The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is receiving $2.2 million in federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand tribal behavioral health, trauma-informed school services, and 988 crisis response programs. Announced earlier this month, the grants target critical mental health needs and substance use prevention across Indigenous communities where suicide rates remain disproportionately high.
Federal Grant Allocation and Program Structure
The $2.2 million award flows directly into three distinct Choctaw Nation initiatives. Lacey Callahan, the tribe’s behavioral health operations manager, stated that Project Embrace receives a portion of this SAMHSA funding. While the project historically concentrated on suicide prevention, Callahan noted that the new resources expand its scope to include substance use prevention. The federal injection enables the tribe to hire a prevention-based peer recovery support specialist who will utilize personal lived experience to connect with individuals at high risk for substance use or mental health conditions.
Over the summer, the Choctaw Nation also secured federal backing to build out behavioral health infrastructure within school services through Project Aware. This funding finances a behavioral health therapist, a case manager, and a project director charged with running an education summit to train educators on recognizing and responding to student mental health struggles. Callahan pointed to ongoing crises in educational environments, noting that students carry heavy emotional burdens that require early, targeted intervention from adults in their daily lives.
Broader Impact Across Oklahoma Tribal Nations
Thirteen tribes across Oklahoma received SAMHSA funding this month alongside two organizations: Butterfly Rain New Beginnings Inc. in Tahlequah and the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Foundation in Oklahoma City. Tasha Mousseau, vice president of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and a member of the National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup, emphasized that mental health challenges and suicide run rampant in native communities due to historical trauma and poverty. Mousseau’s tribal nation secured a nearly $1 million grant to support 988 tribal response cooperative agreements, aiming to deliver culturally competent care and fortify local crisis centers.
Data from the National Indian Health Board highlights the urgency of these interventions. In 2022, suicide ranked as the second leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 10 through 24, and dropped to the eighth leading cause of death across all ages in 2023. These figures underscore the federal government’s trust responsibility to provide adequate healthcare to Indigenous populations.
Accessing the 988 Crisis Lifeline
The national 988 suicide and crisis hotline provides around-the-clock support for anyone struggling with mental health, suicide, or substance abuse challenges. Mousseau stressed that the resource remains open to both Native and non-Native callers, and individuals can specifically request a tribal program when calling. Callers and texters nationwide can access the service by dialing 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org to connect with an online crisis counselor. Callahan called the resource an essential lifeline, emphasizing that seeking help is simply a matter of maintaining brain health, overall well-being, and breaking generational cycles.
>Worth a look