Tribal Courts

The Tribal Law and Policy Institute sent each FY24 Adult Treatment Court - Tribal Healing to Wellness Court grantee a welcome letter. This letter introduced the TLPI organization, TLPI THWC staff, possible TTA services available, links to THWC resources and potential team training, and links to two offerings of virtual Meet and Greet sessions. Primary TTA coaches were included in this letter so that grantees begin to recognize contact names.
FY24 Grantees are: Aleut, Coushatta, Gila River, Craig, Saint Regis Mohawk, and Seminole.

The Tribal Law and Policy Institute sent each FY24 CTAS Purpose Area 3 - Tribal Healing to Wellness Court grantee a welcome letter. This letter introduced the TLPI organization, TLPI THWC staff, possible TTA services available, including the forthcoming Fundamentals Training; links to THWC resources and potential team training, and information about meeting at the upcoming in-person CTAS New Grantee Orientation. Primary TTA coaches were included in this letter so that grantees begin to recognize contact names.

Wellness Court Specialist Kristina Pacheco received the operational manual from Salt River Pima (SRP), requesting review and feedback on their newly developed policies and procedures. The TLPI Document Review Team reviewed and provided feedback for SRP. Feedback was reviewed with SRP on July 8th. The SRP proceeded with making the suggested revisions.

The THWC team continued work on the tribal-specific foundational training curriculum. Activities included:
1. Completion of an initial draft of the curriculum.
2. Workgroup review of draft.
3. Revisions made and preparation for pilot testing.
4. Pilot test September 16-17, 2024.
5. Analyze feedback and evaluation from pilot test.
6. THWC team to make revisions based on pilot test results. Team Lead/Wellness Court Specialists Kristina Pacheco and Angie Juárez-Monger will review changes.

TLPI has monthly calls/outreach with Tribal Judicial Institute (TJI) at UND and National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA), as sub awardees on this award, to discuss grantee TTA, TTA workplans, and TA reports, and additional award deliverables. TLPI also has monthly check in with CJI to discuss resources to be add to TribalJustice.org.

TLPI has monthly calls/outreach with Tribal Judicial Institute (TJI) at UND and National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA), as sub awardees on this award, to discuss grantee TTA, TTA workplans, and TA reports, and additional award deliverables. TLPI also has monthly check in with CJI to discuss resources to be add to TribalJustice.org.

During this reporting period TLPI did initial outreach to all grantees and provided an introductory welcome/introductory letter to all new FY24 CTAS Purpose Area 3 Grantees. The welcome letter included an introduction to TLPI and the project team, invitation for a virtual kick off meeting, a short questionnaire discussing their top TTA needs and goals, TLPI resources including the NEW CTAS PA 3 Grantee Subpage on WalkingOnCommonGround.org, and information on the upcoming 2024 CTAS Orientation and 2024 American Indian Justice Conference.

This reporting period, on September 18, Center staff Sheila McCarthy in collaboration with Center’s Tribal Justice Exchange team presented at the Tribal Law and Policy Institute’s (TLPI) annual Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Implementation and Enhancement Training in Phoenix, Arizona. The presentation titled “Many Paths Down the Mountain: Implementing a Multiple Track Healing to Wellness Court” discussed the science behind risk/need levels and identified justice system responses that are catered to the different risk and need levels.

Held on August 23, 2024 in collaboration with our training and technical assistance partners – the National Judicial College (NJC). The Violence Against Women Act requires states, tribes and territories to provide full faith and credit for each other’s protection orders on domestic violence and child welfare. Such orders may relate to criminal cases connected to the Tribe or its members. States and tribes have pursued a variety of paths to ensure full faith and credit enforcement. Some states have enacted statutes explicitly recognizing tribal judge protection orders.

Held on September 25, 2024 in collaboration with our training and technical assistance partners – the UND School of Law – Tribal Judicial Institute (TJI). This webinar was designed to assist Tribal court and justice system planners to better understand the following: