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Nation-to-Nation Addiction Epidemic and Other Substance Use Challenges

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has organized three formal consultations with tribal leaders from across the country to discuss and examine how federal drug policies can better support the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native communities and their efforts addressing the opioid epidemic and other challenges related to substance use and misuse. These consultations build on the recent Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships and are further outlined by ONDCP in their Letter to Tribal Leaders on the Presidential Memorandum. The purpose of these consultations is to identify priorities and recommendations specific to Indian country to help better align, leverage, and coordinate existing federal programs and resources that support prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery efforts for substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD). ONDCP is seeking feedback and comments on the following related topics:

  • Strengthening ONDCP’s engagement with tribal governments to assess the impact of ONDCP activities on tribal communities, assure tribal interests are considered before the activities are undertaken, and ensure ONDCP is responsive and engaged with Indian country in a meaningful way.
  • Best ways to coordinate with tribes to determine the scope of substance use disorders (SUDs) and the impact of the pandemic on tribal communities.
  • Suggestions on how to decrease barriers to treatment, increase support for native community medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) medication-assisted treatment (MAT) advocates, and encourage the use of culturally specific practice in recovery support services.
  • Strengthening research for creating evidence-based, culturally appropriate prevention curriculums and the expansion of prevention activities for tribes to reduce the risk of substance use initiation.
  • Ways to address the impact of historical, intergenerational, and current trauma in tribal communities on behavioral health outcomes related to drug misuse, addiction, and overdose.
  • Suggestions for addressing law enforcement challenges such as containing the influx of illicit drugs in tribal communities, ensuring timely responses to overdose emergency calls, expanding naloxone trainings for police and first responders, and exploring partnerships between law enforcement and tribal health entities.

Consultation Session Details

  • Session 1: Tribal Leaders from Alaska and Washington

    Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2021
    Time: 11:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Mountain, 1:00 p.m. Central, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
    Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours

  • Session 2: Tribal Leaders from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

    Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
    Time: 11:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Mountain, 1:00 p.m. Central, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
    Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours

  • Session 3: Tribal Leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin

    Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021
    Time: 11:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Mountain, 1:00 p.m. Central, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
    Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours

Please send comments and questions to Betty-Ann Bryce, Special Advisor for Rural Affairs, by email to Tribal.Relations@ondcp.eop.gov

Rural Community Toolbox Nation-to-Nation Addiction Epidemic and Other Substance Use Challenges Starting Points

The Rural Community Toolbox provides details on federal funding opportunities and other resources tribal leaders and tribal communities can use to support prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery programs and services for individuals with SUD.

Added: 3/15/2021