Establishing Relationships to Bridge Gaps in Tribal Communities

Tribal communities have been facing issues with access to care and treatment, especially with opioids and other drug threats impacting their tight-knit communities. To provide these communities with attainable treatment services, the Wyoming (WY) ORS team fostered a meaningful and supportive relationship with the Wind River Indian Reservation. The team collaborated with the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Health team (one of the Native American tribes on the reservation) to better understand the community’s need for overdose services and improve the community’s access to naloxone. As a result, the WY DIO and PHA conducted an in-person training for the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Health team staff on ORS initiatives, goals, and opportunities to inform their team of overdose prevention services and continuity of care.

Following the training, Tribal Health Team personnel signed up for ODMAP read-only access to inform Tribal leadership of the overdose crisis impact within the tribal community and to identify the feasibility of acquiring emergency medical services for the reservation.