Tribes & Tribal Entities
Request for Applications (RFA) 2B Documents and Resources
BHBH Program Tribal Entities
BHBH Program Tribal Entities RFA - Round 2B
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is pleased to announce the release of the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program Tribal Entities Request for Applications (RFA).
This Round 2B of BHBH Program funding will provide more than $20 million to eligible applicants in California to operate bridge housing settings to address the immediate housing needs of individuals in tribal communities experiencing homelessness who have serious behavioral health conditions, including serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD).
The BHBH RFA 2B SurveyMonkey Apply portal has been closed to allow for a review and evaluation of the initial applications for funding. Following this review, the BHBH Program will make funding announcements to selected applicants; BHBH may re-open the application portal for additional submissions. If you have any questions, please contact us. Award announcements for BHBH Round 2B are anticipated in the Summer of 2024.
DHCS and Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) hosted a BHBH Program Tribal Entities RFA — Round 2B informational webinar on March 14, 2024. Prospective applicants are invited to watch the recorded webinar and review the presentation.
DHCS has engaged Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), a consulting and research firm focused on improving health and human services systems, to serve as the BHBH Program administrative entity. AHP and partners will offer technical assistance throughout the course of this grant.
Tribal Entity BHBH Program Round 2 Awards
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is pleased to announce that it has awarded over $30 million in Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program funding to tribal entities for use in the planning and implementation of bridge housing and bridge housing services. The primary focus of the BHBH Program is to help people experiencing unsheltered homelessness who also have serious behavioral health conditions, including serious mental illness and substance use disorders, that prevent them from accessing help and moving out of homelessness.
DHCS has awarded funds to 9 initial tribal entities which will be used to provide support for planning and implementation of bridge housing. The Track 1 – Planning Grant is intended to facilitate engagement and community conversations to meet the immediate housing needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and serious behavioral health conditions. The Track 2 – Implementation Grant is intended to launch and operate a BHBH program to address the immediate housing needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and serious behavioral health conditions.
See below for Round 2 awards.
| Tribal Entity Awardees | Track | Award Amount |
| Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria | 1 | $150,000 |
| Pinoleville Pomo Nation | 1 | $150,000 |
| Two Feathers Native American Family Services | 1 | $150,000 |
| Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians | 2 | $4,687,500 |
| Pala Band of Mission Indians | 2 | $5,000,000 |
| Yurok Tribe | 2 | $4,977,068 |
| Friendship House Association of American Indians | 2 | $5,000,000 |
| Native Directions, Inc. | 2 | $5,000,000 |
| Inner-Tribal Treatment | 2 | $4,999,980 |
Homelessness in Tribal Communities
The primary focus of the BHBH Program is to help those experiencing homelessness who have serious behavioral health conditions that prevent them from accessing help and moving out of homelessness. California is home to the largest population of American Indians/Alaska Natives in the nation, approximately 720,000 individuals. Research documents a large, unmet need for new homes throughout California’s tribal lands, resulting in overcrowding and substandard housing. Sixty percent of California tribes cite homelessness and accessibility to stable housing as challenges in their communities. Serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD) can significantly increase obstacles to exiting homelessness and establishing housing stability.
Disparities Affecting Tribal Communities
Historic systemic imbalances continue to create disparities for Native American tribes, among them the fact that over 60 percent of Native American communities have no access to high-speed internet, which severely limits their ability to access education, employment, healthcare, and other essential services. Due to historical community trauma responses, Native American communities are highly vulnerable to mental illness. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that Native Americans have the highest rates of substance use disorders in the United States, more than any other ethnicity.
Tribal people have a cultural need to be close to their traditional homelands—separation from family and culture frequently compounds symptoms of mental illness and substance use. Overcrowded, multi-generational housing set-ups are common among Tribal communities due to the general lack of access to affordable housing. There is a clear need for services, facilities, and housing to be closer to traditional homelands in the interest of communities’ systemic wellness.
DHCS’s Addressing the Opioid Crisis in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities in California: A Statewide Needs Assessment, listed barriers to treatment that included unstable housing, fragmented service delivery, and a lack of residential treatment facilities for substance use disorders. Per the recommendations of that 2019 report, providing culturally centered services, maintaining resiliency in the community, and emphasizing cultural connectedness can lead to healing an individual’s spiritual, mental, and physical strength.