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Chippewa Cree Tribe 2022
Chippewa Cree Tribe Sustainable Food Systems Project CCTSFSP
The Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy Montana, located in North Central Montana, will create a sustainable food system on the Rocky Boys Indian Reservation. Through this grant, the tribe will hire a consultant to map the landscape of food projects and food resources in the community and draft food code regulations. The Chippewa Cree Tribe will administer the project through a partnership with the Tribal and Food Sovereignty Coalition and the tribe's planning department leadership.
Grant Amount
Crow Tribe Health & Human Services 2022
Crow Tribal Finance Specialist – Medical Billing and Coding
Crow Tribe Health & Human Services is a tribal health department that supports the physical, behavioral, and cultural health of the Crow Tribe. This project will enable the health department to establish an effective tribal health finance department capable of billing and coding, records management, and procedure analysis. Revenue from health department services will provide a foundation for the Crow Nation to build effective, sustainable health care and public health programs. The grant will also support the development of the Crow Tribe's Medicaid Tribal Health Improvement Program (THIP), a critical opportunity to create effective, tribally-led disease prevention programs. Grant funding will support a new finance specialist position salary and necessary training. Primary partners include the Crow Nation leadership and members of the finance team.
Arlee Community Development Corporation 2021
Pivoting from Emergency Food Response to Food Sovereignty (FSC) Programming with Healthy Local Foods
The Arlee Community Development Corporation will establish a walk-in, choice-based food pantry and a food resource center for the Jocko Valley (comprised of Lake, Sanders, and Missoula Counties), providing more local, healthy food options for the community. This project will help create local partnerships and reorganize food distribution models to connect local producers with local communities. The resource center aims for less dependence on low-quality staple foods and instead emphasizes locally grown, more nutrient-dense food options. Partners include Confederated Salish and Kootenai (CSKT) Tribal Health, CSKT Food Sovereignty Initiative, Mission Mountain Food Enterprise, and Montana Growers Cooperative. Funding will support project personnel and a consultant who will help with project development and travel expenses.
Center Pole 2021
Increasing Capacity and Food Quality to Create a Healthy Culturally Based Reservation Food System
Center Pole is a Native-led organization serving the Crow Reservation and surrounding areas since 1999. It conducts community projects on food security, food sovereignty, sustainable development, and community development while preserving Indigenous knowledge. This project will improve, expand, and streamline Center Pole's capacity to procure, produce, store, and distribute healthy foods. To do this, Center Pole will enhance its food warehouse and delivery system, educate staff on handling food procurement, storage, and distribution, and support local and traditional food entrepreneurs and community growers. Partners include Hopa Mountain Strengthening the Circle, Apsaalooke Abundance, and the Helping Hands Food Bank. Funding will primarily support staff to run the program and startup costs for Center Pole's service expansion.
Rocky Boy Food Sovereignty Project
Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation is in the remote Bear Paws mountains of North Central Montana. The remote location has contributed to a food desert on the Reservation, with the nearest grocery store selling fresh foods over 30 miles away. The Chippewa-Cree Tribe's Rocky Boy Food Sovereignty Project will develop a food chain of healthy products grown and produced on the Reservation. The project will help plant gardens, develop and market new value-added food products such as flour and pasta, and establish food handling laws. Locally grown and raised food products will be branded and made available to the community. Funding will help the purchase tools to support the food packaging and support a project coordinator who will develop and implement the program and build toward financial sustainability. Partners include the Stone Child College, the Rocky Boy Diabetes Program, Rocky Boy Public Schools, and the Chippewa Cree Agriculture and Sustainability Program team, which will serve as a board oversight for the project.
Day Eagle Hope Project 2021
Aaniiih/Nakoda Food Sovereignty on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
The Day Eagle Hope Project is a Native nonprofit on the Fort Belknap reservation that addresses the disparities specific to cancer prevention, treatment, and management. It is a state-certified food bank, providing healthy, quality foods to the Reservation and surrounding area. This project will bring together community partners to provide food delivery services and education for the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding community. The food bank will work to reintroduce native and organic foods back into the community. It will also provide education alongside healthful foods to address further the health disparities in rates of chronic illnesses. Funding will help purchase fresh foods for the food bank, support transportation costs, and build community partnerships, specifically with Tribal Health. Partners include the Fort Belknap Indian Community, which will help with food delivery services, and the Fort Belknap Tribal Health Department, which will provide healthy eating and living education.
Fast Blackfeet 2021
Sustaining Food Security with MNT Service Delivery
Fast Blackfeet is working to address two crucial health problems in the Blackfeet Nation: food insecurity and nutrition-related illnesses (like diabetes). Fast Blackfeet is a Native-led nonprofit focused on nutrition, strengthening the local food system, and supporting a food bank on the Blackfeet reservation. For this project, Fast Blackfeet will work with consultants to explore sustainability for their Food Pharmacy Program, which is currently entirely grant funded. The Food Pharmacy Program allows providers to refer patients to the food bank for specialized foods to meet specific dietary requirements (such as a diabetic diet), counseling with a nutritionist, and vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables. Fast Blackfeet will develop a partnership with Blackfeet Tribal Health to establish third-party billing for services provided by nutritionists and dietitians. Funding will be used for consultants to complete business and sustainability plans and to provide guidance around the partnership with Blackfeet Tribal Health.
Working Toward a Healthy, Food Secure Blackfeet Nation
FAST Blackfeet is a Native-led nonprofit organization that works to increase food access, reduce food insecurity, and improve nutritional intake and knowledge in the Blackfeet Nation. The O'yo'p' Food Pantry is a vital hub for FAST Blackfeet programs. It makes nutritious food readily available to Blackfeet families and aids in chronic disease prevention through clinics and dietitian counseling. This project will support the food pantry's growth and the development and sustainability of its operations infrastructure. Funding will support hiring additional personnel and help offset the costs of expanding the food pantry to meet the community's needs. Project partners include HOPA Mountain, Browning Public Schools, Glacier Family Foods, and the Montana Food Bank Network.
Fort Peck Tribes - Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center 2021
Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center Behavioral Health Capacity Building Project
Spotted Bull Resource Recovery Center (SBRRC) is the primary addiction treatment service provider in Fort Peck, offering chemical dependency services and inpatient treatment to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and surrounding community. With this grant, SBRRC will add mental health services to the care it offers people with substance use disorders. To accomplish this, SBRRC will provide training to its staff to help them develop the necessary clinical competencies, contract with a mental health provider for therapeutic services, implement culturally relevant healing practices, and develop a third-party billing system. Funding will support the contract with a mental health consultant and behavioral health telehealth providers. It will also support the project's evaluation and travel for site visits. The project will be completed through established partnerships with the Indian Health Service, Volunteers of America, and Our Home, Inc.
Heart Butte Schools 2021
Feather Woman Healing Lodge Business Plan
Heart Butte School District will contract with RJS & Associates, Inc. (RJS) to develop a business plan for a new facility, the Feather Woman Healing Lodge, to serve students who are homeless or experiencing mental health crises. Heart Butte is a community in the Blackfeet Nation. The school district has purchased two modular homes to be used as a youth shelter that will serve up to 12 students (six girls and six boys) at a time. The business plan will address staffing needs, operation and maintenance costs, insurance costs, risk management, potential funding sources, and other operational infrastructure needed for the facility. Heart Butte Schools currently has a school-based health center provided by the Tribe through the Southern Piegan Clinic. This new facility will strengthen the partnership with Southern Piegan and build a stronger continuum of care for students needing more intensive services and safe shelter.
Helena Indian Alliance 2021
New Clinic Addition/Design
Helena Indian Alliance (HIA) is an urban Indian health center based in Helena and serving the surrounding counties. This grant will support project management during a clinic remodel and expansion that will enable HIA to provide integrated physical, behavioral, and dental services for patients. Funding will allow HIA to contract with SMA Architects to complete the clinic design and provide oversight and project management throughout the construction process. HIA is located in what used to be the U.S. Army Reserves Sheridan Hall building, and this project builds on two prior Montana Healthcare Foundation grants that helped HIA plan and prepare for this critically-needed remodel. The first grant, in 2017, created a master plan looking at how HIA could improve and expand the services they provide to their patients by updating the layout of their building. The second grant in 2018 helped HIA complete a structural assessment of the building, which was necessary before this construction could begin. HIA has secured financing for this project, estimated at roughly $1.1 million. By updating their building, HIA will be better equipped to implement high quality, integrated care, expand the services they can provide, and better address the health needs in their community.
Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana 2021
Strategic Planning for Little Shell Tribal Departments
The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is the newly federally recognized Tribe of the Ojibwe people. Its service area includes Cascade, Blaine, Hill, and Glacier counties. This strategic planning project will help the Tribe begin developing a high-quality, effective health system by supporting the Tribe to create a mission and vision to meet the needs of its people and by providing expert technical assistance on health system design, infrastructure development, and operations. The Little Shell Tribe will model its new health system on Alaska Southcentral Foundation's award-winning NUKA System of Care. Funding will support a contract with the Southcentral Foundation to provide technical assistance and training throughout the planning process and the early stages of implementation. The project will be completed through close collaboration among the Little Shell Tribal Council, Tribal staff, and community members.
Messengers for Health 2021
Indigenous Evaluation and Dissemination of the Báa Nnilah Project
Messengers for Health works to improve the health of people living on the Crow Indian Reservation and outlying areas through community-based projects designed to empower communities to address their unique health issues. For this project, Messengers for Health will partner with two Tribal nations to adapt, implement, and evaluate a chronic disease self-management program – "Báa nnilah" – the grantee developed on the Crow reservation program. The evaluation will help the grantee and tribal partners adapt Báa nnilah for the specific needs of these Tribes, and it will help establish Báa nnilah as an evidence-based program, making it potentially reimbursable through the Tribal Health Improvement Program and providing sustainability for the project over the long term. Partners include Crow, Fort Belknap, and Rocky Boy Indian Reservations. Funding will support community members from the three communities to come together and develop the evaluation plan, support the adaptation of program manuals, and implement and evaluate the program in each community.
Peoples Partners For Community Development 2021
Northern Cheyenne Food Initiatives
People's Partner for Community Development (PPCD) is a Native-led nonprofit serving the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. It helps create a robust reservation economy while maintaining strong connections to the land, traditional values, and cultural history. This project will plan for the development of a small, state-inspected meat processing facility and mobile harvest unit to create a local healthy grass-fed beef food chain reasonably priced for the Northern Cheyenne community. PPCD will hire a consultant to develop a strategic business plan for securing this local food chain. Funding will support the consultant and the initial costs to hire a full-time meat processor. Project partners are HOPA Mountain, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council, local school districts, and local grocers.
Awe Kualawaache Care Center 2020
This grant will provide infection control training for the Awe Kualawaache Care Center staff. The Care Center provides long-term care to the Crow Tribe and the surrounding community; its mission is to preserve culture between the elderly and youth. Funding will be used to purchase software to track infections and help the staff member who is leading this work enroll in an infection control certificate program.
Blackfeet Tribal Health 2020
Blackfeet Tribal Health 638 of the Community Health Education Program
The Blackfeet Tribal Health Department will work to assume management of its Community Health Education Program from the Indian Health Service (IHS) under Public Law 93-638 (this is often called the "638 process.") This grant will help the health department complete a feasibility study and plan for assuming the Community Health Education Program; funds will help the Tribe hire a contractor to help with the 638 process. Adding the Community Health Education Program into the health department will help it achieve accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board and coordinate a more robust portfolio of community health-related activities.
Fort Belknap Tribes 2020
Billings Area Community Health Aide Program
With this grant, the Fort Belknap Indian Community plans to extend Tribal self-governance and support the Community Health Aid Program (CHAP). To do this, the Tribe will build on the existing foundation of state and federal CHAP statutes and authorities granted to Tribal sovereign entities. Partners include all the Tribes in Montana, the Governor's Office, the state legislature, the Tribal Caucus, and Tribal colleges and universities. Grant funds will provide technical assistance to each Tribal area delegate and support the Billings Area Certification Board and the Academic Review Committee. Once established, the CHAP program will increase access to medical, dental, and behavioral health providers on the reservations. It will also provide local training to help retain the Tribal community workforce.
Native American Development Corporation 2020
Medication Assisted Treatment Clinic Feasibility Planning
The Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center (BUIHWC), operated by the Native American Development Corporation (NADC), used this planning grant to expand its substance use disorder treatment services to include medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The goal was to provide more comprehensive, collaborative, and coordinated care to address the opioid use crisis in the American Indian community of Billings. BUIHWC conducted research to quantify the need for MOUD; formalized community and regional partnerships with health care providers, law enforcement, workforce development, housing, and other community support services; increased primary care provider training and the ability to prescribe medications associated with MOUD; established a framework for a comprehensive feasibility plan that includes implementation steps, a timeline, an operating budget, sources of revenue, operational and fiscal impacts, and a sustainability plan; and identified and applied for additional funding sources. The project secured an additional $500,000 through the Indian Health Service and is working to leverage third-party reimbursement for services provided through the clinic .
Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council 2020
Supporting the RMTLC Health Sub-Committee with a Health Policy Analyst / Indian Health Care Advisor
The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council (RMTLC) will hire a full-time health policy analyst to support the RMTLC Health Subcommittee. The new employee will coordinate the subcommittee's quarterly meetings and provide analysis, technical assistance, and training to support the Tribal leaders' health advocacy efforts. Primary partners include the Indian Tribes of Montana and Wyoming and the Urban Indian Health Programs in Montana. Grant funds will supplement the RMTLC's resources to support the position. The goal for this position is to provide internal support so that the RMTLC Health Subcommittee can better support tribal health policy and participate on national advisory committees.
All Nations Health Center 2019
Strengthening the Circle: Increased Capacity for Increased Health
All Nations Health Center's Strengthening the Circle project was designed to increase the center's capacity to provide high-quality, integrated health care services to American Indians living in and around Missoula. The project implemented a holistic care model that improves coordination and collaboration within and between care teams. This included allocating staff time to design and execute the model, providing training to clinical and non-clinical support staff, and delivering high-quality technical assistance to support the successful implementation of the model. All staff were trained to use the electronic health record system, case conferencing, and co-location to provide patients with holistic rather than siloed care. Population health data and analysis are used to inform planning efforts. By providing integrated patient care that is reimbursable under Medicaid and Medicare, the health center is on track to increase annual revenue by at least 75%. All Nations' partnership with Greenway Health, a health information technology services company, will provide ongoing resources and support to maintain the progress that has been made and identify future opportunities for improvement.
Families First Learning Lab 2019
Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe Family Education Services
The Families First Children's Museum (FFCM) will provide family education classes and resources for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal (CSKT) community intended to foster healing and help develop resilient communities. The project will introduce new, relevant, and evidence-based curricula within three separate tracks: parents/caregivers, foster parents, and childcare providers. Funding will be used to hire native instructors and support curriculum development. Through current partnerships with CSKT, the Department of Human Resource Development, and Salish Kootenai College, as well as growth in collaboration with the Tribal Health Department, Tribal Education Department, local childcare providers, and organizations like the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, FFCM's work will extend to reach more families and create connections between parent education skill development and a stronger family resource network.
Fort Belknap Indian Community Dialysis Center Feasibility Study and Business Plan
The Fort Belknap Indian Community will complete a study to determine theneed for andfeasibility ofdeveloping adialysis servicefor the community. They plan towork with FortBelknap Tribal Health and Indian Health Service to understand how many dialysis patients reside on the reservation. As part of the study, they will also visit other tribal dialysis programs in the state.Funding will be used to supportstaff time to complete the study, travel expenses to visit other dialysis programs,and water testingto determineif Fort Belknap'scurrent water supply cansupport the unit and potential treatment options.
Fort Peck Tribes Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program 2019
The 23rd IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion
The Fort Peck Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program staff participated in the 23rd UIHPE World Conference on Health Promotion in New Zealand, along with 70 other countries. At the conference, the staff gave a multi-media presentation and learned about indigenous food and fitness initiatives from around the world. When they returned, they shared what they learned with other tribes in Montana, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The staff who attended the conference are also continuing to use what they learned to inform the Healthy Foods Healthy Living Family Program (established as part of Fort Peck's T-HIP program). This program is working to improve childhood nutrition and fitness and counter the community's food deserts.
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Board of Health 2019
T-HIP Planning and Implementation
This project helped the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Board of Health (NCTBH) plan for and implement Tier 1 of the Medicaid Tribal Health Improvement Program (T-HIP). T-HIP implementation coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which substantially impacted the project. The life expectancy for the people of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation is approximately 57 years for men and 61 years for women, nearly 20 years shorter than that of Caucasian Montanans. The overall goal of this project was to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases among this population and strengthen community action for improving the reservation's overall health. Funds were used to hire a T-HIP director to oversee and implement Tier 1 over six months, as well as a medical director, but the medical director was not able to attend on site due to the pandemic. Funding also went towards the purchase of Daphne software, which is used to manage clients, document encounters, create care/action plans, schedule appointments, conduct assessments and surveys, and generate required T-HIP reports. One significant accomplishment was the hiring of four drivers to provide crucial transportation services for patients needing to get to the hospital in Billings. The project helped the Tribe conduct COVID-19 community surveillance testing that included 500 T-HIP clients. The T-HIP program is self-sustaining from Medicaid reimbursements, which will allow the program to continue building out Tier 1 implementation and to expand to Tier 2 and Tier 3 over the next couple of years.
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Development
The Northern Cheyenne Tribal Board of Health will develop a strategic plan to create a drug court component to the Northern Cheyenne Recovery Center. Many tribal communities have used the Tribal Healing to Wellness Court successfully. Developing this model will help solidify partnerships with the between the tribal health and judicial systems and enable the Tribe to develop an intensive case management approach for clients, implement team "wrap around" meetings, and provide family therapy and peer support. Funding will be used for staff training, and development of a strategic and state compliance plan.
This grant helped the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leader's Council (RMTLC) re-establish a health sub-committee composed of representatives from each Tribe and an Urban Indian Health Center representative. The sub-committee meets quarterly to provide tribes and key partners a forum to discuss health policy directly impacting tribal members and to make recommendations to the RMTLC regarding Indian Health Services and other health services, including Montana Medicaid, the Tribal Health Improvement Program, and other medical services accessed by tribal members. The sub-committee chairperson will bring the sub-committee's recommendations to the quarterly RMTLC board of directors meeting for action. Funding was used to hire a health policy analyst to provide support, leadership, and guidance to the sub-committee. Responsibilities of the analyst include coordinating quarterly meetings, communicating with committee members, providing expert policy analysis, and developing policy papers and recommendations. The analyst also serves as a liaison to the American Indian Health Leaders group, facilitating collaboration and coordination between RMTLC and the Tribal and urban Indian health center directors.
Walking Well with Traditional Healing
This project successfully increased the health center's capacity to provide culturally adapted, evidence-based, and trauma-informed awareness to the over 500 active clients they see each year. Project accomplishments include providing historical trauma education sessions and Community Resiliency Model workshops to the Missoula community. Mending Broken Hearts, a grief support series, was provided to clients who reported a deeper understanding of historical and inter-generational trauma and were able to begin addressing the impact on their own lives. Finally, a trauma-informed organizational assessment was completed, and trauma-informed practices were incorporated into the diabetes prevention education series offered to teens and adults.
T-HIP Tier 1 Daphne Software Support
This project helped support the Blackfeet Tribe's start-up costs for implementing the Tribal Health Improvement Program (T-HIP). The grant helped the tribe to purchase a software system (Daphne) designed to track T-HIP care management reporting measures. The grant also helped set up and staff the T-HIP office, develop their services, and sign a task order to begin Tier 1 services. Daphne is computer software for recording and reporting care management information for T-HIP and other care management initiatives. Now that the primary elements of the system are in place, the tribe will begin providing care management services to high–risk Medicaid recipients on the Blackfeet Reservation to improve health outcomes and reduce their reliance on high-cost emergency and hospital services. The program is sustainable through Medicaid T-HIP payments.
Fort Peck Tribal Health Department 2018
Third Party Billing Project
This project will develop a plan and supporting documents, train key staff, and develop partnerships to maximize third-party revenue generation for the Fort Peck Tribal Health Department. The project will work across tribal health programs and in close coordination with tribal and non-tribal partners including MT DPHHS, Indian Health Services, North Eastern Montana Health Services, Spotted Bull Treatment Center, Red Bird Woman Center, Fort Peck Tribes Veteran Affairs Office, Fort Peck Tribal Supplemental Health Insurance Program, Fort Peck Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program, and Fort Peck Transportation Department. The project will generate revenue from tribal health services that will be used to strengthen current services and address health facility needs.
Sheridan Hall Structural Assessment
This grant will allow Helena Indian Alliance to hire an architect and professional engineering team to review and structurally assess Helena Indian Alliance's building for the purposes of expanding and adding new programs. Helena Indian Alliance has seen a significant increase in demand for services such as general health care, case management, mental health services, substance use, and various other programs. The project will produce a finalized structural assessment that can be combined with their existing preliminary architectural report (also funded by MHCF) and used to secure financing a renovation and expansion project. For this project, the Helena Indian Alliance is partnering with Montana Business Assistance Connection and Montana Facility Finance Authority.
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health Foundation 2018
Implementing Trauma-Informed Care and Approaches with Montana Indian Health Care Organizations
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health collaborated with Indian Health Service facilities, Tribal health departments, and urban Indian centers to support implementation of comprehensive approaches to trauma-informed care that effectively address trauma and its impact on American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations in Montana. Mountain-Pacific helped put trauma-informed policies and procedures in place through staff trainings—held in person for the first year and virtually during the COVID pandemic—as well as guides for trauma screening, treatment, and referral. In order to help Indian health organizations' clinical and nonclinical staff understand the impact of trauma, recognize the symptoms, and know how to respond appropriately, Mountain-Pacific held webinars and open office hours to promote awareness and provide instructional education. It also offered quality improvement tools and resources to help organizations assess, implement, and evaluate their strategies and worked with non-AIAN communities to help them understand and implement trauma-informed care. Mountain-Pacific emphasized the importance of using culturally appropriate Indian healing methods as tools to build resiliency and recovery from trauma. The project developed strong collaborations with stakeholder organizations and local and state health departments to ensure that community members' needs continue to be met.
Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center
This grant supported planning for and opening the Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center. In December 2018, the new center began providing comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services to the American Indian community in Yellowstone County. They are continuing to expand the services they provide. They are now an approved provider for Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurers and have hired a state approved substance use provider. This structure will enable them to collect reimbursement for the services they provide and will ensure long term sustainability. As part of this project, they also successfully established meaningful partnerships with other health organizations in the community and will begin to implement an integrated behavioral health model of care within their primary care clinic.
One Health 2018
Feasibility study for Itchik Diiawakaam Family Healing Center in the Apsaalooke Nation
OneHealth completed a feasibility study for establishing the Itchik Diiawakaam Family Healing Center within the Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation. The study determined that a supportive housing model could sustain the Healing Center if capital funds could be raised for construction costs. Through this project, the Healing Center received its 501(c)3 status. They plan to complete a business plan and conduct a capital campaign to raise funds to build the facility. The Healing Center will provide a program and facility that allows individuals and families to heal together in their community while immersed in Crow cultural values and support. The center's focus on relational justice, foster care alternatives, integrative approaches to mental and physical health, meaningful work, trauma resolution, and indigenous models of education will serve as a blueprint for the exploration process. The center will be piloted in Lodge Grass on the Crow Indian Reservation, and residents will be engaged in all facets of program creation and implementation. Project partners include Lodge Grass City Government leadership and tribal community members.
