Name: Medicine Moon Initiative to Improve Tribal Child Welfare Outcomes Through System of Care
Target Population: Native American children and families who are involved with tribal and State child welfare agencies.
Geographical Area: Statewide across North Dakota, including the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, Spirit Lake Nation Reservation, Standing Rock Sioux Reservation (also includes a portion in South Dakota), and the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.
Summary: The Medicine Moon Initiative (MMI) is administered through the Native American Training Institute in partnership with the four tribal nations of North Dakota. The MMI will facilitate the development of a comprehensive, culturally competent system of care for North Dakota’s Native American children and families in the child welfare system. This will be accomplished by enhancing and formalizing a link among the four emerging tribal systems of care and the State system of care, which incorporates the wraparound process, State Child and Family Services Review process, State Program Improvement Plan, and improved Tribal-State Planning.
The North Dakota tribal child welfare agencies will demonstrate their increased capacity to improve child welfare outcomes and individual outcomes for North Dakota tribal children and families through improved data collection, analysis, and the implementation of an electronic management information system that will improve case management practice using the wraparound process, informed and collaborative decision-making, and enhanced ability to maximize third-party reimbursements including Medicaid. The MMI will also assist the North Dakota tribal child welfare agencies in developing a culturally appropriate quality assurance process for the tribal child welfare system.
For more information:
Deborah Painte
Medicine Moon Initiative (MMI) Project Director
Native American Training Institute
Phone: 701.255.6374
Email: dpainte@nativeinstitute.org
NATI website address: www.nativeinstitute.org