Missing and Murdered 

Native Americans 

A Public Health Framework for Action 

for the 

Administration for Children and Families and the Communities It Serves

October 2020
i
THE COLORS

The colors of this Administration for 

Children and Families Missing and 

Murdered Native Americans Framework 

honor all missing and murdered Native 

Americans and symbolize our 

commitment to help stem victimization 

and to contribute to hope and healing. 

The red color represents the movement 

that Native American women and men 

started long ago to address the tragedy 

of their missing and murdered relatives. 

Native American communities are not 

alone in fighting against tragic events. 

The red color also signifies the 

importance of engaging all American 

citizens in efforts to end this crisis. The 

blue shade is the official color for the 

Administration for Children and Families 

and represents our engagement with 

Native American communities in 

embracing a more hopeful future. 

The image of a feather honors those 

who are lost and represents hope for 

recovering those who have gone 

missing. It is an offering for the courage 

and bravery of those found alive and is 

gifted as a blessing of peace to the 

loved ones of those who have 

transitioned from this physical realm.

ii

 

. 
iii
EAGLE POEM

 

Joy Harjo

To pray you open your whole self

To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon

To one whole voice that is you.

And know there is more

That you can’t see, can’t hear;

Can’t know except in moments

Steadily growing, and in languages

That aren’t always sound but other

Circles of motion.

Like eagle that Sunday morning

Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky

In wind, swept our hearts clean

With sacred wings.

We see you, see ourselves and know

That we must take the utmost care

And kindness in all things.

Breathe in, knowing we are made of

All this, and breathe, knowing

We are truly blessed because we

Were born, and die soon within a

True circle of motion,

Like eagle rounding out the morning

Inside us.

We pray that it will be done

In beauty.

In beauty.

iv

 

Appointed in 2019, Joy Harjo is 

the current and first Native 

American United States Poet 

Laureate. Born in Tulsa, 

Oklahoma, Harjo is a member 

of the Mvskoke Creek Nation. 

She is the author of several 

books of poetry and is a 

current Chancellor of the 

Academy of American Poets. 

The Eagle Poem was reprinted 

with permission. 

. 
Early this year, I thanked President Trump for signing 

the Executive Order (EO) that elevated the tragic issue 

of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska 

Natives to a priority for this nation. I committed the 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to 

work in partnership with the Departments of Justice 

(DOJ) and the Interior (DOI) to ensure Native Americans 

are able to thrive in communities that are healthy, safe, 

and secure. HHS, through the Administration for 

Children and Families (ACF), is working seamlessly with 

DOJ and DOI on the Operation Lady Justice Task Force 

to achieve the reality envisioned by the EO.

This month, President Trump signed S. 227, Savanna’s 

Act and S. 982, the Not Invisible Act into law as further 

action to combat this tragedy. HHS will continue to 

serve on the Operation Lady Justice Task Force to help 

DOJ and DOI implement the new requirements 

established by these laws. Our goal is to ensure that 

every action is taken to prevent and address the toll that 

violence is taking on the health and wellbeing of Native 

peoples.

Today, I’m pleased to release this ACF Public Health 

Framework on Missing and Murdered Native Americans 

as another component of the comprehensive effort to 

end this crisis. The Framework creates a pathway for 

some critical HHS human services programs to work with 

Native American communities, populations, and other 

partners to strengthen protective factors that counter the 

impacts of violence. I’m confident that these 

collaborative actions will contribute to protecting the 

health and wellbeing of Native Americans across the 

United States.

v

MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH

AND HUMAN SERVICES

Alex M. Azar II

Secretary
I want to recognize Commissioner Jeannie Hovland, 

Administration for Native Americans, for listening to, and 

acting on, the voices of Native American communities 

who painfully shared stories of their missing and 

murdered relatives. As a citizen of the Flandreau Santee 

Sioux Tribe, Commissioner Hovland understood the 

depth of this longstanding tragedy and championed 

support for a collective Administration for Children and 

Families (ACF) response. 

With my support, Commissioner Hovland engaged the 

ACF Tribal Advisory Committee and the ACF Native 

American Affairs Advisory Council, which is comprised of 

the heads of ACF program offices. It was through her 

work that the idea for an ACF Framework to organize our 

response and contribute to broader federal government 

efforts to end the MMNA crisis was born. Together, 

members of the ACF leadership team and ACF Tribal 

Advisory Committee have signed the Federal and Tribal 

Leadership letter in this Framework as a demonstration 

of our commitment to ending this crisis.

I also want to thank representatives from ACF’s program 

offices—whose names are included later in this 

document—for collaborating on the content of the ACF 

Framework. They are equally committed to ending the 

MMNA crisis and their continued engagement will ensure 

cross-agency implementation of this ACF Framework. 

We are in this together!

Sincerely,

Lynn A. Johnson

Assistant Secretary for Children and Families 

Lynn A. Johnson

Assistant Secretary for 

Children and Families 

Jeannie Hovland

Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Native 

American Affairs and 

Commissioner, 

Administration for 

Native Americans

vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH

AND HUMAN SERVICES V

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VI

FEDERAL AND TRIBAL LEADERSHIP MESSAGE IX

HONORING CULTURAL WISDOM XII

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES XIV

SECTION 1: WHY AN ACF FRAMEWORK?

MMNA: The Tragedy of Violence and Victimization.....................................1

Disproportionality in Human Services Encounters..................................3

Violence, Victimization, and Public Health .............................................4

Beyond a Law Enforcement and Justice Response ...............................6

SECTION 2: DEVELOPING THE ACF FRAMEWORK

Tribal Input and Engagement....................................................................... 7

Strengthening Vulnerable Populations........................................................11

Pillars of the ACF Framework .....................................................................11

Culture, Language, Traditional Practices..............................................12

Economic Mobility .................................................................................12

Prevention .............................................................................................12

The Social Determinants of Health: A Public Health Approach...........13

A Collective ACF Response .....................................................................14

Administration for Native Americans.....................................................14

Children’s Bureau..................................................................................15

Family and Youth Services Bureau.......................................................17

Office of Child Care...............................................................................18

Office of Child Support Enforcement ....................................................19

Office of Community Services...............................................................19

Office of Family Assistance...................................................................21

Office of Head Start...............................................................................22

Office on Trafficking in Persons ............................................................23

Policy, Program, and Supportive Opportunities ..........................................24

vii

CONTENTS
SECTION 3: ORGANIZING STRUCTURE FOR ACTION 25

Protective Factors Approach.......................................................................27

The Strategic Actions ............................................................................28

SECTION 4: IMPLEMENTATION, ASSESSMENT, RESOURCES

Implementation and Assessment ................................................................32

Training and Technical Assistance ............................................................33

Resources....................................................................................................38

Hotlines........................................................................................................39

ENDNOTES 40

CHARTS

Chart 1: Different Forms of Violence 5

Chart 2: ACF Program Office Engagement 26

Chart 3: Organizational Structure for Advancing the Framework 32

APPENDIX 1: ACF REPRESENTATIVES 42

APPENDIX 2: EXECUTIVE ORDER 13898 44

APPENDIX 3: AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE

CULTURAL WISDOM DECLARATION 47

viii

CONTENTS
FEDERAL AND TRIBAL LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

Missing and Murdered Native Americans (MMNA) 

A Public Health Framework for Action

The United States faces a crisis that requires the attention of leaders at all levels of 

government in collaboration with Native American communities. The dramatic number of 

American Indians and Alaska Natives who have suffered from the tragedy of individuals 

going missing or being murdered is unacceptable. This national crisis was acknowledged 

by President Trump when he signed Executive Order (EO) 13898, Establishing the Task 

Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, on November 26, 

2019 (see Appendix 2 for the EO). 

The EO is a call to action on the significant problem of missing and murdered American 

Indians and Alaska Natives to identify a national response. The Attorney General and 

Secretary of the Department of the Interior are the designated co-chairs of this first-ever 

Presidential Task Force to ensure high-level and visible leadership. Federal officials from 

the Departments of Justice, Interior, and Health and Human Services serve as 

designated members of the Task Force, which is also called Operation Lady Justice 

(OLJ). In carrying out its directive, the Task Force is coordinating across federal 

departments, engaging with tribal governments, coordinating with White House officials, 

and may engage with other Presidential Task Forces. 

This Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Framework on MMNA is one of the 

early contributions to the work of the Task Force, and will contribute to the coordination of 

health and human services policies and programs to help Native American women, men, 

children, families, and communities address the consequences of these tragic problems. 

The Framework is an essential component of the nation’s comprehensive response to the 

victimization of Native American individuals, and was informed by the voices of federal 

and tribal leaders, elected Native American state officials, human services programs, 

urban Indian organizations, and local advocates for Native American issues.

ACF leadership and the ACF Tribal Advisory Committee dedicate this work to the 

countless individuals, families, and communities, who have suffered the loss of a loved 

one. We stand with you to protect future generations. Together we will work to prevent 

the conditions that contribute to increased victimization, intervene to improve wellbeing, 

and support healing.

ix
x

ACF LEADERSHIP

Shannon Christian

Director, Office of Child Care

J. Janelle George

Deputy Director, Office of Community 

Services 

Deborah Bergeron, PhD 

Director, Office of Head Start

Naomi Goldstein, PhD

Deputy Assistant Secretary,

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Katherine Chon

Director, 

Office on Trafficking in Persons

Lynn A. Johnson

Assistant Secretary,

Department of Health and Human Service’s

Administration for Children and Families

Scott Lekan

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary 

and Acting Commissioner,

Office of Child Support Enforcement 

Jeannie Hovland

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native 

American Affairs and Commissioner, 

Administration for Native Americans

Elizabeth Darling 

Commissioner, Administration on Children, 

Youth, & Families | Acting Commissioner, 

Family and Youth Services Bureau

Jerry Milner, DSW

Associate Commissioner,

Children’s Bureau
xi

ACF TRIBAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Tilford P. Denver

Chairman, Bishop Paiute Tribal Council 

Chairman, ACF Tribal Advisory Committee

Mary David

Executive Vice President, Kawerak, Inc.

Michael McKerchie 

Tribal Council Member, Sault Ste. Marie 

Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Jennifer Webster

Councilwoman, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin

Myrna Thompson

Tribal Secretary, 

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate

Gail Hatcher

Vice Chairwoman, Klamath Tribes

Lorraine Gougé

Vice Chair, Lac Courte Oreilles Governing 

Board

Whitney Jones

Executive Director, South Puget Intertribal 

Planning Agency
HONORING CULTURAL WISDOM

Native American communities hold wisdom that must be acknowledged and respected in 

all efforts to improve the wellbeing of their people. In response to barriers to 

incorporating cultural and traditional practices in national efforts, individuals representing 

tribal leaders, researchers, and Native American program directors developed the 

American Indian and Alaska Native Cultural Wisdom Declaration. They wrote:

“This statement is an attempt to motivate and set in motion, culturally 

derived efforts that will address the present state of health for 

American Indian and Alaska Native people. . .The intent of this 

declaration is to address barriers and move towards successful 

implementation of culturally driven health promotion models of care 

and healing. This declaration promotes the voice of American 

Indians and Alaska Natives to ensure success in embedding 

culturally relevant promotion and healing interventions into health 

and human service initiatives supported by Tribes, Federal agencies, 

and other entities.”

1

Among other things, tribal representatives sought improved (1) collaboration among 

federal agencies whose programs were siloed, which impeded the efficient 

implementation of tribal programs; (2) collaboration between federal agencies and Native 

American communities, which are charged with achieving similar health and human 

services goals; and (3) relationships based on trust, respect, acceptance, commitment, 

support, and financial resources to support programs for Native people.

The American Indian and Alaska Native Cultural Wisdom Declaration was included in the 

National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda that was released by the Substance Abuse and 

Mental Health Services Administration in 2016. The National Indian Health Board and 

Indian Health Service collaborated on this agenda, which documented health disparities 

faced by Native Americans and identified strategies that could be taken to address them, 

individually and collectively. 

Tribal nations endorsed the American Indian and Alaska Native Cultural Wisdom 

Declaration, as did the National Indian Health Board and National Congress of American 

Indians through separate resolutions. See Appendix 3 for a full copy of the Cultural 

Wisdom Declaration.

xii
A commitment to cultural and traditional practices is equally important today, as the 

United States grapples with the crisis in the victimization of Native American people. 

ACF provided input into the National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda and continues to 

honor cultural wisdom as the preeminent condition for effectively collaborating with tribal 

nations and other stakeholders to end the tragedy of MMNA. ACF’s commitment is 

reflected in one of four pillars for this Framework which focuses on Native American 

culture, language, and traditional practices.

xiii
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

ACF was created on April 15, 1991 as one of 11 operating divisions within the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which oversees programs that address 

the needs, strengths, and abilities of communities and special populations including 

Native Americans. ACF’s mission is to foster health and wellbeing, by providing federal 

leadership, partnership, and resources for the compassionate and effective delivery of 

human services.

ACF is comprised of 19 offices, including the Office of Regional Operations, which 

represents 10 regional offices around the country. ACF administers more than 60 

programs with a budget of approximately $60 billion, and works with state, tribal, local 

agencies, and other non-profit organizations. ACF is the second largest component of 

HHS, and envisions that its work will contribute to children, youth, families, individuals, 

and communities who are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure.

ACF program offices that provide support for Native American communities include:

• Administration for Native Americans

• Children’s Bureau

• Family and Youth Services Bureau

• Office of Child Care

• Office of Child Support Enforcement

• Office of Community Services

• Office of Early Childhood Development

• Office of Family Assistance

• Office of Head Start

• Office on Trafficking in Persons

The ACF Framework on MMNA will guide the collaborative work of ACF program offices 

and Native American communities around policy, program, and supportive areas. This 

Framework will ultimately serve as a component of the HHS effort to more fully address 

MMNA and is based on a public health approach. Broadly defined, public health focuses 

on the health, safety and wellbeing of entire populations and is what we do, as society, to 

support conditions for people to be healthy.2,3 The public health approach is used by 

diverse sectors to identify root causes of a problem and implement interventions that 

address those causes and associated risks. Ultimately, this public health effort will 

contribute to national actions to protect Native American women, men, children, and 

Elders from going missing or being further victimized by violence. 

xiv
The Framework uses a protective factors approach to support four pillars: 

(1) culture, language, traditional practices; (2) economic mobility; (3) prevention of the 

conditions that contribute to MMNA; and (4) the social determinants of health (i.e., 

economic stability, prevention of homelessness and unstable living arrangements, food 

security, early childhood education and family supports, and access to critical human 

services to reduce vulnerability and victimization). ACF program offices are committed to 

working together and to leveraging critical services and resources.

xv
SECTION 1: WHY AN ACF FRAMEWORK?

MMNA: The Tragedy of Violence and Victimization 

1

Prevention

“I’ve had the privilege during 

my service at HHS to meet 

routinely with tribal leaders and 

visit communities across 

Indian country. While each 

community is unique, the 

commitment to protecting the 

cultures, languages, and 

traditions of Native peoples is 

powerful and unyielding.

The loss to communities of 

even one individual going 

missing or being murdered is 

unacceptable. The charge and 

challenge to all of us is to 

prevent these tragedies from 

occurring in the first place.

Prevention is an essential 

component of public health 

and must be a primary strategy 

in effectively responding to the 

trauma and violence faced by 

Native American 

Communities.”

Eric Hargan

Deputy Secretary

Department of Health and 

Human Services 

There is no national definition for the phrase MMNA. 

A missing person can be described as an individual 

who, voluntarily or involuntarily, cannot be located 

because his or her whereabouts are unknown.

There is limited data about missing Native American 

children. However, data from Amber Alerts in Indian 

Country indicate that 7,700 Native American youth in 

the U.S. were identified as missing in 2016. This 

number is estimated to be higher, but shows that 1 in 

130 Native American children likely go missing each 

year.4

Many adults who go missing return home safely. From 

a law enforcement perspective, adults have the right to 

go missing and their return home does not necessarily 

create a case requiring follow-up. However, from a 

public health perspective, an individual’s return home 

does not necessarily reflect resolution of the issues that 

caused the individual to go missing. The factors 

contributing to individuals going missing may relate to 

issues that present threats to health and safety. 

The distinct issues of going missing and being 

murdered have generally been addressed together in 

response to similar risks—exposure to the various 

forms of violence, substance use, unstable housing, 

limited financial resources, poor education, and other 

issues—that come together to result in negative 

outcomes for individuals. While the more recent 

attention on MMNA has been focused on Native 

American women and girls, the risks also affect Native 

American men and boys and increase their 

vulnerability, as well. 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes data on the 10 leading 

causes of death in the U.S. population, including by race and gender. Suicide (selfinflicted injury) ranks as the second leading cause of death for Native American women 

and girls, aged 1-19 (17.1 percent) and third for those 20-44 years (9.6 percent). 

Homicide ranks as the fourth leading cause of death for Native American women and 

girls, aged 1-19 (5.5 percent) and sixth for those 20-44 years (4.3).5 Suicide is included 

among these statistics as it is self-inflicted injury and is connected to other forms of injury 

and violence.6

Data for non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native men is equally troubling. 

Suicide ranks as the second leading cause of death for Native American males, aged 1-

19 (23.3 percent) and 20-44 (14.8 percent). Homicide ranks as the third leading cause of 

death for Native American males, aged 1-19 (8.1 percent) and fourth for those aged 20-

44 (7.0 percent).7

There are clear correlations between the factors that contribute to MMNA and human 

trafficking. The Department of Homeland Security indicates that human trafficking 

involves the “use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial 

sex act. . .Traffickers might use violence, manipulation, or false promises of well-paying 

jobs or romantic relationships to lure victims into trafficking situations.”

8 Other factors that 

increase the susceptibility of individuals for being trafficked include those that contribute 

to social determinants of health, such as psychological or emotional vulnerability, 

economic instability, and lack of a social safety net.9

The National Human Trafficking Hotline, funded by the ACF Office on Trafficking in 

Persons (OTIP), reported that cases referencing the Native American community 

between 2010 and 2019 has steadily grown. The most common form of reported 

trafficking referencing the Native American community is sex trafficking, and of the overall 

reported cases, nearly 39 percent are minors.11

2
Disproportionality in Human Services Encounters 

Disproportionality is a complex issue that is defined as the underrepresentation or 

overrepresentation of a racial or ethnic group compared to its percentage in the total 

population.10 For example, while the extent of disproportionality varies by local 

jurisdiction, the rates for American Indian and Alaska Native children in the child welfare 

system are among the highest. A 2016 Issue Brief on Racial Disproportionality and 

Disparity in Child Welfare provides racial disproportionality indexes (RDI) for each racial 

and ethnic group using U.S. Census and HHS child welfare data. An RDI was calculated 

for each point in the child welfare continuum, including identification of victims by child 

protective services, children entering and existing foster care, children in foster care, 

children waiting to be adopted, and children waiting to be adopted with public agency 

involvement. 

Based on the proportion of American Indian and Alaska Native children in the U.S. 

population, they had either the highest or second highest RDI compared to children of 

other races. For example, the RDI for entering the child welfare system was the highest 

for American Indian and Alaska Native children, a rate that is 2.7 times their 

representation in the population, and notably higher than Blacks/African Americans who 

had the second highest rate of 1.6. Other rates demonstrate that American Indian and 

Alaska Native children are also disproportionately higher in terms of their representation 

in the child welfare system and also in exiting the system.12

The disproportionality of Native American children in the child welfare system poses 

concerns for their protection. A 2017 report on child maltreatment found that American 

Indian and Alaska Native children had the highest rate of victimization at 14.3 per 1,000 

children.13 Overall, the common forms of maltreatment of children included neglect, 

physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological maltreatment, most of which were 

previously described as forms of violence.

3
Violence, Victimization, and Public Health

The victimization of Native Americans is not new. Beyond the historical trauma 

perpetrated against Native American people, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) 

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) issued a report in 1999 titled, American Indians and 

Crime. DOJ intended the report to serve as the “first step in a vigorous BJS effort to 

document issues of crime and justice affecting American Indians.”

14 The report found that 

American Indians were victimized more than any other population at every age and their 

population-specific victimization rate was twice that of other races.

American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer disproportionately from domestic violence, 

dating violence, sexual assault, psychological aggression, stalking, and child abuse and 

neglect, among other forms of violence. According to a 2016 report published by DOJ’s 

National Institute of Justice, American Indian and Alaska Native women and men have 

experienced violence, with 84.3 percent of women and 81.6 percent of men experiencing 

violence in their lifetime. 

The most common forms of victimization in that study for both American Indian and 

Alaska Native women and men were psychological aggression by an intimate partner, 

physical violence by an intimate partner, sexual violence, and stalking. While American 

Indian and Alaska Native women faced rates that were greater than American Indian and 

Alaska Native men for physical violence by an intimate partner (55.5 percent compared to 

43.2 percent), sexual violence (56.1 percent compared to 27.5 percent), and stalking 

(48.8 percent compared to 18.6 percent), the rate for psychological aggression by an 

intimate partner was higher for American Indian and Alaska Native men compared to 

American Indian and Alaska Native women (73 percent compared to 66.4 percent).15 

American Indian and Alaska Native female victims reported physical injuries requiring 

services, including medical care and legal services. However, more than a third (38 

percent) were unable to receive necessary services.

4
It is important to underscore that violence is not just a crime, but it is a public health 

problem that results in physical and emotional wounds. The American Public Health 

Association defines public health as the promotion and protection of the health of people 

and the communities where they live, learn, work and play. The field of public health is 

broad and includes services provided by 

social workers, physicians, nurses, epidemiologists, and other professionals; 

the work of scientists and researchers; actions of policy makers; and efforts of others 

whose work contributes to the wellbeing of communities.

Among the different forms of violence, peer violence, suicidal behavior (self-inflicted 

violence), and sexual violence impact individuals across childhood, adolescence, and 

adulthood (see Chart 1 below). The impact of violence is not limited to the victim and 

perpetrator; violence affects families and society, at large. 

