Following intensive review of services the Osage Nation plans to streamline assistance programs

By ON Communications

PAWHUSKA, Okla. (June 18, 2015) — Efforts to improve services for qualifying Osage constituents and other qualifying Native Americans are scheduled to be streamlined next week. The launch dates for the improved services are tentatively scheduled for June 25. No changes will be made until that time and current clients are being notified by mail. All transition efforts will be fully in effect by Oct.1, when the new fiscal year begins for the Osage Nation.

The Osage Nation manages several income based federal programs designed to assist qualifying families and individuals. In addition, the Nation has evolved to include fully funded financial assistance programs designed to meet the needs of qualifying constituents. All together these programs include housing assistance, utility assistance, work placement for youth and adults, crisis assistance and community service projects.

The only program scheduled for an earlier launch date is the Osage Nation Crisis Assistance program. This program will be fully housed and managed by the Financial Assistance office beginning June 1. Crisis Assistance is exclusively for Osage enrolled members eighteen years and older experiencing a qualifying financial crisis. There are no income guidelines only a limit of one time use every twelve months. Crisis Assistance is fully funded by the Osage Nation.

Jodie Revard, director of Financial Assistance, said “the programs have been siloed for far too long causing services to either be duplicated or missed all together. Now, when someone comes to us for help…we can say, here is a list of services you qualify for, and it will be a comprehensive list of what we have.”

Also on the horizon for the Nation are new buildings including the Welcome Center in Pawhuska where related service based programs will be housed together. Currently, several programs, who work closely with the same client base, are situated, in some cases, in different towns. Often their mutual client base has limited transportation availability or none at all making it difficult to enroll for services.

“It makes sense to consolidate our services to a centralized location so that we aren’t asking our people to bounce from one town to the next. We want more of a ‘one-stop-shop’ experience for people and expect it to be a better one overall,” said Casey Johnson, Special Advisor to the Chief who is working on the streamlining of services.

Welcome Center offices

Constituent Services

Osage Membership & Certificate Degree Indian Blood

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

General Assistance

Community Service Block Grant

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Work Force

Youth Employment Services

Crisis Assistance

Tax Commission

Osage Nation Financial Assistance

Mailing:

P.O. Box 522

Hominy, OK 74035

918-287-5325 or Toll Free 1-888-822-1248

Physical:

Osage Nation Industrial Park

86 CR 5400

Hominy, OK 74035

For Media Inquiries: Osage Nation Communications 918-287-5599