webinar that focuses on the potential for creating a Veterans Tribal Healing to Wellness Court (THWC), or specialized Native veterans' docket or programming.

Last reporting period, Gun Lake's Amanda Sprague contacted TLPI for TTA on drafting their THWC Participant Handbook by Judge Michael Petoskey, Prosecutor David Wilson, and Ms. Sprague. This reporting period began with Gun Lake determining better timing for the requested TTA being September 2023. We confirmed availability before Enhancement Training.
On July 6, 2023, Gun Lake was invited to participate in the Mentor Court Program. Despite early consideration, Gun Lake declined but still requested TTA. TTA date was moved to end of September.

NTCRC Co-directors Dr. Kristen DeVall and Dr. Christina Lanier represented the NTCRC at the BJA TTA Collaborative meeting in Washington, DC on November 8.