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Connecting the Dots An Overview of the Links Among Multiple 

Forms of Violence (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/connecting_the_dots-a.pdf)

Chart 1

5
Beyond a Law Enforcement and Justice Response 

The tragedy of MMNA has long been viewed as a law enforcement issue, but a review of 

the issues related to violence reveal a range of problems that require a multi-system 

response. The data show these individuals may have faced health and human services 

concerns that increased their vulnerability to negative outcomes and that multiple 

opportunities to prevent and/or intervene may have been missed. Because of the 

relationships among these factors, it is important to collaborate on actions that more 

comprehensively respond to the problem.

Although some individuals who go missing return home or are located, there are also 

cases that are unresolved and have potential association with criminal activity. Human 

trafficking is a crime. Homicide is a crime. Some adults go missing as the result of a 

crime. While the justice system is a critical component of the response to violence and 

victimization, a public health and human services response is needed to prevent these 

tragedies from happening in the first place and to address the consequences – to the 

individuals, their families, and their communities – when they do happen. 

6
SECTION 2: DEVELOPING THE ACF FRAMEWORK

7

Raising Awareness and 

Collaboration

“As leaders on the Tribal 

Advisory Committee we are 

thankful that ACF asked for 

our input and developed this 

framework on MMNA. 

We have had discussions 

about the victimization of tribal 

communities and the 

commitment to do something 

now, is high. We must work 

together to raise awareness 

and take action at every level. 

Health and other Tribal 

agencies in my region are 

coming together to address the 

MMNA crisis. I know that 

strengthening the public health 

response to MMNA will help 

the seven tribes in Eastern 

California — we must continue 

to prioritize this issue.” 

Tilford P. Denver

Chairman 

Bishop Paiute Tribal Council 

Chairman

ACF Tribal Advisory 

Committee

This section of the Framework provides the context used 

in developing the organizing structure and initial areas 

for strategic action presented in Section 3. Specifically, 

what information did ACF use to determine the public 

health/human services actions needed for a more 

comprehensive approach to address MMNA? Which 

Native American populations are particularly vulnerable? 

What are the components of ACF’s public health 

approach that will guide ACF human services actions 

over time? What are the ACF programs that will be part 

of ACF’s Framework on MMNA? The subsequent 

information will respond to these questions.

Tribal Input and Engagement

The impact of violence and victimization on Native 

Americans is significant and the continuing response 

and commitment to addressing these threats to 

wellbeing are unwavering and equally powerful. 

ACF has heard from tribal leaders, Native American 

state legislators, Native American community 

representatives, Native American youth, federal 

representatives, and Native American advocates who 

have been part of conversations with the Administration 

for Native Americans (ANA), ACF, and HHS. While 

these voices represent different tribal perspectives, a 

common theme included continuing to move forward on 

addressing the factors contributing to Native American 

people going missing or being murdered, while 

concurrently addressing other critical national issues. 

Tribal representatives have been resolute about 

supporting protective environments to prevent more 

Native Americans from going missing or being murdered 

and supporting individuals, families, and communities in 

crisis. There was a resounding message throughout the 

meetings and discussions: There is hope!
Meetings that focused on or provided input on the MMNA crisis are as follows:

• On March 12, 2020, the OLJ Task Force hosted a listening session during the DOI Tribal 

Interior Budget Committee (TIBC) Meeting in Washington, DC. TIBC members appeared 

both in-person and via webinar to hear about the work of the OLJ Task Force and 

provided input and comments for issues and concerns within their communities. The 

ANA Commissioner is a member of the OLJ Task Force.

• On March 2, 2020, the OLJ Task Force held a listening session with the ACF Tribal 

Advisory Committee, which advises the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.

• On February 25, 2020, the OLJ Task Force held a listening session with the DOJ Tribal 

Nations Leadership Council (TNLC). The TNLC is a group of tribal leaders selected to 

advise the U.S. Attorney General about matters involving American Indians and Alaska 

Natives. The leaders discussed the issues surrounding missing persons and murder 

cases in their own communities and offered suggestions to help guide the work of the 

OLJ Task Force.

• On February 13, 2020, the OLJ Task Force held a listening session during the ACF 

Native American Grantee Meeting in Arlington, Virginia.

• On February 12, 2020, the OLJ Task Force held its first scheduled listening session, in 

conjunction with the National Congress of American Indians’ Executive Council Winter 

Session in Washington, DC.

• On January 29, 2020, the OLJ Task Force held its first internal meeting at DOI to 

discuss the work outlined in EO 13898.

• On September 23, 2019, ANA, the National Council on Urban Indian Health (NCUIH), 

and the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators partnered with ANA on 

three policy roundtables focused on the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous 

women (MMIW) through: (1) health, human and other services/systems to support a 

multidisciplinary, intersectional, and comprehensive approach; (2) gathering data to help 

identify missing individuals; and (3) addressing survivor and victim protections through 

federal, state, and tribal efforts. Several state legislators had introduced bills that led to 

the establishment of state task forces and actions for responding to MMIW.

• On July 18, 2019, ANA and NCUIH held the Virtual Dialogue with Urban Indian 

Organizations (UIOs) on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Virtual Dialogue). 

Chief Executive Officers and representatives of UIOs were informed about HHS’s intent, 

through ANA and the Intradepartmental Council on Native American Affairs, to address 

growing community concerns regarding missing and murdered Indigenous women and 

girls. 

8
ANA and NCUIH co-hosted the Virtual Dialogue to ensure that all proposed MMNA actions 

incorporate the perspectives of Native American people and providers in urban settings. 

Speakers for the event included the ANA Commissioner; NCUIH Executive Director; a 

state legislator who had introduced MMIW-related bills; the Indian Health Service; DOJ, 

which addressed data and Indian victims of crime; and the U.S. Department of Housing 

and Urban Development, which addressed housing issues. Virtual participants shared 

recommendations for the following: (1) filling program gaps for urban Indians, (2) building 

the necessary capacity within local programs, and (3) supporting additional engagement 

within urban settings. 

The vast majority of participants (66 percent) agreed that domestic violence, 

homelessness, human trafficking, substance use, and transitioning from foster care were 

MMIW risk factors. This reinforced the perspective that a social determinants of health 

approach was needed to more comprehensively deliver needed services and supports to 

Indigenous women and girls.

Among the comments regarding resources and collaborations to fill gaps was the 

insufficiency of prevention programs targeting Native American youth, women, and men. 

Participants shared that addressing homelessness, sex trafficking, employment 

assistance, and education assistance were all critical needs. Resources and other 

investments were also needed to more effectively address critical data needs (i.e., 

collecting and analyzing data on Native Americans, correcting misclassification issues, 

ensuring access to available data, supporting data sharing/collection agreements, and 

developing uniform data standards). 

Support for research on risk factors pertaining to MMIW and girls and technical assistance 

to build UIO capacity were discussed, as well. Collaborations among federal agencies 

and across sectors, such as law enforcement, housing, health care service providers, and 

education, were strongly encouraged. Finally, participants advocated for increased 

support for traditional practices, raising the awareness of legislators and policy makers 

about the plight of MMIW and girls, and sharing survivor stories. 

9
The following meetings provided additional opportunities for information 

gathering: 

• ACF Native American Affairs Advisory Council 

• ACF Tribal Advisory Committee Meetings

• DOI Listening Sessions on Reclaiming our Native American Communities 

(Arizona, Alaska, and South Dakota)

• Violence Against Women Consultation 2019

• HHS Regional Consultations during 2019 (Regions 3, 9, and 10)

• Visits to tribal communities during 2019

• Listening sessions in Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan, June 24 – July 6, 2019

• ANA and OTIP collaboration on a human trafficking session on July 24, 2019, at 

the ANA Initiatives for Leadership, Empowerment, and Development Native 

American Youth Summit, which was attended by over 100 Native American youth 

from across the country.

• ANA and OTIP collaboration on the first Native American-focused Human 

Trafficking Leadership Academy that took place over a period of 6 months. The 

Academy focused on cultural and protective factors in the prevention of human 

trafficking. Participants included survivors and frontline workers who contributed 

to policy and outreach approaches.

• ANA and OTIP engagement in the Twitter chat on human trafficking in Native 

American communities, hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s 

Blue Campaign, in November 2018.

• HHS hosted the Health and Human Trafficking Symposium in November 2018, 

which included six expert panels focused on public health progress in responding 

to trafficking and emerging issues. Two of the panels focused on human 

trafficking in Native American communities.

• ANA, OTIP, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs co-hosted a listening session on 

combatting human trafficking, including the impact of human trafficking in Native 

American communities and its intersection with substance use treatment, 

intergenerational trauma, and violence prevention.

10
Strengthening Vulnerable Populations

This Framework focuses on 

improving the wellbeing of Native 

American individuals and 

communities that are supported 

through ACF programs and technical 

assistance resources. The primary 

intent is to move ACF resources 

upstream to address needs before 

vulnerable Native Americans are in 

crisis. The individuals are Native 

American women, girls, men, boys, 

and Elders with increased risk for 

victimization and human trafficking 

including: 

• Individuals exposed to trauma (including historical and modern trauma)

• Children in the foster care system and who have aged out of the system 

• Runaway and homeless youth and homeless families and adults

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and Two Spirit 

• Individuals with physical and/or intellectual disabilities 

• Individuals with mental and/or substance use disorders 

• Victims of violence or exposed to violence

• Victims of prejudice or racism

Pillars of the ACF Framework

To support the collective efforts of ACF’s program offices, four pillars focus and guide 

ACF’s work. The pillars were particularly important in identifying an initial set of strategic 

actions that align with ACF’s mission and authorities as well as with input from Native 

American communities. The pillars also form a pathway for ensuring the principles they 

embody are infused into ACF’s work and partnerships with Native American communities, 

federal departments and agencies, and other stakeholders committed to stemming the 

national MMNA crisis. 

The four pillars are:

1. culture, language, traditional practices; 

2. economic mobility; 

3. prevention of the conditions that contribute to MMNA; and 

4. the social determinants of health. 

11
12

Culture, Language, Traditional Practices

Native American culture includes, but is not limited to, language, religion and spirituality, 

traditional healing practices, and family structures. These factors and more play a vital role 

in the effort to end MMNA, providing communities and individuals with protective tools 

against the threat of violence and the risk factors that contribute to it. Engaging with culture 

can help deepen community cohesion, which directly protects against violence,16 or prevent substance abuse17 (which is a contributing factor to MMNA). While each pillar independently holds significance, this first pillar highlights the importance of an integrated Indigenous identity (i.e., cultural, physical, emotional, and spiritual components) that together 

support improved wellbeing and provide protection from violence.

Economic Mobility

This pillar is a priority for the communities that ACF serves. The objective is for parents 

and children to enjoy the benefits of employment, education, and skills-building opportunities that empower them and increase their earnings for future wellbeing, prosperity, and 

success in school, work, and life. 

Prevention of Conditions that Contribute to MMNA

ACF is committed to whole-family approaches that put individuals and families on trajectories for long-term wellbeing. This ACF Framework makes prevention a primary focus for 

human services. The intent is to proactively connect families to services before they are in 

crisis, preventing all forms of violence while promoting health and positive development.

The levels of prevention, as used in this Framework, are:

• Universal prevention approaches that focus on individuals within a particular ACF program. This includes Native Americans who are engaged in early childhood education 

and Head Start, child care, sexual risk avoidance education, human trafficking, and Native American language preservation and maintenance programs. 