Two Eagle River School 2018
Two Eagle River School Wellness Project
Two Eagle River School partnered with Freedom Lodge and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe (CSKT) Tribal Health Department to bring a licensed mental health counselor into the school to provide behavioral health services to the students. Two Eagle River School is a tribal alternative middle and high school serving 110 students on the Flathead Reservation. After multiple suicides in the community over the year before the grant, the school identified an immediate need to address the mental health and historical trauma needs of the students. The project helped equip students and staff with tools and knowledge to address trauma. They are now providing prevention services and CSKT has applied for a grant to support the behavioral health position within the school for the next five years.
Qua Qui Connection: The Circle of Good Medicine & Holistic Care
This grant supported the All Nations Health Center (the urban Indian health center in Missoula) to provide integrated, comprehensive, culturally appropriate care for one of the largest urban Indian populations in the state. This underserved population has suffered disproportionately from diabetes, high-blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity—conditions that are both preventable and treatable with appropriate primary care services. Over the course of the grant, the All Nations Health Center hired a full-time family nurse practitioner to provide primary medical care; created organization-wide policies and procedures that guide and support the integration of medical and behavioral services; trained all clinical, support, and administrative staff on integrated health care models; obtained a medication assisted treatment (MAT) certification for the nurse practitioner, allowing them to treat those struggling with opioid use issues; helped the community better understand the structure and importance of integrated health care; and transitioned to an electronic health records (EHR) system that supports full integration of care. With the addition of primary care services, the All Nations Health Center was able to be recognized by Medicaid and Medicare as an urban FQHC, giving it access to a more favorable rate of reimbursement, which will help ensure its sustainability into the future.
Blackfeet Community College 2017
Trauma Informed Planning Grant
This two-part project will begin to create a trauma-informed campus on the Blackfeet Community College and disseminate a culturally-based, trauma-informed toolkit to other agencies on the reservation, and develop a feasibility and business plan for an integrated behavioral health student health center on campus. To create a trauma-informed campus, this project will train trainers in a culturally-based historical trauma curriculum, provide professional development in integrated care models, strengthen campus and community referral resources, create an action team, and provide support to students. The National Council for Behavioral Health will assist in creating a detailed strategic plan for implementing integrated behavioral health into the student health center. The goals for the student health center are for it to not only provide students with primary and behavioral healthcare screenings but also with space for behavioral health and nursing students to practice trauma-informed integrated health.
Blackfeet Emergency Medical Services program
The Blackfeet EMS Program trained and certified three paramedics from Blackfeet Tribal Health's emergency medical technician staff. With the advanced certifications, the Blackfeet EMS Program is now able to bill at a higher rate and will continue to expand its program. The revenue allowed the tribe to purchase three new ambulances with advanced equipment, which is helping the program to provide a higher level of service. By certifying their paramedic staff, the Blackfeet Tribe is addressing their workforce challenges and providing improved emergency response to the community. The program is sustainable through revenue generated from billing services.
Tribal Health Improvement Program
This project provided funding for a project coordinator position to help design and implement the Blackfeet Tribal Health's Tribal Health Improvement Program (T-HIP). T-HIP is Montana's innovative new Medicaid waiver program that provides per capita funding for tribes to address factors that contribute to health disparities in the American Indian population residing on the reservation. Our grant funded the project coordinator position for six months and allowed the tribe to develop and execute a task order with the State of Montana to begin implementing Tier 1 of the T-HIP program. Tier 1 of the T-HIP program addresses high utilizers of health care on the Blackfeet reservation and provides care coordination and outreach to this population. The tribe is now providing care management, health education and transportation to the Blackfeet community, and the program is entirely self-sustaining; they are now planning for Tier 2 of the T-HIP program.
Eagle Shield Center 2017
The Blackfeet Community Hospice Project
This planning project supported the establishment of a partnership among tribal agencies on the Blackfeet reservation who will collaborate toward developing hospice services for the community and provided a one-day workshop to educate the Blackfeet community about hospice and end-of-life care. Since 2007, Blackfeet community members and a researcher from Montana State University have been collaborating on end-of-life experiences among Blackfeet people using a participatory approach. The partnership includes the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, the Eagle Shield Center, the Blackfeet Tribal Health Department, Tribal Planning, Blackfeet Community College, Blackfeet Family and Child Services, Indian Health Service, and the Tribal Diabetes Clinic. At the conclusion of this project, solid partnerships had been established; the workshop on available hospice services in the Blackfeet community increased the community's knowledge of end-of-life care needs and services. Eagle Shield Center will continue to work towards establishing hospice services through the new partnerships and advisory committee.
Fort Belknap Tribal Health 2017
Centralized Billing Capacity Building Project
This project will help establish Fort Belknap's centralized billing department by expanding the range of billable services and establishing internal controls to ensure legal compliance. The revenue generated will support prevention programs and help the tribe assume management of their behavioral health services from the Indian Health Service. Funding will also be used to hire a consultant to assess the revenue cycle process, controls and operations, and recommend specific improvements.
Diabetes Care Clinic
This grant supported the Fort Belknap Indian Community to develop a Diabetic Care Clinic to provide high-quality, consistent, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate care to residents of the reservation who are diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. The clinic, which has been fully functional since 2017 and has provided more than 500 diabetic care visits, helps patients gain the knowledge and skills needed to make adjustments to their diet, exercise, and medication for optimal health and quality of life. The establishment of an independent, tribally run health board to administer the clinic and provide governance and oversight to the program is in its final stages, with the majority of health board members selected. Third-party billing processes and procedures were developed to sustain the new clinic and services. The clinic continues to increase its client base and is working towards care coordination agreements with Veteran Affairs and Medicare to increase revenue to support the services.
Tatanka Gdes'ka Capacity Building Project
Spotted Bull Recovery and Resource Center (SBRRC) used this grant to establish a self-sustaining inpatient treatment center on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, with a focus on methamphetamine use disorder. The goal was to ensure that those with medical and mental illnesses complicating a methamphetamine addiction can receive comprehensive, effective treatment. This project successfully achieved all its primary objectives. SBRRC employees received training in peer recovery support, program management, integrated behavioral health principles, and medication-assisted treatment. A full-time staff member was hired and trained to conduct third-party billing to help sustain the center. SBRRC upgraded its infrastructure to meet in-patient treatment standards and received state licensure and JCAHO/CARF certification. And SBRRC partnered with other organizations to raise awareness about the need for a treatment facility, conduct community outreach, and encourage community members to take ownership of the problem and get involved in the planning process. Providing the long-term programming needed by the community was a challenge since most billable hours for treatment are only within the 30- to 90-day range. But SBRRC addressed this by allowing clients needing more treatment to keep receiving outpatient services and housing support as they transition back into the community. Three additional federal grants totaling $2,981,018 were awarded to SBRRC to support the program.
Hays Lodgepole School District 50 2017
Fort Belknap Indian Community Homeless Youth Feasibility Study
For this project, the Hays-Lodgepole Public School and the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council assessed the feasibility of designing, constructing, operating, and facilitating housing and supportive services to improve health and education outcomes for homeless youth on the Fort Belknap Reservation. The project successfully created 15 new community partnerships bringing together tribal leadership, community members, and youth over the course of 10 planning meetings. The finalized feasibility study includes two site options for the youth shelter along with an overall floor and feasibility plan that will allow the tribal planners to seek funding for the second phase of the project which will involve the construction of the facility.
North American Indian Alliance 2017
Butte Urban Indian Health Alliance Strategic Planning Initiative
The goal of this project was to create a strategic plan to help the North American Indian Alliance Butte (NAIA) move into its next decade of service. A consultant worked with the NAIA's board of directors and executive director to complete a community needs assessment. After surveying the community and collecting feedback, the consultant developed recommendations for how to adjust the organization's programming and services to better serve the community. However, due to leadership turnover, the report was not finalized or implemented.
Northern Cheyenne Revenue Enhancement
This project helped the Cheyenne Board of Health increase the revenue they generate from clinical services, create a stronger patient registration process, and identify additional services that they are able to support through billing insurance. Grant funds were used to hire a new staff position to focus on insurance enrollment, and a consultant to help with revenue cycle management. They began coding and billing for clinical services in-house, which increased their third-party revenue. Their new patient registration process has helped patients and clients apply for other resources for their medical needs. At the end of this grant, the tribe had received over $750,000 in increased revenue that will be reinvested into the health system. The revenue increase has led to implementing spending policies to serve the needs of the community better.
Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center 2017
From Plans to Action: Prevention and Support for Pregnant Blackfeet Women Using Opioids on Blackfeet
In 2016, MHCF supported the Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center and their Boston University-based partners to work with the Blackfeet Tribe and the Indian Health Service Blackfeet Community Hospital on early-stage planning work to address opioid use by pregnant women. The funds supported a conference hosted at the Blackfeet Community College, a detailed report and feedback, an inspirational Blackfeet visit to the Lummi tribe's opioid maintenance program, and the formation of a new, multi-partner opioid prevention task force on Blackfeet. This project continued this work through task force strengthening and capacity-building, focus groups/key informant interviews with clinicians and substance-using pregnant women, the production of a "gap analysis" to determine treatment shortfalls for substance-using pregnant women on Blackfeet, and the production of a feasibility analysis and business plan for developing services to address perinatal drug use. Ultimately, the project resulted in the coordination and development of a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinic for pregnant women and families on the Blackfeet Reservation. The grantee was also able to successfully secure additional funding to support further development of the project through the State of Montana STR grant and a Tribal Opioid Response grant which will supplement the services offered through the MAT clinic. A building on the Blackfeet Reservation was secured for the MAT clinic and a partnership was establish with Community Medical Services. Community Medical Services provides the induction and medication management services and Blackfeet Tribal Health provides the care coordination and behavioral health services for the women and families.
Southern Peigan School Health 2017
Behavioral Health Services for At-Risk Youth Served by Southern Peigan School Health (SPSH)
Through this project, the Southern Peigan school-based health center began offering substance use disorder services as part of an integrated behavioral health model of care. Standardized screening for substance use has been implemented, and providers have been trained in SBIRT (screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment). Grant funds were used to hire a licensed addiction counselor to provide treatment services within the existing school-based health center. The National Council for Behavioral Health provided training and technical assistance. The health center's services are sustainable through third-party billing from licensed providers, and they plan to expand their services and hire additional staff.
Billings Clinic 2016
American Indian Healthcare Advocate Program
This project provided outreach, information, and health insurance enrollment assistance to American Indian people residing on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservations and the urban American Indian population residing in Billings. Through the American Indian Healthcare Advocate Program, outreach events, presentations, and informational materials were distributed to over 700 individuals with questions about Montana's Medicaid expansion and how obtaining health insurance could increase their access to quality health care. Twenty-six people were directly enrolled in a health insurance product for which they were eligible but not yet enrolled and 177 people were assisted in the enrollment process. Additionally, a qualitative research project was initiated to gain insight into American Indian perceptions of health insurance and health care.
Blackfeet Tribe 2016
Centralized Third Party Billing System
The Blackfeet Tribe created a centralized third-party billing office for their health system. The billing office allows the tribe to maximize revenue from the health services they provide and improve the financial management of revenue from third-party billing. The project hired a benefits coordinator and patient accounts coordinator to assess their current programs and identify billable services. The billing office collected over $2.5 million in revenue and provided referral services for Blackfeet Tribal Medicaid recipients for denture and brace services. The billing office is helping the tribe improve and expand health services to serve the needs of their community better and create a more fiscally stable, and sustainable structure for existing health programs. The office is sustainable through the revenue generated from billing services.
CSKT Tribal Health Department 2016
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Health Integrated Behavioral Health Program
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe (CSKT) Tribal Health Department developed a detailed strategic plan to integrate behavioral health into primary care and to train their current behavioral health staff and primary care providers on conducting motivational interviews and brief interventions. With the established protocol, screening tools, and a workflow plan in place, primary care and behavioral health providers are now able to consult with one another regarding behavior change for preventable disease as well as for indications of mental illness and substance abuse problems. As part of the project, CSKT also piloted a daily "huddle" to improve communication and introduce behavioral health staff into the primary care clinic. They found this to be positive and have an immediate impact on patient care and outcomes. It created a collegial and friendly environment between staff teams and resulted in successful warm hand-offs, brief interventions, and the establishment of ongoing care. Due to leadership and staff turnover, they have experienced challenges in the progression of an integrated model. The project also allowed a team of 12 program directors to travel to the SouthCentral Foundation in Alaska for a site visit and training.


Seizure of State Assets: Administrator General blames situation on ignorance
The Administrator General, Mr David Yaro, has blamed the numerous cases of seizure of state assets on ignorance of the Presidential Transition Act 2012.
According to him, most past and present government officials are having a first taste of the law since its promulgation; hence, the rough edges.
Speaking on TV3's News 360 on Monday, February 6, David Yaro said: "The law has not been tested until now that is why it doesn't seem to be happening properly".
But he said if the Presidential Estates Unit (PEU), which he heads, was adequately staffed, all these would have been averted.
According to him, the Unit is gravely understaffed.
"If I have staff, even one officer at the regional level, they will be talking to people about what the transition actually means," he said, "and some of the atrocities we are hearing at the regional levels will not have occurred."
He condemned the seizures mostly masterminded by supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Government has set up a joint taskforce to ensure retrieval of state assets from individuals, especially past government appointees.
But the task force has been pooh-poohed by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), which claims it is an appendage of ruling party's Invisible Forces aimed at visiting mayhem on past government officials.
Mr Yaro has asked for the full cooperation of all to ensure an incident-free transition.
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10 hidden facts that only die-hard fans know about the game
By Sterling K. Webb on	 December 21, 2021 Musical Compositions
The exit of Square Enix Marvel's Avengers carried on the legacy of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" with an all-new storyline distinct from the comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given its ambitious set of heroes and the ever-expanding online co-op mode, the game is adorned with a wide variety of Easter Eggs to grab the attention of avid gamers.
RELATED: 10 Best Campaign Missions In Marvel's Avengers
There are some interesting behind-the-scenes details about the cast and crew that only a few fans can know about. With such details, Marvel's Avengers makes for an interesting case study in the game of the 2020s.
Marvel's Avengers spawned related comics and novels
Even if the game's plot is not directly inspired by any of the Avengers comic book problems, Marvel's Avengers included five comics as promotional links. Each of the five books focuses on one of the Avengers, documenting the events of their lives just before A-Day. Therefore, the comic book collection has also been dubbed Marvel's Avengers: One Day Road.
The game also received a new prequel that builds on the events of A-Day in the game. Written by Star wars and Old scrolls Author Gregory Keyes, the novel deals with the Avengers battling the ancient organization known as the Zodiac and introduces Doctor Strange from the game universe.
Black Widow and Thor comedians are married in real life
Black Widow voice actress Laura Bailey and Thor voice actor Travis Willingham both have significant experience not only in the voiceover industry, but with several Marvel productions as well. The first has been the voice of Black Widow on modern animated superhero shows like The Avengers Assemble, The Ultimate Spider-Man, and Lego Marvel Superhero. During this time, Willingham played Thor in all of the aforementioned shows with Phineas & Ferb, and Fortnite.
The two actors have also been married since 2011. According to an interview for Critical role: between the sheets, the couple dated briefly when they were in college, then crossed paths again later in life.
A character from the Marvels miniseries appears
There are several allusions to the Daily Bugle in the game with the newspaper emerging as a TV channel in its own right. While these references are easy to spot, more attentive observers would note the presence of Phil Sheldon as a reporter.
RELATED: 10 Best Comics Based On Video Games
Sheldon may not have joined the ranks of the most popular Marvel characters, but he is the protagonist of one of the most iconic comic book series. Alan Ross and Kurt Busiek wonders take a more humanistic approach to his heroes as Sheldon observes their actions and consequences. This layman's take on the heroes used by comics has received critical acclaim.
Guinness world record holder voiced Ulysses Klaue
The game's star voice cast also includes Steve Blum, a noted voice actor who held the 2012 Guinness World Record for most video game dubbing credits (per Anime news network).
