Council approves grant application for mental health program for Tribal police, families

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services Office that, if approved, would be used to launch the Tribal Police Department’s first dedicated mental health and wellness program for officers, civilian staff and their families.

The $185,000 grant application was approved at the Wednesday, July 15, council meeting.

“This approach relies on contract vendors and trainers rather than new hires, so the department can provide an employee assistance program, peer support training, suicide prevention program, family support services and related resources without adding long-term payroll obligations,” Tribal Grants Program Manager Wendy Sparks said at a Tuesday, July 14, Legislative Action Committee meeting.

According to National Institutes of Health, suicide rates among law enforcement officers are 54% higher compared to the general population or other employed civilians. Additionally, A 2012 study published in the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health found that small departments, those defined as having less than 50 full-time officers, had a suicide rate more than three times higher than that of departments with more than 500 full-time officers. 

In other news, Tribal Council:

• Approved appointing Shannon Simi to the Tribal Election Board with a term ending March 31, 2027;
• Approved final adoption of the Nonprofit Corporations Ordinance setting forth policies and procedures for the governance of nonprofit corporations chartered under Tribal law for the benefit of Tribal government or Tribal members, and enabling such nonprofit corporations to achieve tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) status;
• Approved a first reading of amendments to the General Welfare Assistance and Supplemental General Welfare Assistance Programs Ordinance to provide a death benefit to beneficiaries of Tribal members who were alive during a general welfare assistance payment period;
• Approved an application to the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime for the OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula grant for up to $230,000. If awarded, the funds will be used by the Tribe’s Warriors of Hope Domestic & Sexual Violence Program to continue its shelter-based domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking victim services program, as well as adding a dedicated maintenance fund for the Tribe's manufactured-home shelter units to address plumbing, electrical and weather-related wear;
• Approved an application to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking grant for up to $700,000. If awarded, funds will be used by the Warriors of Hope program for a three-year expansion of the for a new domestic violence advocate, expanded civil legal services, an annual community awareness event held each October, and a contracted Yamhill County Sheriff's Office officer dedicated to investigative and enforcement response for Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault victims;
• Approved an application to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment grant for up to $4.77 million. If awarded, funds will be used by the Tribe’s Health & Wellness Department to implement a unified, culturally grounded, no-wrong-door system across all Grand Ronde health entry points to help with the early identification of substance use among Tribal youth and families, intervention and connection to care and recovery support services;
• Approved an application to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for the Reduce, Resue, Reimagine grant program for up to $225,000. If awarded, funds will be used for construction activities at the historic Grand Ronde Rail Depot building near Grand Ronde Road;
• Approved an application to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program for up to $125,000;
• Approved two sovereign immunity waivers for the Kahoot! platform and for Online Information Services software;
• Approved an O’Link 12 Tribes Agreement for 2027 payments to use enrollment data instead of service area data, which is projected to improve funding to the Tribe by approximately 7.25%;
• Approved an application to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Strategic Prevention Framework/Partnership for Success Grant for up to $1.25 million. If awarded, funds will be used for the Tribe’s Youth Empowerment & Prevention Program to build a substance use prevention program focused on opioid, methamphetamine and underage alcohol use;
• Approved an application to the Health Resources and Services Administration Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Scaling Effective Early Childhood Systems Development grant for up to $875,000. If awarded, funds will be used by the Health & Wellness Department to build an early childhood screening and support program;
• Approved an application to the Portland General Electric Charging Resiliency Hub Demonstration grant for up to $1.9 million. If awarded, funds will be used to build an eight-port fast charging station near Spirit Mountain Casino for electric vehicles;
• Approved an application to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a restoration grant of up to $290,000. If awarded, funds will be used by the Natural Resources Department to continue restoration efforts at its Chahalpam conservation property near the North Santiam River in Marion County;
• Approved an application to Indian Health Service for its Phase 2 Prescription Pilot Program grant for up to $1.25 million. If awarded, funds will be used by the Health & Wellness Department to launch the Grand Ronde Nutrition Prescription produce box program;
• Approved an application to the Administration for Community Living for the Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative/Dementia Capability Indian Country Grant for up to $900,000. If awarded, funds will be used to expand a dementia care system across the Tribe’s seven country service area;
• And approved enrolling two infants into the Tribe because they meet the enrollment requirements in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance. Total enrollment counts in 2026 include 72 infants, nine non-infant emergency enrollments and 95 non-infants.

To watch the entire meeting, visit www.grandronde.org and click on the Videos tab.