• Selective prevention that focuses on subpopulations at higher risk for negative outcomes such as the vulnerable populations listed on page 11. This includes Native 

American populations engaged in programs of the Office of Family Assistance, such as 

Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood programs and the Health Profession 

Opportunity Grant Program.

• Indicated prevention approaches that focus on subpopulations that are already experiencing challenges. At ACF, this includes programs within the Children’s Bureau, such 

as the MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program. 
The Social Determinants of Health: A Public Health Approach

The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, within the Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Health, oversees development of the Healthy People Framework, 

which establishes the United States’ national health objectives each decade. As already 

discussed, violence is a significant and preventable health threat to American Indians and 

Alaska Natives. 

The Healthy People Framework was used in developing the ACF Framework on MMNA 

because: (1) it is built on a collaborative model for improving outcomes; (2) it is focused on 

prevention of health threats; and (3) it responds to the social determinants of health, as a 

means for advancing the social, physical, and economic environments that support positive 

health.18

The social determinants of health have been described as conditions in the environments 

in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age. Beyond health, social 

determinants affect an individual’s functioning, quality of life, patterns of social 

engagement, and sense of security and wellbeing. A reduction in violence and exposure to 

crime is associated with improvements in the following domains:19

• Economic stability: employment, income, job opportunities, and 

independence and self-sufficiency;

• Neighborhood and built environment: affordable housing, stable living 

arrangements, and safe neighborhoods;

• Education: early childhood education and development, access to quality 

education, high school graduation, educational attainment, language, and 

literacy;

• Food security: availability of and access to healthy foods;

• Community and social context: availability of community-based resources 

that support community living, recreation, and leisure activities through social 

cohesion (solidarity with community members), social networks/relationships, 

and emotional support; and 

• Health and human services delivery system: access to quality health care 

and human services and other factors that promote wellness of rural and urban 

communities.

13
A Collective ACF Response

ACF is committed to aligning the efforts of all ACF 

programs that provide funding and other supports for 

Native American communities to support the strategies 

outlined in this Framework. This approach incorporates 

prevention, intervention, and healing through a number of 

programs that respond to factors that increase 

vulnerability of Native American women and men at 

different life stages. The intent is to move ACF resources 

upstream to address needs before Native American 

individuals are in crisis and for those who are 

experiencing tragic situations. 

ACF program offices will also establish or improve 

partnerships that (1) advance holistic/integrated tribal 

services; (2) address effective coordination, training and 

technical assistance, and grants to Native American 

communities; and (3) improve communications. 

To empower individuals, families, and communities, and 

support Native Americans in the path toward recovery 

and healing, ACF program offices will work together to 

identify and scale tribal models that focus on the needs of 

vulnerable women, men, children, and Elders. The 

following provides a description of the program offices 

involved and the programs that will be leveraged to 

address MMNA.

Administration for Native Americans

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) supports 

community-based projects that promote social and 

economic independence and self-sufficiency for Native 

American communities through discretionary grant 

funding, training and technical assistance, and advocacy 

and policy development. ANA provides funding through 

the following grant programs:

14

Working Together

“Services that are grounded in 

a rich culture, and that embed 

other protective factors to 

counter the risks for MMNA, 

are critical for Native American 

children, families, and 

communities.

That’s why culture, language, 

and traditional practices as 

well as the principles of 

economic mobility, prevention, 

and the social determinants of 

health are at the heart of this 

Framework. 

Guided by these pillars, ACF 

commits to using its federal 

authorities and working with 

communities to target risk 

factors and improve outcomes 

for vulnerable Native citizens 

no matter where they may 

live.”

Lynn A. Johnson

Assistant Secretary

for Children and Families

• Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS)

• SEDS for Alaska

• SEDS for Growing Organizations

• Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE)

• Language Preservation and Maintenance (P&M) and Esther Martinez Immersion (EMI)
The purpose of the SEDS program is to promote social and economic self-sufficiency for 

American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native American Pacific 

Islanders from American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands. The SEDS program supports the principle that social and economic development 

are inter-related and essential for developing thriving Native American communities. SEDS 

projects support local access, control, and/or coordination of services; development of 

stable, diversified local economies to provide jobs and business opportunities; and 

governance activities to assist communities increase their infrastructure and capacity. 

The ERE program supports the capability of Indian tribes to regulate environmental quality 

based on applicable laws. The intent is to enhance the ability of tribal governments to 

provide effective stewardship over the lands, water, and air that encompass their Native 

American communities.

ANA’s P&M program supports assessment, planning, development, and implementation of 

projects that ensure survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages. The 

EMI program supports Native American language nests and survival schools. 

The language nests provide site-based educational programs, childcare, and instruction in 

a Native American language for children under the age of 7. The language nests also 

provide classes in the same languages for parents or legal guardians of enrolled children. 

The Native American Language Survival Schools provide site-based educational programs 

for school-age students that lead to Native language fluency and academic proficiency in 

mathematics, reading, and the sciences. 

Children’s Bureau

The Children’s Bureau works with tribes and tribal organizations to improve the lives of 

children and families in their communities by providing financial assistance to address their 

child welfare needs and to promote safe, stable, and thriving families. Support to tribes, 

tribal organizations, and tribal communities is provided through formula grants, competitive 

discretionary grants, and technical assistance and capacity building services. 

Approximately 180 tribes participate in one or more grant programs.

Major grant programs in which tribes participate include the following: 

• The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program (Title IV-B, Subpart 1 of 

the Social Security Act), which provides funding to child welfare agencies for the 

following purposes: 1) protecting and promoting the welfare of all children; 2) 

preventing the neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children; 

15
3) supporting at-risk families through services which allow children, where 

appropriate, to remain safely with their families or return to their families in a timely 

manner; 4) promoting the safety, permanence, and wellbeing of children in foster 

care and adoptive families; and 5) providing training, professional development, and 

support to ensure a well-qualified child welfare workforce. 

• The MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (Title IV-B, 

Subpart 2 of the Social Security Act), which provides funding to support operation of 

a coordinated program of family preservation services, community-based family 

support services, family reunification services, and adoption promotion and support 

services.

• Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood and the 

Education Training Vouchers program, which provide funds to help youth in or 

formerly in foster care make a successful transition from foster care to selfsufficiency, by providing educational, vocational, and other services and supports. 

• The Foster Care Maintenance Payments, Adoption Assistance, and Guardianship 

Assistance Programs (Title IV-E of the Social Security Act). Tribes may also 

participate in the Title IV-E Prevention Services and Kinship Navigator programs.

The Title IV-B and IV-E programs cover the range of child welfare practices from 

prevention to permanency. Accordingly, many of the programs and services supported 

involve a percentage of cases involving domestic violence and trafficking.

The Children’s Bureau carries out programs by providing guidance to grantees. The 

Children’s Bureau, through federal staff and contracted technical assistance providers, also 

offers consultation on capacity building and technical assistance. This assistance often 

involves strengthening capacities around prevention, safety decision-making, and safety 

planning, including in cases of domestic violence and trafficking, which involve children. 

Tribes receiving funding under Title IV-B or IV-E have access to the Children’s Bureau’s 

Capacity Building Collaborative, which is composed of three highly integrated centers that 

serve tribes, states, territories, and courts. The three centers that compose the Children’s 

Bureau’s Capacity Building Collaborative are as follows: the Capacity Building Center for 

Tribes, the Capacity Building Center for States, and the Capacity Building Center for 

Courts. This structure is designed to help tribes, states, territories, and courts build 

capacities to improve service delivery and work together toward shared outcomes. 

16
The Children’s Bureau’s Capacity Building Collaborative delivers a range of services to 

grantees, including the following: 

• Universal Services - designed to increase awareness, understanding, and 

engagement among a broad audience of agency and court professionals across 

the country; 

• Constituency Services - designed to enhance knowledge, skills, and 

relationships among cohorts of professionals and peer groups; 

• Tailored Services - designed to help individual states, tribes, and courts 

assess their needs; develop the capacities necessary to improve their 

performance; and achieve outcomes for children and families; and 

• Intensive/Tribal Permanency Project - multi-year capacity building projects to 

assist tribes in the implementation of an array of culturally responsive 

permanency options for children in foster care. 

Family and Youth Services Bureau

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) provides grants to tribes and 

tribal organizations, including Alaska Natives, to assist in increasing public awareness 

about primary and secondary prevention of family violence, domestic violence, and dating 

violence, and provide immediate shelter and supportive services for victims of family 

violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their dependents. 

To address the epidemic of MMNA, the FVPSA Program is committed to increasing 

training and technical assistance on violence prevention for American Indians and Alaska 

Natives, which also includes showcasing best practices and helping to enhance prevention 

programming for tribes. The FVPSA Program provided funding to 252 tribes that served 

over 40,000 men, women, and children who experienced domestic violence in 2019.

The FVPSA Program’s violence prevention training and technical assistance initiative is 

focused on preventing domestic violence from initially occurring or preventing it from 

continuing, as well as approaches to lessen the immediate and long-term harms of partner 

violence. Partnerships are needed to elevate the importance of violence prevention to 

stem the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and children.

17
Office of Child Care

Independence and self-sufficiency is a part of economic mobility. As families and 

communities move up the economic ladder, so does their ability to protect the vulnerable, a 

core value throughout Indian Country.

The Office of Child Care (OCC) supports low-income working families by providing access 

to affordable, high-quality early care, and afterschool programs. OCC administers both the 

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early 

Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. 

CCDF works with state, territory, and tribal governments to provide support for children and 

their families to find child care programs that will fit their needs, and will prepare children 

for success in school. Tribal MIECHV strengthens tribal capacity to support and promote 

the health and wellbeing of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families, expanding 

home visiting in tribal communities, and supporting cooperation and linkages between 

programs that serve Native American children and their families.

Both programs are two-generational 

and provide support to both the parents 

(caregivers) and children. CCDF 

provides support to low-income tribal 

families to obtain child care so that 

parents can participate in work and 

education activities while delivering 

early care and education to children to 

promote their school readiness. The 

Tribal MIECHV program matches 

parents and soon-to-be parents, from 

the time a child is born to kindergarten 

entry, with a home visitor (such as a 

trained nurse, social worker, or trained 

peer specialist or community health worker) who provides voluntary services in the family’s 

home or another location of the family’s choice.

The Tribal MIECHV program works directly with parents using home visitors to support their 

health and wellbeing, while also intervening to promote the health and development of their 

children. Home visitors provide education on child development and parenting, link families 

to needed services and supports, and provide families with support in reaching their goals. 

Tribal MIECHV programs often incorporate tribal and cultural practices, values, and 

enhancements, promoting the protective factors found within Native traditions.

18
Both programs are a critical part of early childhood systems in tribal communities, relying 

on partnerships and connections with other programs and systems in the community to 

ensure families' needs are met. CCDF and Tribal MIECHV strengthen vulnerable families’ 

protective factors: parental resilience, social connections, concrete supports in times of 

need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional 

competence of children. These factors protect against the conditions that lead to MMNA.