More popular than Sub-Zero in the Mortal combat series and Wolverine in several Marvel productions, Blum has an antagonistic role as Ulysses Klaue, the arms dealer hired by AIM to steal vibranium in the DLC story expansion War for Wakanda.
Black Sabbath song debuts in Marvel sophomore
The game doesn't shy away from revealing Tony Stark's immense love for old-school rock and metal music. Since Black Sabbath has a classic song called "Iron Man," the group and character must come together. During several Tony scenes, Crowd rules by the group at the head of Ozzy Osbourne begins to play.
RELATED: 10 of the Most Beautiful Things Tony Stark Has Done in the MCU
In fact, this isn't the first time the song has been part of Marvel property. In 1994, the song crept into a game called Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage. It should be noted, however, that the game version was a 16-bit render.
The music composer also scored Rise Of The Tomb Raider
The catchy, orchestral score of the game was the work of Bobby Tahouri whose most famous musical credit before Marvel's Avengers would be on Rise of the Tomb Raider, one of the recent Grave robber Games.
Tahouri has also composed various feature films and short films, as well as the video game Transformers Rise of the Dark Spark which marked his video game debut. With his latest compositions in Marvel's Avengers, Tahouri seems to be a reliable name in video game music.
Black Widow's hacker name is linked to something from her childhood
Much like game protagonist Kamala Khan, Black Widow uses her hacking skills to reveal AIM's secrets. For this mission, his chosen hacker name is Tiny Dancer. The name appears to be a reference to Elton John's song, but fans would notice a deeper connection in the character's case, as Black Widow was a trained ballerina as a child. One of the small details of Marvel's Avengers is the presence of a ballerina's music box in her bedroom, referring more to her past.
In fact, Elton John himself was part of the Marvel Comic Book Universe, having served as an agent of SHIELD (much Black Widow) in International Iron Man # 6.
Marvel's Avengers XP boost created some controversy
The XP Boost feature allows players to level up faster while gaining additional experience points in a short time. In September 2021, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics announced that XP Boost could be unlocked through real transactions. This sparked a lot of outrage among fans and critics alike who felt the move went against the company's claim that the game would only have transactions for cosmetic and personalization items.
RELATED: Every Marvel's Avengers Hero So Far, Ranked
According to a report by JeuxIndustrie.biz, Crystal Dynamics had announced earlier that "premium content would stick to" aesthetic additions only. " In November, Crystal heard requests from fans and ditched the feature altogether.
Square Enix president called Marvel's Avengers a disappointment
Despite a lot of waiting, Marvel's Avengers Underperformed in terms of sales and joined the biggest flops of 10 top video game developers. As reported by Games pot, Square Enix reported a loss of $ 63 million despite strong sales in the first week.
Those who follow the buzz behind the scenes of the game will also know that Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda himself made his disappointment visible. As stated by JeuxIndustrie.biz, Matsuda also added in Square Enix's annual report that the game was a disappointment for the company.
The Uncharted actor and writer was involved in Marvel's Avengers
Tony Stark is one of the main protagonists of the game and is voiced by famous comedian Troy Baker. Besides other video games and animated shows, Baker is best known as the voice behind Nathan Drake, the protagonist of the Unexplored video game franchise.
But he is not the only one Unexplored former student to be part of Marvel's Avengers. The superhero game also starred Shaun Escayg as the director and screenwriter. For the 2017 Unexplored Entrance The lost leg, Escayg was also a screenwriter and creative director. With such connections, fans can only speculate on one Unexplored Easter egg or two in the game.
NEXT: 10 Things From The Avengers Game We Want In The MCU
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Shaurya Thapa
Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who primarily writes on film, music and human interest subjects. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide range of topics from international movies to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called "BhindiWire," an Indian parody of IndieWire.
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Review: 'Moonrise Kingdom' shines
By Charlie McCollum | Mercury News, Bay Area News Group
May 30, 2012 at 6:37 a.m.
Once upon a time …
That's really the way writer-director Wes Anderson's magical new film "Moonrise Kingdom" should begin. Warm, witty and whimsical, it is a fabulous fable, a storybook tale of young love, the innocence of youth and the disappointments of life.
In his previous films, Anderson has always done a high wire balancing act between humanism and whimsy bordering on the twee. Sometimes — "Rushmore," the marvelous "Fantastic Mr. Fox" — it works. Sometimes — "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" — it doesn't, resulting in movies that come off as self-consciously quirky and overly clever.
But with "Moonrise Kingdom," Anderson is on very sure footing, not only finding the right balance but also the greatest measure of heart and sincerity he has achieved in his live action films (2009's "Mr. Fox" was animated).
The film is set on Penzance, a remote island off the coast of New England that seems to occupy a space somewhere between Prospero's island in "The Tempest" and Neverland. It is the late summer of 1965 and as the film's helpful narrator (an elfin Bob Balaban in a delightful, droll performance) is quick to tell us, the island will soon be struck by the worst storm in its history.
Among those on the island: two 12-year-old loners who (by adult criteria) are "troubled kids." Suzy (Kara Hayward), the eldest child of married lawyers (Bill Murray, Frances McDormand) who ignore her and each other, rightfully feels neglected and spends most of her time engrossed in fantasy adventure novels. Sam (Jared Gilman), an orphan who is about to be disowned by his foster parents, is stuck at a scouting camp — run by the well-meaning but ineffectual Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) — a place where he doesn't have a single friend.
The two had met the previous summer during, of all things, a performance of Benjamin Britten's opera "Noye's Fludde" (basically the story of Noah's ark so we've got a real flood-storm theme going on). With just a few words and glances, the precocious kids realize they are soul mates who must be together. So, for a full year, they plot and conspire to run away together and escape a world where they are misunderstood and very much alone.
Their disappearance causes great consternation among the adults on the island, mostly because of the inconvenience. Only the scout master and the island's police chief, the rather sad Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), seem particularly concerned about the kids' safety and the search for Sam and Suzy is more a chase than a rescue effort.
The young couple does eventually find their own little slice of paradise — an isolated cove that they rename Moonrise Kingdom. And for at least a day they make a life on the beach with all the enchantment that comes with first kisses (a funny but truly poignant scene) and living on their own terms.
Eventually, Sam and Suzy are found (well, caught) and it looks like Sam is headed to orphanage (or, possibly, shock therapy). But as the storm closes in they escape again, this time with the help of Sam's scout troop, who see the errors of their ways and end playing the Lost Boys to Sam's Peter and Suzy's Wendy, and a slightly sleazy scout leader (Anderson regular Jason Schwartzman).
In the end, love wins out and there is even a measure of redemption for some of the adults.
Throughout "Moonrise Kingdom," Anderson brings richness of detail (a terrific production design by Adam Stockhausen), beautifully conceived cinematography from Robert Yeoman, impeccable musical choices and a smart, crisp dialogue (co-written by frequent collaborator Roman Coppola) that avoids both mushiness and the excessively quirky. He also draws impeccable performances from Murray, McDormand, Norton, Tilda Swinton as an icy Social Services bureaucrat and Willis, who does a particularly sensitive turn as the lonely Captain Sharp.
Then there are the kid actors.
Hayward and Gilman are newcomers who are asked to carry much of the film and pull it off with lovely understatement and extraordinary believability. When they look at each other, you fully believe that Sam and Suzy don't just think they're in love, they really are in love and deserve a magical world all their own.
In the end, who knows if they live happily ever after? But you'll leave "Moonrise Kingdom" hoping they do.
'moonrise kingdom'
* * * 1/2
Opens: San Francisco on June 1; elsewhere in the Bay Area on June 8
Rating: PG-13 (for mild sexual content and smoking)
Cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Frances McDormand
Director: Wes Anderson
Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Charlie McCollum


O'Sullivan
Close encounters of the reptilian kind
By Catherine O'Sullivan
There's a Crotalus atrox living at my house. Better known as a western diamondback rattlesnake, she's a little over three feet long, with a triangular head, elegant neck, and a fondness for lounging by the pool. She's very even-tempered for a rattlesnake, and although she coiled when the firemen came to remove her, she neither rattled nor struck, even held aloft in the jaws of the aluminum snake-grabber.
