COVID opportunity for Tribes

COVID has been devastating for many Tribes. Far too many of our people have died and many others will be dealing with the effects of COVID for years to come. For once the government has responded in an appropriate way to deal with the situation and Tribes have been designated as a priority in the vaccination effort and in the recently passed Rescue Care Bill. This will not change what has already happened but the additional resources to fight the pandemic will allow Tribes the ability to change the paradigm for their health care systems and other Tribal operations. However, for this to occur Tribal governments must use a systems change approach to make sure they are addressing the core issues that caused us to be so vulnerable to the virus in the first place.

This will involve taking a number of actions and one may be declaring a state of emergency if that is warranted. The next step would be to appoint a task force which includes a cross section of Tribal agencies, other local organizations, state programs and federal staff such as the BIA and IHS. This core group can help the community identify what the most pressing needs are with a comprehensive needs assessment.

Once the needs are determined you can bring someone in to help develop a strategic plan to deal with COVID and to address other issues that are identified in the needs assessment such as substance abuse, domestic violence, unemployment, child care, health concerns, suicide, and even environmental health issues to name a few. The plan will provide a roadmap for what resources you need to address the issues and who will have the responsibility to carry out these tasks.

You may want to take this opportunity to do an entire or a department reorganization. One of the best actions you can take within the Tribe is to make sure you have the right people in the right positions. This can be done through a comprehensive analysis of your current staffing needs. It may mean eliminating some positions and creating others to fill gaps you have in manpower or womanpower. This needs to be a deliberate process as some Tribes go through reorganization just because it seems like a good idea. It has to be with the goal in mind to improve your efficiency and effectiveness.

These are only part of what Red Road Leadership Consulting does in the Tribal Transformation Process which is a systems change process to help Tribes fulfill their mission and vision. With the additional resources Tribes are receiving this is the best place to start to make sure you are making the best possible use of these new resources. Without knowing the needs and having a plan in place additional resources can be wasted and you will end up duplicating existing resources which will not be helpful. For more information on this go to www.redroadleadership.com and look for the Tribal Transformation Process. or contact us at redroadconsulting@gmail.com

May all your efforts be successful in improving the quality of life for all our people.