CCDF Lead Agencies disseminate information to parents, child care providers, and the 

general public about programs for which families may be eligible. These programs include 

substance use treatment services, mental health services, and domestic violence 

prevention services. CCDF Lead Agencies may use CCDF quality dollars to pay for 

consumer education efforts. Similarly, Tribal MIECHV disseminates information about its 

program with the goals of increasing awareness and understanding about home visiting 

services, reaching prospective families through referrals from other service providers, and 

building support and community buy-in.

Office of Child Support Enforcement

The Office of Child Support Enforcement’s (OCSE) core mission is to assist tribes and 

states in establishing paternity and obtaining child support. OCSE promotes responsible 

parenting, family independence and self-sufficiency, and child wellbeing, and recognizes 

the essential role of both parents in supporting their children.

Currently, tribes operate child support programs providing services to Native American 

families, consistent with tribal values and cultures. While many tribal members use child 

support services provided by tribal IV-D agencies, a significant number of Alaska Natives 

and American Indians use child support services administered by state agencies.

OCSE partners with tribal communities to build child support programs that foster the 

economic stability of tribal families through consistent and reliable child support payments. 

OCSE recognizes that many Alaska Native and American Indians face domestic violence 

and may not seek services due to fears of safety and economic hardships. Training for 

child support agencies provides caseworkers with information and model practices on safe 

access to child support services. By creating safe access and supporting economic 

stability, OCSE strives to reduce the risk factors associated with MMNA.

Office of Community Services

The Office of Community Services (OCS) partners with states, communities, and agencies 

to reduce the causes of poverty and increase the opportunities for, and economic security 

of, individuals, families, and communities. OCS’s main goals are:

19
• Serve the economic and social needs of individuals and families with low-incomes;

• Provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities;

• Promote individual economic opportunity and security through the security of fulltime, permanent jobs;

• Support asset-building strategies for individuals and families with low-incomes, such 

as savings, increased financial capability, and asset building;

• Assist community development corporations in utilizing existing funding for 

neighborhood revitalization projects;

• Provide financial and technical resources to state, local, and public and private 

agencies for economic development and related social service activities; and

• Provide energy assistance to households with low-incomes.

OCS’s four social service and community development programs include:

• The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provides funds to tribes and tribal 

organizations to support services and activities for low-income individuals and 

families that alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty in communities. 

Activities and services address employment, education, housing, nutrition, 

emergency services, substance abuse, energy, and health care services.

• The Community Economic Development program offers grants to tribes for 

business start-up or business expansion and the development of new products and 

services that support projects within their local communities.

• The Rural Community Development program works with regional and tribal 

organizations to manage safe water systems in rural communities.

• The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides assistance 

on both the state and federal level, which can take the form of contractor support, or 

administering and delivering LIHEAP benefits directly to tribal households. 

OCS’s diverse programming complements existing efforts designed to support Native 

American women and address barriers that impact their safety and wellbeing. 

20
Because CSBG is based on each tribe’s needs assessment, it can serve populations that 

include victims of domestic violence and children who witness it; homeless adults; runaway 

and homeless youth; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals; and those struggling with substance abuse or addiction. 

Office of Family Assistance

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) is responsible for administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The TANF program provides a fixed block 

grant of about $16.5 billion to states, territories, and Washington, DC. Additionally, federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native organizations may elect to operate 

their own TANF programs. TANF is intended to foster economic security and stability to 

low-income families with children, as well as a wide range of services that are “reasonably 

calculated” to address the program’s four broad purposes:

1. Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own 

homes or in the homes of relatives; 

2. End the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job 

preparation, work, and marriage;

3. Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and

4. Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

OFA and the TANF program are positioned to support the MMNA initiative as TANF funds 

may be used for activities that support healing. For example, when providing assistance to 

needy families, and when serving Native American adults in particular, TANF staff should 

be aware that the person they are serving has probably experienced violence at some 

point in their life. This points to the need for providing trauma-informed case management. 

As individuals recover from past trauma, they are more likely to be ready for work. 

TANF funds may also be used for activities that are preventive in nature. As families progress toward independence and self-sufficiency, they are also likely to develop protective 

factors against victimization. Activities aimed at TANF purposes 3 and 4 can also be leveraged. For example, when prevention activities are offered to youth to prevent the incidence of out-of-wedlock births, those activities can also help youth to identify, and avoid, 

unhealthy and potentially violent relationships. Activities that encourage the formation and 

maintenance of two-parent families can incorporate tribal wisdom and values. The family 

bonds and cultural identity that participants develop will also serve as a protective factor.

Families that seek TANF assistance often have needs for other things, such as child care 

or food assistance. OFA is able to work with sister programs to create awareness in communities most affected by crime against American Indians and Alaska Natives to support 

healing and address root causes. That work may include drafting a joint letter to tribal and 

program leaders, hosting conference sessions, or offering virtual technical assistance.

21
Office of Head Start

The Office of Head Start (OHS) administers grant funding 

and oversight to the 1,600 agencies that provide Head 

Start services in communities across the country. OHS 

also provides federal policy direction and a training and 

technical assistance system to help grantees in providing 

comprehensive services to eligible young children and their 

families. Head Start programs prepare America’s most 

vulnerable young children to succeed in school and in life 

beyond school. To achieve this, Head Start programs 

deliver services to children from birth to age 5 and their 

families in core areas of early learning, health, and family 

wellbeing. The Head Start program serves about 1 million 

children and pregnant women in urban, suburban, and rural 

communities throughout America. Head Start services are 

provided in centers, family child care homes, or in the 

family's own home. This includes services to over 21,000 

tribal children from birth to age 5 and their families in tribal 

communities across 26 states. 

OHS enjoys a government-to-government relationship with 

155 federally recognized tribes. Through direct federal to 

tribal partnership and support, training and technical 

assistance, and Head Start National Centers, OHS works 

to support tribal Head Start programs in meeting the needs 

of the children and families in their communities. Head 

Start programs work with each family they enroll to develop 

Family Partnership Agreements (FPAs). These FPAs 

include family-specific goals, which may include education, 

employment, housing, health and mental health, and 

wellbeing.

Head Start programs support families to accomplish the 

goals identified in their FPAs. To accomplish this, a 

significant part of the work Tribal Head Start programs do is 

connecting tribes and tribal families with both internal and 

external service providers to promote the healthy 

development of children. These resources also support 

children and families to overcome the challenges they face 

and support the mitigation of factors that may put children and their families at risk for 

negative outcomes. Some of these challenges include homelessness, children in foster 

care, substance misuse or addiction, and domestic violence. 

22

Support and Resilience

“Often, we forget that parents 

and their children need 

support, especially during 

stressful life events. While 

individuals respond to these 

events differently, for Native 

Americans, engaging in their 

traditions and culture 

strengthens resilience and 

ability to cope during stressful 

times.

ACF’s programs are also a 

critical source of support for 

vulnerable Native Americans. 

Early childhood development 

and Head Start programs 

provide young children and 

their families additional tools 

for a better life. 

The message we convey to 

Native American women, men, 

children and Elders who are 

vulnerable to the conditions for 

MMNA is that there is hope! 

Through this Framework, our 

collective goal is to unite ACF 

programs in delivering 

culturally-sensitive and 

tradition-based services in 

critical times of need.”

Jeannie Hovland

Deputy Assistant Secretary 

Native American Affairs

Commission, Administration for 

Native Americans
Head Start programs work closely with various divisions within their respective tribe that 

support direct Head Start services, which may include human resources, fiscal service, 

TANF, social services, law enforcement, and the Indian Health Service /Tribal Health 

Departments. OHS’s efforts are extended through the OHS collaboration office, which 

collaborates at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels. This gives OHS a unique lens, 

which allows for a broader range of resources and partnerships to enhance services to 

OHS communities at all levels. 

Annual conferences and OHS-sponsored events are utilized for raising awareness, 

education, professional development, and communicating key updates. Additionally, 

information, guidance, and support is disseminated through the Early Childhood Learning 

and Knowledge Center website, information memoranda, webinars, zoom meetings, and 

other social media communication platforms.

OHS provides grant and program oversight through the Head Start Aligned Monitoring 

System. Programs undergo federal reviews to ensure they are providing high-quality Head 

Start programs and operating in compliance with the 2007 Head Start Act, Head Start 

Program Performance Standards, and federal fiscal requirements. 

Office on Trafficking in Persons

The Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) is responsible for the development of antitrafficking strategies, policies, and programs to prevent human trafficking, build health and 

human service capacity to respond to human trafficking, increase victim identification and 

access to services, and strengthen health and wellbeing outcomes of trafficking survivors.

OTIP funds the Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking Services and Outreach Program 

(DVHT-SO), the Strengthening the Response to Victims of Human Trafficking in Native 

Communities (VHT-NC) Program, and the Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education 

Demonstration Grant Program. All three grant funding opportunities include special 

consideration for applicants which intend to serve American Indians, Alaska Natives, 

Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The VHT-NC Program awards bonus points 

specifically for organizations with prior experience in meaningfully addressing the missing 

and murdered Indigenous people crisis in its geographic region and/or service area. In 

FY2021, OTIP awarded $1.3 million to six (6) local service providers in order to deliver 

comprehensive case management services to Native American victims of severe forms of 

human trafficking and build community capacity to further address this issue over a 3-year 

project period. 

Through the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center 

(NHTTAC), OTIP provides specialized training and technical assistance aimed at building

23
the capacity of professionals, organizations, communities, and local systems to respond to 

human trafficking using the public health framework. Through these efforts, OTIP has 

developed several public-facing materials for Native American youth, health care and 

social service providers, and Native American communities on human trafficking. NHTTAC 

also administers the Human Trafficking Leadership Academy, which brings together social 

service professionals and trafficking survivors to develop their personal and professional 

leadership skills, while responding to a particular class-specific research question to inform 

federal anti-trafficking efforts.

OTIP commits to recognizing the connection of human trafficking with the epidemic of 

MMNA through direct services, public awareness, and training and technical assistance 

efforts. Through NHTTAC, OTIP will continue to work with indigenous subject matter 

experts with professional and lived experience in the development, delivery, and evaluation 

of training and technical assistance. In partnership with ANA, OTIP commits to updating 

the Native Youth Toolkit to Combat Human Trafficking and the Stop, Observe, Ask, 

Respond (SOAR) training for Native American Communities online training in FY 2021. 

Finally, OTIP will continue to partner with ANA and other federal agencies to raise 

awareness of human trafficking at the national, regional, and local levels. 

Policy, Program, and Supportive Opportunities

This section has provided information on the scope of ACF programs and the support that 

is available to Native American communities. A review of the factors that increase the 

vulnerability of Native Americans to going missing or being murdered, matched against the 

ACF programs available to Native American communities, points to a set of policy, 

program, and supportive opportunities, including: 

• Coordinated economic development projects that more fully address the specific 

needs of Native American children, youth, and families with low incomes.

• Collaborations to improve housing stability.

• One-stop demonstration projects that coordinate services in a Native American 

community to better support families, especially in times of critical need. 

• Addressing the unique needs of Native American victims of human trafficking 

who are also survivors of violence. 

• Coordinated technical assistance for Native American communities that require 

multi-faceted support.

• Improving the knowledge, skills, and capacity of the human services workforce.

• Ensuring that parents and caregivers of vulnerable Native American children 

receive needed supports.

• Improving access to critical public health data.