I've seen her on and off for a few years, although I never realized she was the same one. As is true for most people, the beans I knew about rattlesnakes are few and far between, but I thought I had the basics down. I know, for example, that it's not nearly as easy to get bitten as most people think it is. Rattlesnakes, like all desert dwellers, are economical by nature, living their entire lives in the extraordinarily thin margin between life and death. As a result, they don't want to bite anything they can't swallow.
To waste valuable venom on a creature they can't eat is a needless expenditure of both energy and time. And should a meal become available in the meantime, their odds of subduing it are seriously compromised.
In other words, rattlesnakes don't want to waste their hard-won energy biting lumbering, nearsighted primates with no nutritional value.
What I didn't know is that they're also territorial, spending their entire lives in relatively small areas and excluding others of their kind. Small areas like foothills properties surrounded by unmanicured acreage. "I'm not surprised you've got a rattlesnake," said the head honcho fireman, coming on authoritarian, jotting some ominous note on his clipboard. "All this brush."
"It's not brush," I said. "It's an ecosystem."
"With a snake in it," said a second.
"So, what are you going to do with it?" All five firemen hemmed and hawed, shifted from foot to foot. "We could just put it over the wall," said one.
"Why not take it somewhere and release it," I said.
"We used to, but no matter where, someone called to complain. They mostly died, anyway." This, as he forked the reptile into a wooden box. Another guy slammed the lid down.
"If you put it over the wall, it will just come back." I was worried about my three dogs, though when I'd returned home and found the snake lounging by the pool, I'd been gone all morning and they'd been together the whole time. None seemed any the worse for it. Hell, the snake looked so relaxed that I thought it was dead. But after getting the dogs into the house, closing the doggie door and calling 911 to summon my rescuers, it became obvious it wasn't.
I watched for a good half hour as our visitor, bored or overheated by lying in the sun, moved deliberately to the edge of the pool, slid into the water, swam across and emerged on the other side with all the grace and ease of a water moccasin. Proceeding to cruise the perimeter of the yard, inspecting every corner, she slithered in and out of the holes in our milk crate/recycling bins, rose up a good 15 inches inspecting the pane of glass behind which I stood stock still, flicking her tongue the whole time just as friendly as you like. She was beautiful close up, serene, curious; and so damn amiable, I wanted to bring her a doggie biscuit, a sandwich, maybe a cold beer and a bag of chips.
Bored with me, she headed back to the pool, swimming across lengthwise this time to lie in the sun again and recover from her exertions.
"If you don't release them, what do you do with them?" I asked.
The guy looked sheepish, toeing the ground a little with his high-topped snake-proof boot. "Put them in a barrel at the station."
"Until what?" I said.
"Until someone comes to get them."
"Who?" I said. "To do what?"
Dead silence. I got a vivid mental picture of hatbands and shoddy Southwestern jewelry, of taxidermied reptiles at the infamous Dead Animal Museum over on the westside. "Shit," I said. "Put her over the wall."
I spent most of yesterday constructing snake exclusion barriers with wire and quarter-inch fencing. I think I got most of the holes. Time will tell. If she shows up again, I don't know what I'll do.
Probably, just bring her a clean towel.
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Cabinet - Monday, 5th September, 2022 7.00 pm
Venue: Main Hall (1st Floor) - 3 Shortlands, Hammersmith, W6 8DA. View directions
Link: Watch the meeting on YouTube
Minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 18 July 2022 PDF 230 KB
That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18 July 2022 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the outstanding actions be noted.
There were no apologies for absence.
Declaration of Interests
If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority's register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.
At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.
Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.
Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Standards Committee.
Councillor Bora Kwon declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of item 9, Business Objectives 2022/23, as a Governor at Flora Gardens Primary School. She considered that this did not give rise to a perception of a conflict of interests and, in the circumstances it would be reasonable to participate in the discussion and vote thereon.
2021/22 Provisional Revenue Outturn Report PDF 328 KB
View the background to item 4.
View the decision for item 4.
Councillor Rowan Ree introduced the report looking at the spending against budget over the previous financial year. The General Fund was in a good position and progress was being made to reduce deficits. Pressures on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) were being currently addressed.
AGREED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE CABINET MEMBERS:
1. To note the General Fund underspend of £6.7m.
2. To note that the draw down from the Housing Revenue Account general balance of £2.0m which was £2.4m less than budgeted.
3. To note the in-year reduction in the Dedicated Schools Grant High Needs Block cumulative overspend of £4.9m and remaining cumulative deficit of £11.8m.
Capital Programme Monitor & Budget Variations, 2021/22 (Outturn) PDF 494 KB
Councillor Rowan Ree stated that over the last two years Covid-19 had caused delays in several schemes. In addition the rising inflation had affected a number of projects which meant the original capital budget would have to be reviewed. This report proposed a number of changes to future budgets.
The Leader expressed concerns regarding the continuous rise in inflation which would affect the Council on large capital programmes.
Councillor Ree agreed that this serious issue would need to be faced until at least next year. The inflation was often higher in the construction sector, therefore having a major impact on several Council's projects.
1. To approve the proposed budget variations to the capital programme as summarised in Table 1 and detailed in Appendix 2.
2. To approve £1.75m additional capital budget for the Civic Campus commercial property cinema site fit out, as detailed in the paragraphs 10-13 of the report.
3. To note the capital outturn for the year.
2022/23 Corporate Revenue Monitor - Month 2 (May 2022) PDF 566 KB
Councillor Rowan Ree stated that this report outlined the forecast spend and action plans to reduce overspend for Month 2, May 2022. All departments were constantly looking at ways to reduce spend and identify new savings throughout the year.
Councillor Adrian Pascu-Tulbure stated that paragraph 4 on the report described the £10m provision for inflation, which included provision for a 2.3% pay award for 2022/23 and corporate inflation contingency of £1.5m. He asked what the plans were to address those figures.
Councillor Ree replied that there were contingency plans built in all budgets and the Council was constantly looking for savings within budgets.
The Leader added that there was a variety of financial pressures due to the rising inflation and the 2.3% pay award was actually a pay cut. He hoped the Government would come forward with a generous approach to help front line staff dealing with the cost of living.
1. To note General Fund forecast overspend of £4.334m.
2. To note that the forecast draw down from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) general balance is £4.453m, £0.403m more than budgeted.
3. To note the in-year Dedicated Schools Grant High Needs Block forecasted surplus of £0.582m, reducing the cumulative deficit.
4. To approve General Fund virements totalling £4.494m and HRA virements totalling £0.377m as detailed in appendix 10.
Treasury Management Outturn Report 2021/22 PDF 316 KB
Councillor Rowan Ree stated that there had been no additional borrowing undertaken over the period of 2021/22.
That Cabinet note the annual Treasury Management Outturn Report for 2021/22.
Adoption of the Affordable Workspace SPD PDF 108 KB
Appendix 1 , item 8. PDF 233 KB
Appendix 2 , item 8. PDF 2 MB
The Leader stated that affordable workspace was a key part to the Council's Industrial Strategy. They were aiming to create a stronger local economy that would provide training and job opportunities for local people and promote employment and innovation.
Councillor Andrew Jones noted that the original report was approved by Cabinet in March. This report was addressing technical changes in light of the financial pressures changing the dynamics in office and commercial market landscape.
1. ThatCabinet considersthe technicalchanges tothe SPDdetailed inAppendix 1.
2. ThatCabinet approvesthe adoptionof the SPD(Appendix 2)which includesthe technical changes.
3. That Cabinet gives delegated authority to the Chief Planning Officer, in consultationwith theCabinet Memberfor Economy,to makeany furtherminor changes to the SPD prior to adoption, should they be necessary.
Business Objectives 2022/23 PDF 191 KB
View the declarations of interest for item 9.
HF Business Objectives 2022-23 , item 9. PDF 281 KB
Councillor Bora Kwon declared a non-pecuniary interest as a Governor at Flora Gardens Primary School. She considered that this did not give rise to a perception of a conflict of interests and, in the circumstances it would be reasonable to participate in the discussion and vote thereon.
