Healing to Wellness Court
Welcome
Oneida Healing to Wellness Court (OHWC) provides the support and resources necessary for participants to begin living sober lives and reconnecting with their families, community, culture, and Tsiˀ Niyukwalihó•tʌ (Our Ways). As an alternative to incarceration, eligible participants agree to engage in an intensely supervised court program, which provides support and accountability for those living with a substance use disorder.
OHWC is a voluntary post-conviction Adult Healing to Wellness Court program. The program represents a collaborative effort of criminal justice stakeholders serving Oneida Nation members living within Brown County. The partners in this effort are committed to a non-adversarial approach while providing culturally responsive and community-based support. Participants must meet all eligibility requirements and be sentenced to complete the Healing to Wellness Court by a Brown County Circuit Court Judge.
The program is a minimum of 17 months, consisting of five phases. Movement through each phase and graduation is dependent on participants’ accomplishment of phase goals, individualized goals, and abiding by program requirements. Advancement through the phases will result in reduced program commitments as participants engage in healthier choices which demonstrate a recovery-focused and law-abiding lifestyle. Honesty, individual accountability, and Oneida culture and beliefs are at the foundation of the program.
Mission & Vision
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Oneida Healing to Wellness Court is to combine judicial oversight and community resources to provide intensive court supervised support to reduce participants’ substance use and encourage healing in a way that reconnects participants with family, community, culture, and Tsiˀ Niyukwalihó•tʌ (Our Ways).
VISION STATEMENT
The vision of the Oneida Healing to Wellness Court is to utilize an integrated approach to heal and strengthen our community using our core values of kahletsyalusla (heartfelt encouragement of the best in each of us) and kanolukhwasla (compassion, caring, identity, and joy of being). The Court aims to provide support for community members who struggle with substance use and reduce recidivism which will encourage a sustainably healthy Onʌyote?a·ka community for the next seven generations.
Staffing Team
Oneida Healing to Wellness Court (OHWC) operates under the direction of a multi-disciplinary team. This means participation in this program is supported by several professionals from a variety of fields who meet each week prior to the OHWC hearing to review participant progress. The Healing to Wellness Court Judge communicates decisions regarding participation in the program with input from the Oneida Healing to Wellness Court Staffing Team. The Staffing Team consists of:
•Healing to Wellness Court Judge
•Wellness Court Coordinator/Case Manager
•Representative from the Brown County District Attorney’s Office
•Representative from the State Public Defender’s Office
•Representative from Oneida Behavioral Health
•Representative from Oneida Cultural Heritage
•Representative from Oneida Police Department
•Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) Probation and Parole Agent
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and be in agreement with all rules and expectations of the program to be accepted. The Oneida Healing to Wellness Court Staffing Team will determine program acceptance after the eligibility screening and application processes are complete. Acceptance into the program is determined by meeting the following minimum criteria:
•Oneida Nation member
•18 years or older
•A resident of Brown County OR residing within the Oneida Nation reservation boundaries and remain a resident while participating in the Oneida Healing to Wellness Court
•Charged with drug/alcohol related offenses in Brown County Circuit Court
•Currently under supervision of, or will be sentenced to, DOC Community Corrections
•Mild, moderate, or severe substance use disorder in accordance with the current DSM-5 as confirmed through a clinical screening
•Considered High Risk/High Need as determined by an assessment conducted by the OHWC Coordinator/Case Manager
•Ability to comprehend and comply with OHWC requirements
Potentially Disqualifying Offenses include any of the following:
•Violent Offense or Repeated Violent Offenses
•Prior or Current Sex Offenses
•Possession of Firearm or Dangerous Weapon
•Gang Involvement
•Involved in significant distribution of illegal substances
•Any combination of current or previous offenses that places the public at risk
Please note that after being accepted into the Healing to Wellness Court, it is at the discretion of the sentencing judge at the Brown County Circuit Court to sentence the applicant to complete the Oneida Healing to Wellness Court.
Application Process
If you are interested in participating in Healing to Wellness Court, please talk to your defense counsel, the prosecutor, or your probation and parole agent to determine if you meet the eligibility criteria. If you meet the criteria, they can provide an application or make a referral to the OHWC Coordinator/Case Manager. Application forms are available online for self-referral as well.
Completed applications can be submitted:
· Via e-mail to sninham2@oneidanation.org
· In-person at the Oneida Judiciary
· Via fax to (920) 496-7229
Please note that after completing the application process and being accepted into the Healing to Wellness Court, it is at the discretion of the sentencing judge at the Brown County Circuit Court to sentence the applicant to complete the Oneida Healing to Wellness Court.
Oneida Healing to Wellness Court Application
Hearing Info & Schedule
Oneida Healing to Wellness Court hearings are held weekly at the Oneida Judiciary. These hearings are closed to the public. Hearings are held every Thursday from 3:00-4:00pm. In the event of holidays, inclement weather, or other causes for cancellation, a member of the OHWC Staffing Team will communicate changes in the hearing schedule.