24
Section 3: ORGANIZING STRUCTURE FOR ACTION

In FY 2019, ACF program offices provided nearly $1 billion in support to tribal 

communities. These funds and other resources available through ACF present important 

opportunities to better tackle the issues that contribute to MMNA. ACF programs 

improve or support delivery of quality services; address the economic and social needs 

of children, families, and communities; and also provide children the opportunity to live 

positive and productive lives. All of these factors are critical for providing Native 

Americans, who may already be vulnerable, the supports to prevent or minimize the 

potential for victimization.

ACF’s human services actions will complement actions by other HHS agencies, DOJ, 

and DOI for a more comprehensive federal strategy on MMNA. The ACF response will 

be facilitated through agency-wide collaborations that are driven through the relational 

program opportunities on their contributions to the domains of the social determinants of 

health. Chart 2 shows the ACF program offices whose work contributes to each domain.

25

Together We Will End MMNA
Chart 2

ACF Program Office Engagement

by Social Determinant of Health (SDOH) Domain

SDOH Domain ACF Program Office

Economic stability • Administration for Native Americans

• Family and Youth Services Bureau

• Office of Child Support Enforcement

• Office of Community Services

• Office of Family Assistance

• Office on Trafficking in Persons

Neighborhood and built environment 

• Family and Youth Services Bureau

• Office of Community Services

• Office of Child Support Enforcement

Education • Family and Youth Services Bureau

• Office of Early Childhood Development

• Office of Head Start

• Office of Child Care

• Office on Trafficking in Persons

Food Security • Administration for Native Americans

• Office of Community Services

• Office of Child Support Enforcement

• Office of Early Childhood Development

• Office of Head Start

• Office of Family Assistance

Community and Social 

Context

• Administration for Native Americans

• Children’s Bureau

• Family and Youth Services Bureau

• Office of Community Services

• Office of Child Care

• Office of Child Support Enforcement

• Office of Head Start

• Office on Trafficking in Persons

Health and Human Services Delivery System

• Administration for Native Americans

• Children’s Bureau

• Family and Youth Services Bureau

26
Protective Factors Approach

ACF will use a protective factors approach to improve 

economic mobility, increase prevention efforts with 

respect to the conditions for Native Americans going 

missing or being murdered. The risk factors are the 

social determinants of health that result in economic 

instability, housing instability, limited educational and 

development opportunities, food insecurity, reduced 

community cohesion and support, and limited access to 

quality health care and human services.

Protective factors are individual or environmental 

characteristics, conditions, or behaviors that reduce the 

effects of stressful life events. These factors also 

increase an individual’s ability to avoid risks or hazards 

and promote social and emotional competence to thrive 

in all aspects of life, now and in the future.20 They also 

are strengths-based, can inform cultural prevention 

strategies targeted to Native American populations, and 

have been shown to improve wellbeing.

The Framework includes the following five protective 

factors:21

• Parental resilience 

• Social connections

• Knowledge of parenting and child 

development

• Concrete support in times of need

• Social and emotional competence of children 

The Framework also includes a strategic action that focuses on raising awareness of the 

crisis of MMNA across sectors and organizations that can contribute to improving 

wellbeing. An important part of this strategic action is strengthening and advancing 

partnerships to prevent the conditions that lead to Native Americans going missing or 

being murdered in the first place. 

27

Protecting the Next 

Generation

“We had a number of tragic 

deaths that were almost 

exclusively children. We all 

grieved with parents and sent 

our condolences and prayers 

of comfort for the families 

impacted by these tragedies. 

No parent should have to bury 

their children.

It has become obvious that 

this is a dangerous time for our 

people and is especially true of 

our young people and our 

young adults who face many 

safety threats that were 

unheard of 15 to 20 years ago.

We now find ourselves in a 

situation where we need to be 

more vigilant about protecting 

the up and coming 

generation.” 

President Bordeaux, 

Rosebud Sioux Tribe
The Strategic Actions

ACF’s strategic actions are organized by each of the protective factors as defined by the 

Center for the Study of Social Policy. The actions represent an initial set of steps that 

ACF program offices will take together. Additional actions will be developed during the 

implementation phase as ACF establishes partnerships that support protective factors. 

The actions are written broadly for the inclusion of many ACF program offices to work in 

collaboration and leverage the weight of ACF's programs and experiences. The initial set 

of strategic actions focus on those believed to have impact and that can be accomplished 

quickly. Taken together, the initial strategic actions also provide opportunities for 

partnering with Native American communities and other stakeholders to end the crisis. 

Parental Resilience

This protective factor builds the ability of parents and caregivers to manage stress and 

function well when faced with challenges, adversity, and trauma. 

1.1 Provide technical assistance and resources to raise the capacity of Native American 

grantees to build self-regulation skills (e.g., coping, healthy help-seeking behaviors, 

and conflict resolution) among parents/caregivers and to support healing.

1.2 Support economic mobility demonstration projects (involving two or more ACF 

programs) that support coordination of services across Native American programs 

to promote employment, education, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.

Social Connections

The purpose of this protective factor is to foster positive relationships that provide 

emotional, informational, instrumental cultural, and spiritual support. 

2.1 Engage Native American grantees across ACF program offices in trainings on best 

practices for promoting healthy relationships.

2.2 Identify and encourage cross-program innovations to connect Native American 

families to tradition, culture, and community especially during social distancing.

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development

This protective factor will help Native American parents and caregivers understand child 

development and develop parenting strategies that support physical, cognitive, language, 

social and emotional development, and self-regulation.

3.1 Support peer sharing among ACF Native American grantees serving families with 

children to build parents’ knowledge of child development and parenting skills. 

28
Concrete Support in Times of Need

Supporting Native American individuals and communities was a topic raised consistently 

during conversations with tribal leaders and representatives regarding the ACF MMNA 

Framework. This strategic action responds to this request and is intended to promote 

access to concrete supports and services, including economic supports that address 

community-specific needs and help minimize stress caused by challenges, when needed.

4.1 Launch an initiative to pilot “one-stop” approaches across ACF programs in Native 

American communities to support coordinated delivery of services for vulnerable 

populations.

Social and Emotional Competence of Children

Addressing the social and emotional competence of Native children and youth is intended to 

improve family interactions and help children and youth develop the ability to 

communicate clearly, recognize and regulate emotions, and establish and maintain 

healthy relationships. 

5.1 Organize Native American children and youth events across ACF programs to build 

cultural identity and social and emotional competence.

5.2 Improve online and physical safety for Native American children and youth, by 

educating and sharing tools with ACF grantees.

Raise Awareness and Establish Prevention Collaborations

The following strategic actions are critical to building and leveraging multi-faceted public 

health efforts to bring about reductions in the number of Native Americans who are 

vulnerable to going missing or being murdered. 

6.1 Build awareness among ACF Native American grantees, technical assistance 

providers, and human services professionals about the crisis of MMNA and the role 

of ACF programs in addressing the conditions that contribute to MMNA among 

vulnerable Native American populations.

6.2 Train ACF staff on protective factors as a means for advancing and supporting their 

incorporation into all ACF programs serving Native American communities. 

6.3 Allocate bonus points on applications for relevant discretionary grant programs, with 

focus on demonstrating commitment to preventing MMNA, by promoting the 

protective factors and/or addressing human trafficking by implementing critical 

strategies.

29
6.4 Establish collaborations across sectors, including among federal partners, such 

as the CDC; Native American advocates; Native American legislators; human 

services providers; tribal law enforcement; tribal judges; and other critical 

partners on violence prevention for Native American communities. 

6.5 Support public health data analysis and reporting focused on violence against 

Native American communities and human trafficking.

ACF is developing an implementation strategy that outlines the steps its program 

offices will take collaboratively following the release of this Framework.

30
This Framework was created to guide the collective work of ACF program offices to 

effectively contribute to national MMNA efforts. As discussed in Section 2, four pillars 

were established to build an organizing structure for collaborating and incorporating the 

principles embodied in the pillars throughout ACF’s work. ACF has over 60 programs that 

are guided by different legislative authorities and requirements. An organizing structure 

was needed to facilitate collaboration across ACF programs that must adhere to laws, 

regulations, and other requirements. 

The pillars include (1) culture, language, traditional practices; (2) economic mobility; (3) 

prevention of the conditions that contribute to MMNA; and (4) the social determinants of 

health. Five protective factors were identified that connect with these pillars and provide a 

common space for collaborative work. The protective factors focus on parental resilience, 

social connections, parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need, 

and the social and emotional competence of children. The protective factors are also 

strengths- and evidence-based, and assist in reducing the effects of stressful life events, 

increasing individual abilities to avoid risks, and promoting the social and emotional 

competence of thriving environments. 

As part of the evaluation process, the specific protective factors of this framework may be 

adjusted to ensure that evidence regarding MMNA and Native American communities is 

considered. For example, there may be additional protective factors directly tied to tribal 

sovereignty and culture that emerge as data is obtained following the different stages of 

implementation. 

31

SECTION 4: IMPLEMENTATION, ASSESSMENT, 

RESOURCES
Chart 3: Organizational Structure for Advancing the ACF Framework 

Structure Description 

ACF Tribal Advisory 

Committee (TAC)

Comprised of tribal leaders and representatives from 11 Indian Health Service 

regions and two National At-Large Tribal Members. The ACF TAC meets on a 

monthly basis and, as part of its advisory capacity, elevated MMNA as a priority 

issue for ACF. The TAC provides advice on the Framework’s development and 

implementation.

ACF Native American 

Affairs Advisory 

Council (NAAAC)

Chaired by the ANA Commissioner and comprised of ACF senior officials including 

those who oversee the agency’s programs and are responsible for related policies. 

The NAAAC works with the HHS Secretary’s Intradepartmental Council on Native 

American Affairs, leads actions related to ACF’s Tribal Consultation Policy, and 

leads agency coordination and partnerships. The NAAAC provides guidance and 

direction for the Framework’s development and implementation.

ACF NAAAC Liaisons 

(NAAAC-L)

Comprised of ACF representatives who directly oversee programs and/or are the 

agency’s experts on Native American issues pertaining to their program office. 

NAAAC-L develops initiatives and actions in response to NAAAC decisions, including the ACF Framework.

ACF NAAAC-L Teams NAAAC-L established four teams to specifically guide development and/or implementation of the ACF Framework:

• Strategic Actions Team: Co-led by the Administration for Native Americans 

(ANA), Office of Family Assistance, and Office on Child Care. Members include ACF’s Office of Community Services, Office of Head Start, Office on 

Trafficking in Persons, Office of Child Support Enforcement, and Children’s 

Bureau. The Team provides planning oversight and subject matter expertise 

to the Framework. It also serves as the coordination hub for ACF MMNA activities.

• Communications Team: Led by a representative from the Immediate Office of 

the Assistant Secretary and from ANA. Members represent several program 

offices. The Team created the Framework’s rollout strategy and materials. 

This Team is also responsible for packaging and effectively sharing information and resources for communities addressing MMNA.

• Partnership Team: Led by ANA. Members represent ACF program offices. 

The Team’s purpose is to identify collaborations and partnerships to effectively advance the Framework’s protective factors and strategic actions.