With the Leader's permission Richard Farthing, Chairman of The Hammersmith Society, addressed the Cabinet for 5 minutes, having submitted a valid deputation request. He spoke on behalf of: The Hammersmith Society, The Avonmore Residents' Association, The Avonmore and Brook Green Ward Action Group, Ravenscourt Action, Palace Mansions Residents' Association, Friends of Ravenscourt Park, The Brackenbury Residents Association.
Mr Farthing confirmed their opposition to the Communities Schools Programme, as they did not agree that building housing on school grounds was the right way to finance schools. They supported the redevelopment of Avonmore and Flora Gardens Primary Schools, but not at any loss of open spaces. His predecessor had written several letters to the Council raising a number of specific points of concerns but had received no written response. They were not convinced that the financial case for building on school land had been demonstrated. The provision of more affordable housing was welcome but would create a need for more school places. Education was liable to change over time and they believed better economic values could be achieved by looking at the way school was designed and using it for a wider range of purposes, not just for primary school. They believed that there were more economic, environmental, and cost-effective ways to build a replacement for those schools, such as using offsite wood construction.
The Leader stressed that there had been continuous dialogue with the former Chairman of The Hammersmith Society and understood that many of the issues raised had been dealt with. But he acknowledged that a formal written letter would be a more appropriate response.
Councillor Jones replied that he had attended four meetings with diverse groups, including the Hammersmith Society, and had done a great deal of engagement with the communities to address their views over several years, including a consultation of the original proposal and another one in 2021. They were on the process of bringing back a revised proposal after having listened to the community's views and concerns. The valid points raised around carbon, scale and use of school space had now been incorporated on the schools redesigns. He stressed that currently there were no alternative sources of finance for the funding for those schools. The Council remained committed to provide affordable housing and they would continue to engage with the community to discuss the revised proposals of the redevelopment of the schools. He added that he would submit a written response to the Hammersmith Society addressing their concerns.
The Leader asked whether Mr Farthing's only concerns were about the environment and sustainability of the development in addition to the financing, or whether he also objected to affordable housing on the sites.
Mr Farthing replied that the sites, especially at ... view the full minutes text for item 9.
Forward Plan of Key Decisions PDF 1023 KB
The Key Decision List was noted.
Discussion of Exempt Elements (If Required)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 - ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Proposed resolution:
Under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they contain the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the said Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
There was no discussion of exempt elements.


Washington Insider/
USDA Reorganization Moving Forward
Washington Insider --Wednesday
9/13/2017 | 6:06 AM CDT
By DTN's Washington Insider
Here's a quick monitor of Washington farm and trade policy issues from DTN's well-placed observer.
South Korean Envoy: US Likely to Remain in KORUS
South Korean Ambassador Anh Ho-young expects the U.S. to continue trade talks on the concerns about the 2012 trade agreement, despite reports that President Donald Trump is considering taking America out of the pact. Ahn said Monday at a forum that he does not have a date for a second special session of talks with the U.S., but he said he is taking Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer at his word that further talks will be held.
Lighthizer called for the session under a provision in the trade agreement, generally referred to as KORUS. Ahn said South Korea is keeping the lines of communications open with the administration. It is unclear whether Lighthizer wants to narrowly focus the talks or expand them to a renegotiation of the trade pact. "Let us be patient and go step-by-step rather than jumping the gun," Ahn said when asked if South Korea would be amenable to the United States opening KORUS for renegotiations — as it has done with the North American Free Trade Agreement.
US Demands Increase WTO Dispute Body Turmoil
The appointment of several key World Trade Organization (WTO) officials is being blocked by the U.S. in a high-stakes gamble aimed at reforming the world's primary trade dispute settlement forum.
U.S. trade officials linked the process to appoint three new members of WTO's appellate body to U.S. demands for changes to WTO's 22-year-old dispute settlement rulebook, according to participants at an August 31 meeting in Geneva.
More than a dozen WTO members voiced opposition, saying they are concerned by the systemic implications of the Trump administration's linkage, according to meeting participants. During the meeting of WTO's dispute settlement body (DSB), U.S. trade officials said that simply moving forward with filling vacancies risks perpetuating concerns about the panel, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
WTO appointments are granted on a unanimous basis. U.S. opposition to any new candidates may be problematic for the appellate body, which is short-staffed and overwhelmed by an increasing number of high-profile trade disputes. The seven-member appellate body is down to five members after the recent departures of Kim Hyun-chong, who resigned in August, and Ricardo Ramirez-Hernandez, whose term expired in July. It is set to lose a third member on December 11 when Peter Van den Bossche's final term expires.
Washington Insider: USDA Reorganization Moving Forward
It seems a little strange, but USDA says it is moving forward with its reorganization, in spite of the bitter fights underway on the tax, trade and other fronts, according to Politico. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last week announced a raft of additional changes to USDA offices and programs as part of his ongoing effort to streamline the vast bureaucracy, improve its efficiency and make it, as he likes to say, more customer friendly.
Perdue launched the reorganization in May during a visit to a grain processing facility on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati. Under elements of his plan the department is combining domestic farm services into a single mission area, organizing trade-related initiatives under the newly created undersecretary for trade position, and eliminating the rural development mission area by moving those programs into the portfolio of a newly created assistant to the secretary.
Perdue also gave some details of how some of the new mission areas will look. The U.S. Codex Office, which deals with aligning international standards, will be moved from the Food Safety and Inspection Service to the trade mission area.
The International Food Commodity Procurement program, currently housed within the Farm Service Agency, will be moved to merge with the domestic Commodity Food Procurement program under the Agricultural Marketing Service, a change that will put all of USDA's commodity procurement efforts in one place. The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, now spread across several agencies, will also be folded into AMS.
In another merger, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion will join forces with the Food and Nutrition Service. The Office of Pest Management Policy will be moved from the Agricultural Research Service to the Office of the Chief Economist.
USDA argues that switch better reflects the office's mission.
Perdue's reshuffling will also create a Rural Development Innovation Center to evaluate the effectiveness of the business, housing and utilities programs the department provides. And USDA is also launching an Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement that will group together the Office of Advocacy and Outreach; the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships staff; the Office of Tribal Relations; and the Military Veterans Liaison.
Some like the changes, but some don't. The National Grain and Feed Association and the North American Export Grain Association are pleased with the proposed move of the Federal Grain Inspection Service, part of GIPSA, to AMS. In a statement, the groups said the move "will help the agency better fulfill its statutory obligation to provide reliable, accurate, timely, impartial and cost-effective services. "Relocating FGIS within an agency that has a similar mission and function as a service agency is the foundation for its successful future, and we commend Secretary Perdue for recognizing this need and moving expeditiously to bring about this change," NGFA said.
However, at least one critic of the changes weighed in last week. Brian Ronholm, who served as deputy undersecretary for food safety at USDA during the Obama administration, questioned the decision to move Codex. "While moving Codex to the trade office may seem inconsequential on the surface, it actually will undermine the United States' credibility in the international food policy arena, and represents yet another effort by the Trump administration to emphasize trade goals over food safety priorities," Ronholm said. "The public health foundation of FSIS provides the U.S. Codex Office with the credibility necessary to implement outreach programs that gain support for U.S. positions around the world."
There is another issue. While Perdue is charging ahead with the changes, he is doing so without key staffers in place in these various mission areas. For example, Indiana Agriculture Director Ted McKinney has been nominated to serve as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey got the nod to lead the new domestic farm services arm, and Nebraska Agriculture Director Greg Ibach is the administration's choice to head marketing and regulatory programs.
All three are still awaiting a date for their confirmation hearings, and McKinney has been waiting much longer than the other two — an irony in the Washington sense of the word, given that he's holding his horses on a position that Capitol Hill has wanted to see realized for some time. The Senate Agriculture Committee told Politico earlier this week that it intends to hold nomination hearings this month.
So, we will see what all this means. The downgrade for rural development is already controversial, and at least some of the others likely will be too. Making such significant changes at a time when the government programs are severely strained also seems somewhat unusual. These are all changes producers should watch closely as they emerge, Washington Insider believes.
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