Single Source Procurement: Akwesasne Sewakwatho Community Drop-In Center

Pursuant to New York State Finance Law § 163.10(b), The New York State Department of Health is presenting the following summary of relevant circumstances, and material and substantial reasons why a competitive procurement was not feasible. The New York State Department of Akwesasne Sewakwatho Community Drop-In CenterProgram has made a determination to issue a Single Source Procurement to one eligible grantees to support ongoing currently funded projects.

In 2015 The New York State (NYS) Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Prevention contracted with St. Regis Mohawk Tribe to support Sewakwatho, the Akwesasne Community Drop-in Center. Sewakwatho is located on the reservation providing a resource that is both grounded in tribal culture and tradition – which is essential to the community members’ acceptance of the Center – as well as being conveniently located and accessible. The core of the program is based on volunteerism, which is integral to cultural tradition. Volunteers provide individual support supplemented with group meetings organized around the approaches employed by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Al-Anon, Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Nar-Anon, Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA), and Alateen.

The Center, operated by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and staffed by part-time employees and community volunteers, has filled a tremendous gap in services to support and maintain sobriety efforts following in-patient rehabilitation. Through a combination of self-referrals and referrals from local alcohol and substance use providers, Sewakwatho has filled a critical void and provided a high priority resource for the Nation.

The request to continue funding the Center for an additional two years will allow dedicated personnel to focus on sustainability planning and implementation, and necessary focus on programming and support for community members in greatest need. The Saint Regis Mohawk’s tribal government is the sole entity responsible for the health and welfare of the tribe’s people. As such, all Department of Health contracts must be established with and managed by the Tribe’s government body.

Procurement / Program Name	Akwesasne Sewakwatho Community Drop-In Center
Contractor Name(s)	St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
Contract Period	4/1/2020 – 3/31/2022
Contract Number	C030218