• Data Team: Led by ANA. Members represent ACF's Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), and other ACF program offices. The Team’s 

purpose is to: identify ACF data and information that may be pertinent to addressing MMNA that the agency has collected and may collect; develop recommendations on leveraging ACF data and information; and assess the success and outcomes of the framework through the different phases of implementation. The Data Team's work is informed by OPRE's Roadmap for Collaborative and Effective Evaluation in Tribal Communities.

32

Implementation and Assessment

During the development phase of the ACF Framework, planning activities were initiated to 

facilitate implementation of the Framework. The organizational structure used to guide and 

develop the Framework will continue with the addition of targeted teams to support 

implementation. This organizational structure supports phased implementation, periodic 

assessment, and accountability: 
ACF established three phases for implementing the Framework. 

The first phase is referred to as Initial Implementation. During this phase ACF will 

work to advance the strategic actions contained in the Framework. Particular attention 

will also be given to identifying, developing, and/or sharing MMNA resources that 

communities may need that are applicable to human services, advancing ACF MMNA 

awareness efforts, initiating partnerships; developing a plan and identifying resources to 

carry out assessment activities; and improving ACF coordination of training and technical 

assistance resources relevant to MMNA (see section on training and technical assistance 

resources below).

The second phase of ACF’s MMNA efforts will focus on Refining and Scaling 

Implementation. During this phase, ACF will assess its initial set of strategic actions 

and refine or scale them as appropriate in response to targeted engagement with Native 

American communities and federal partners. 

ACF believes that the protective factors approach will have beneficial impacts beyond 

MMNA and will assess for broader impact. Based on assessment of MMNA activities, 

recommendations will be developed for a third implementation phase referred to as 

Continuity and Influence. The intent is to further MMNA actions that contribute to the 

accomplishment of related priorities for Native American communities.

Training and Technical Assistance

In addition to grant funding opportunities, ACF program offices support a range of 

training, technical assistance, and/or other services that can be leveraged to support this 

Framework. Examples of topical areas that can be supported or coordinated through 

ACF’s training and technical assistance resources include: 

Examples of Training and Technical 

Assistance Areas for Coordination

Program Office

A

N

A

C

B

F

Y

S

B

O

C

C

O

C

S

O

C

S

E

O

F

A

O

H

S

O

T

I

P

Capacity Building X X X X X X X X X

Coordination and Linkages X X X X

Domestic Violence X X X X X X

Employment X X X X

Housing and Shelter X X X

Human Trafficking X X X X

Public Awareness & Info Dissemination X X X X X X X X X

Training, Technical Assistance, & Support X X X X X X X X X

33
ANA provides training and technical assistance (T/TA) to prospective applicants and 

current grantees in planning, developing, conducting and administering ANA projects, short 

term in-service training for personnel working on ANA-funded projects, and upon denial of 

a grant application, technical assistance in revising a grant proposal. 

There are four T/TA centers: 

Administration for Native Americans (ANA)

34

The following section details training, technical assistance, and supports available 

through ACF program offices that are relevant to MMNA. Also provided are hotline 

numbers supported by federal agencies of importance to individuals affected by factors 

that contribute to MMNA.

Alaska Region Pacific Region

Three Star Enterprises LLC Ka’ānani’au, LLC

185 E. Nelson Ave 98-1238 Ka‘ahumanu Street, Suite #203

Wasilla, Alaska 99654 Pearl City, Hawai‘i 96782

Toll free: (800) 948-3158 Toll Free: (844) 944-9544

Local: (907) 745-3606 Phone: (808) 485-8182

Eastern Region Western Region

Miami Tech Solutions, LLC Miami Tech Solutions, LLC

1950 Roland Clarke Place, Suite 210B 1950 Roland Clarke Place, Suite 210B

Reston, Virginia 20191 Reston, Virginia 20191

Toll Free: (888) 221-9686 Toll free: 1(855) 890-5299
The Children's Bureau's Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative (comprised of the 

Center for States, Center for Tribes, and Center for Courts) helps public child welfare 

agencies, tribes, and courts enhance and mobilize the human and organizational assets 

necessary to meet federal standards and requirements; improve child welfare practice 

and administration; and achieve safety, permanency, and wellbeing outcomes for 

children, youth, and families. 

Center for Tribes

The Center for Tribes collaborates with American Indian and Alaska Native nations to 

help strengthen tribal child and family systems and services in order to nurture the safety, 

permanency, and wellbeing of children, youth, and families. The Center for Tribes also 

maintains the Tribal Information Exchange, an information and resource sharing service 

focused exclusively on Tribal child welfare.

Center for Courts

The Center for Courts focuses on building the capacity of state and tribal court 

improvement programs to improve child welfare practice in the courts and legal 

community. 

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Child Welfare Information Gateway promotes the safety, permanency, and wellbeing of 

children, youth, and families, by connecting child welfare, adoption, and related 

professionals, as well as the public to information, resources, and tools covering topics 

on child welfare, child abuse and neglect, out-of-home care, adoption, and more. 

Center for Native Child and Family Resilience

In 2017, the Children’s Bureau awarded a 5-year cooperative agreement to JBS 

International, Inc. to establish a Quality Improvement Center (QIC) on the prevention and 

intervention of child abuse and neglect in American Indian and Alaska Native 

communities. The QIC, now called the Center for Native Child and Family Resilience, 

gathers, generates, and disseminates knowledge regarding effective practice models for 

strengths-based, culturally relevant, trauma-informed, and preventive services and 

interventions for all forms of child maltreatment. A total of five projects have agreed to 

partner with this Center to build and enhance their culturally based prevention and 

intervention efforts. 

Children’s Bureau

35
The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center supports culturally grounded, 

grassroots advocacy, and provides national leadership to end gender-based violence for 

American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, Native Hawaiians, as well as tribal and Native 

Hawaiian organizations through the development of educational materials and programs, 

direct technical assistance, and the development of local and national policy. 

The StrongHearts Native Helpline is a safe domestic dating and sexual violence helpline 

for American Indians and Alaska Natives, offering culturally-appropriate support and 

advocacy. 

OCC supports CCDF and Tribal MIECHV grantees in various ways. 

Among the most important way is through the training and technical assistance network. 

ACF’s Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance system offers CCDF 

administrators information, tools, training, and other supports. The system brings 

together resources from child care, Head Start, and health partners. It focuses on 

ensuring that all early childhood systems and programs have access to the highest 

quality materials.

The Tribal Home Visiting Evaluation Institute provides technical assistance to tribal home 

visiting grantees on benchmarks, data, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement. 

Programmatic Assistance for Tribal Home Visiting (PATH) provides technical assistance 

to tribal home visiting grantees on home visiting program implementation and integration 

of home visiting services in the broader early childhood system. 

36

Family and Youth Services Bureau

Office of Child Care
OCSE Regional Offices provide training and technical assistance to tribal child support 

program staff. 

Peer Technical Assistance (TA) facilitates the sharing of information across state and 

local agencies implementing the TANF program. The goal of Peer TA is to establish 

linkages among TANF agencies and their partners serving TANF and low-income 

families at the state, county, local, and tribal level. The Peer TA website acts as a 

dissemination and communications vehicle, supporting the Peer TA Network in the 

provision of technical assistance, facilitating a dialogue among organizations serving 

TANF and low-income families, and helping organizations learn about innovative 

programs and the latest research around effective strategies to successfully support 

TANF and low-income families on a path to self-sufficiency. 

National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) 

delivers T/TA to inform and enhance the public health response to human trafficking. 

NHTTAC can:

• Educate health care, behavioral health, and social service professionals on 

how to identify, treat, and respond appropriately to potential victims of human 

trafficking

• Provide skilled trainers with specific subject matter expertise for training 

events and conferences

• Enhance professional development of individuals and multidisciplinary teams 

through scholarships to attend regional or national conferences

• Increase survivor representation at conferences and events by offering 

scholarships to hosting organizations

Office of Child Support Enforcement

Office of Family Assistance

Office on Trafficking in Persons

37
Resources

• Sex Trafficking in Indian Country Webinar (Grantee Webinar) 

• Addressing Human Trafficking in Native Communities (Grantee Webinar) 

• AMBER Alert in Indian Country – the Training and Technical Assistance 

Program (AATTAP) provides a variety of NO FEE virtual, online and classroom 

training opportunities to improve the investigative response to high risk victims 

in tribal communities. The program is designed to increase collaboration 

between tribal, local, state and federal partners to improve skills, and develop 

effective policies and best practices to protect and safely recover endangered 

missing, exploited and abducted children.

• Native Youth Toolkit to Combat Trafficking

• National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) allows 

investigators, forensics professionals, and the public to cross-reference records 

of missing persons and unidentified remains, and helps bring answers to 

families of the missing

• Project Catalyst Toolkit on Interpersonal Violence

• The Sexual Violence Indicators Guide and Database

• HHS Office on Women’s Health Relationship and Safety Resources

38
Hotlines 

• National Human Trafficking Hotline - is a 24/7, confidential, multilingual hotline 

for victims, survivors, and witnesses of human trafficking 

1-888-373-7888 

• National Runaway Safeline - Confidential and nonjudgmental support for youth 

who are thinking of running away or already have 

1-800-RUNAWAY 

• StrongHearts Native Helpline - Confidential and anonymous helpline for those 

affected by domestic and dating violence 

1-800-79NATIVE (9-7233) 

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – is a 24/7 confidential service that supports 

victims and survivors of domestic violence

1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Network of over 160 crisis centers that 

provide 24/7 service to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress

1-800-273-8255

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children – information clearinghouse 

and national resource center on issues related to victims, missing, and exploited 

children 

1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678)

39
1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Tribal 

Behavioral Health Agenda. Rockville, MD, 2016. Retrieved from https://

store.samhsa.gov/product/The-National-Tribal-Behavioral-Health-Agenda/PEP16-

NTBH-AGENDA.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Public Health Approach to Violence 

Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/publichealthissue/

publichealthapproach.html. 

3. David Satcher and Eve J. Higginbotham, “The Public Health Approach to Eliminating 

Disparities in Health.” Am J Public Health. 2008 Mar; 98(3):400-3. doi: 10.2105/

AJPH.2007.123919. Epub 2008 Jan 30. PMID: 18235057; PMCID: PMC2253560. 

Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2518593/. 

4. National vs. Native Missing Youth Statistics—A Side by Side Comparison. Retrieved 

from https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/national-vs-native-missing-youth-statistics.pdf.

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Leading Causes of Death - Females - Non

-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native - United States, 2017. Retrieved from 

https://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/2017/nonhispanic-native/index.htm. 

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Suicide. Retrieved from https://

www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/fastfact.html.

7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Leading Causes of Death - Males - NonHispanic American Indian or Alaska Native - United States, 2017. Retrieved from 

https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/lcod/men/2017/nonhispanic-native/index.htm

8. U. S. Department of Homeland Security, What Is Human Trafficking? Retrieved from 

https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking.

9. Toney-Butler TJ, Mittel O. Human Trafficking. [Updated 2020 Nov 27]. In: StatPearls 

[Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Retrieved from 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430910/.

10. Capacity Building Specialist, Office on Trafficking in Persons, e-mail, August 3, 2020.

11. Racial Disproportionality and Disparity in Child Welfare. Child Welfare Information 

Gateway. November 2016. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/issuebriefs/racial-disproportionality/

40

ENDNOTES
12. Ibid.

13. Child Maltreatment 2017: Summary of Key Findings,” Child Welfare Information 

Gateway. May 2019. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/

canstats.pdf. 

14. Lawrence A. Greenfeld and Steven K. Smith, “American Indians and Crime.” 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1999, NCJ 

173386. Retrieved from https://bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/aic.pdf.

15. André B. Rosay, “Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and 

Men: 2010 Findings from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.” 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, 2016, NCJ 

249736. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249815.pdf.

16. Greta M. Massetti & Corinne David-Ferdon. Preventing Violence Among High-Risk 

Youth and Communities with Economic, Policy, and Structural Strategies. Retrieved 

from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/su/pdfs/su6501a9.pdf.

17. Fleming J, Ledogar RJ. Resilience and Indigenous Spirituality: A Literature Review. 

Pimatisiwin. 2008 Summer;6(2):47-64. PMID: 20963185; PMCID: PMC2956755. 

18. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2030 Framework. 

Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/About-Healthy-People/

Development-Healthy-People-2030/Framework. 

19. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Healthy People 2020. Retrieved 

from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of

-health.

20. Protective Factors, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent 

and School Health. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/

index.htm.

21. Core Meanings of the Strengthening Families Protective Factors, Center for the Study 

of Social Policy. 2015. Retrieved from https://cssp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/

Core-Meanings-of-the-SF-Protective-Factors-2015.pdf. 

41

ENDNOTES
APPENDIX 1: ACF REPRESENTATIVES

Development of the ACF Framework on MMNA included representatives from program 

offices across the agency. The ACF program offices involved include the Administration 

for Native Americans (ANA); Children’s Bureau (CB); Family and Youth Services Bureau 

(FYSB); Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary (IOAS); Office of Communications 

(OC); Office of Child Care (OCC); Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE); Office of 

Community Services (OCS); Office of the Executive Secretariat (ES); Office of Family 

Assistance (OFA); Office of Head Start (OHS); Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget 

(OLAB); Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE); Office of Regional 

Operations (ORO); and, Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). 

The ACF Native American Affairs Advisory Council Liaisons (NAAAC-L) established teams 

who met to develop components of the Framework on MMNA and will meet to ensure 

coordinated implementation. The list of NAAAC-L members and collaborators include 

Monica Adams, 

Child Support Program Specialist, 

OCSE

Kenneth Akwuole, 

Senior Management Analyst, ANA

Tristan Anderson, 

Child Support Program Specialist, 

OCSE

Mirtha Beadle, 

Acting Deputy Commissioner 

and Senior Policy Advisor to the 

Commissioner, ANA

Sonya Begay, 

Management and Program Analyst, 

ANA

Moushumi Beltangady, 

Senior Advisor to the Alyce Spotted 

Bear and Walter Soboleff 

Commission on Native Children and 

Senior Policy Advisor Tribal Home 

Visiting, OCC 

Roshelle Brooks, 

Management Analyst, ES

Charity Casey,

Child Support Program Specialist, 

OCSE 

Native American Affairs Advisory Council Liaisons and Collaborators

Heather Gordon, 

Program Management Analyst, ANA

Aimee Hart, 

Public Affairs Specialist, OC

James Henry, 

Tribal Child Care Program Specialist, 

OCC

Melissa Johnson, 

Director, Division of Regional 

Operations, OCSE

Rebecca Kantsiper, 

Child Support Program Specialist, 

OCSE

Stan Koutstaal, 

Division Director, Tribal TANF 

Management and Regional 

Operations, OFA 

Kathryn Kulbicki, 

Child Welfare Program Specialist, CB

Todd Lertjuntharangool, 

Regional Program Manager, Region 

XI, OHS

Niya Mack, 

Attorney, Office of General Counsel 

42

Gail Collins, 

Director, Division of Program 

Implementation, CB

Roberta Coons, 

Child Support Specialist, OCSE

Lorri Crowley, 

Public Affairs Specialist, OC

Rosia Curry, 

Program Specialist, ANA

Tonya Davis, 

Program Specialist, OFA

Denise Edwards, 

Branch Chief, Tribal TANF 

Management, OFA

Savannah Emerich, 

Policy and Program Advisor, IOAS

Janaye Ferguson, 

Program Specialist, Region XI, OHS

Jolleen George, 

Acting Deputy Director, OCS

Jane Golden, 

Tribal Liaison, Community Services 

Block Grant, OCS
Native American Affairs Advisory Council Liaisons and Collaborators

Maxine Maloney, 

Program Operations Branch Chief, 

OCS

Nancy Mathieson, 

Program Specialist, Region 10, OCSE

Aleta Meyer, 

Senior Social Science Research 

Analyst, OPRE 

Kathleen Moore, 

Social Scientist, OPRE

Kelly Njike, 

Project Consultant, ANA

Beth Pfenning, 

Program Specialist, OTIP

LaKesha Pope Jackson, 

Regional Administrator, Region 6, 

ORO

Vikki Pretlow, 

Energy Assistance Program 

Specialist, OCS 

Carlette Randall, 

Child Welfare Program Specialist, CB

Jae Sulton, 

OCS

Kristi Synold, 

Program and Management Analyst, 

ANA

Scott Trowbridge, 

Child Welfare Program Specialist, CB

Mariel Valerio, 

Program Specialist, Region XI, OHS

Joanna Whitaker, 

Region XI, OHS

Autumn Rose Williams, 

Communications, ANA

Shena Williams, 

Senior Program Specialist

Donald Wyatt, 

Senior Program Specialist Region XI, 

OHS

Amy Zukowski, 

Director, Division of Program 

Evaluation and Planning, ANA

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Mike Richardson, 

Region XI, OHS 

Travis Roberts, 

Program Analyst, ANA

Kesha Rodriguez, 

Supervisory Child Support Program 

Specialist, OCSE

Teresa Rose, 

Program Assistant, ANA 

Michelle Sauve, 

Executive Director, ICNAA and 

Intergovernmental Affairs Specialist, 

ANA 

Shelly-Ann Sinclair, 

Program Analyst, OLAB

Meresa Stacy, 

Executive Officer, ANA

Jeffrey Stocks, 

Program Specialist, OCSE

Carmelia Strickland, 

Director, Division of Program 

Operations, ANA
APPENDIX 2: EXECUTIVE ORDER 13898 

Executive Order 13898 of November 26, 2019 

Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered 

American Indians and Alaska Natives

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of 

America, and in order to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the 

legitimate concerns of American Indian and Alaska Native communities regarding missing and 

murdered people—particularly missing and murdered indigenous women and girls—it is hereby 

ordered as follows:

Section 1. Purpose. My Administration has heard the ongoing and serious concerns of tribal 

governments regarding missing and murdered members of American Indian and Alaska Native 

communities, particularly women and girls. To address the severity of those concerns, top officials 

within the Federal Government will coordinate and engage with the tribal governments.

Sec. 2. Establishment. (a) There is hereby established the Task Force on Missing and Murdered 

American Indians and Alaska Natives (Task Force), co-chaired by the Attorney General and the 

Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) or their designees.

(b) The Department of Justice shall provide funding and administrative support as may be necessary 

for the performance and functions of the Task Force. The Attorney General, in consultation with the 

Secretary, shall designate an official of the Department of Justice to serve as the Executive Director 

of the Task Force, responsible for coordinating its day-to-day functions. As necessary and 

appropriate, the Co-Chairs may afford the other members of the Task Force an opportunity to 

provide input into the decision of whom to designate as the Executive Director.

Sec. 3. Membership. (a) In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Task Force shall be composed wholly of 

full-time, or permanent part-time, officers or employees of the Federal Government and shall 

include the following members:

(i) the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(ii) the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior;

(iii) the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, Department of Justice;

(iv) the Director of the Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the 

Interior;

(v) the Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General's Advisory 

Committee;

A Presidential Document by the Executive Office of the President on 12/02/2019

44
(vi) the Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans, Department of Health and 

Human Services; and

(vii) such representatives of other executive departments, agencies, and offices as the Co-Chairs 

may, from time to time, designate.

(b) In performing the functions set forth in sections 4 and 5 of this order, the Co-Chairs and 

members may designate representatives of their respective departments, agencies, offices, or entities 

under their direction to participate in the Task Force as necessary, and the Co-Chairs may also direct 

coordination with other Presidential task forces. In carrying out its functions, the Task Force shall 

coordinate with appropriate White House officials, including the Senior Counselor to the President, 

the Assistant Start Printed Page 66060to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Deputy 

Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. 

Sec. 4. Mission and Functions. (a) The Task Force shall: 

(i) conduct appropriate consultations with tribal governments on the scope and nature of the issues 

regarding missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives;

(ii) develop model protocols and procedures to apply to new and unsolved cases of missing or 

murdered persons in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including best practices 

for:

(A) improving the way law enforcement investigators and prosecutors respond to the high volume of 

such cases, and to the investigative challenges that might be presented in cases involving female 

victims;

(B) collecting and sharing data among various jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies; and

(C) better use of existing criminal databases, such as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons 

System (NamUs), the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and the Combined DNA Index 

System (CODIS) including the National DNA Index System (NDIS);

(iii) establish a multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team including representatives from tribal 

law enforcement and the Departments of Justice and the Interior to review cold cases involving 

missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives;

(iv) address the need for greater clarity concerning roles, authorities, and jurisdiction throughout 

the lifecycle of cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives by:

(A) developing and publishing best-practices guidance for use by Federal, State, local, and tribal law 

enforcement in cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, to 

include best practices related to communication with affected families from initiation of an 

investigation through case resolution or closure;

(B) facilitating formal agreements or arrangements among Federal, State, local, and tribal law 

enforcement to promote maximally cooperative, trauma-informed responses to cases involving 

missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives;

45
(C) developing and executing an education and outreach campaign for communities that are most 

affected by crime against American Indians and Alaska Natives to identify and reduce such crime; 

and

(D) developing, in partnership with NamUs, a public-awareness campaign to educate both rural and 

urban communities about the needs of affected families and resources that are both needed and 

available. 

Sec. 5. Reporting. (a) No later than 1 year after the date of this order, the Task Force shall develop 

and submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, a written 

report regarding the activities and accomplishments of the Task Force, the status of projects the Task 

Force has not yet completed, and specific recommendations for future action of the Task Force. 

(b) No later than 2 years after the date of this order, the Task Force shall develop and submit to the 

President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, a final written report regarding 

the activities and accomplishments of the Task Force. 

Sec. 6. Termination. The Task Force shall terminate 2 years after the date of this order, unless 

otherwise directed by the President.

Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, 

administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of 

appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 

enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or 

entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, November 26, 2019. Filed 11-29-19; 11:15 am]

[FR Doc. 2019-26178

Billing code 3295-F0-P

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APPENDIX 3: AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA

NATIVE CULTURAL WISDOM

DECLARATION 

SOURCE: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Tribal Behavioral 

Health Agenda. Rockville, MD. 2016. Retrieved from: https://store.samhsa.gov/product/The-NationalTribal-Behavioral-Health-Agenda/PEP16-NTBH-AGENDA.

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