Tribal Public Health and Relations

Partnering With Federally Recognized Tribes

The governmental public health system includes tribal nations and Indian health programs as primary partners with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), the State Board of Health, and local health jurisdictions.

The Centennial Accord created a unique government-to-government relationship between many federally recognized tribal governments and the state of Washington. State agencies, including DOH, have responsibilities for their work with federally recognized tribes as outlined in RCW 43.376. To ensure we fulfill these responsibilities, DOH follows a consultation and collaboration procedure, which includes:

  • Sending Dear Tribal Leader letters to elected tribal officials when developing and implementing policies, agreements, and programs that directly affect Indian tribes.
  • Consulting with tribal nations to promote government-to-government partnerships and ensure effective health services for Indian people.
  • Designating the tribal relations director as the liaison to tribal nations.
  • Ensuring staff who work with tribal governments and public health partners receive training on tribal history and culture and tribal relationships with federal and state governments.
  • Submitting an annual report to the governor for The Centennial Accord meeting.

Dear Tribal Leader Letters

2026

Date Letter Subject Meeting Information Additional Materials
February 3 Collaborative – listening sessions for governor’s Public Health Advisory Board seeking feedback on public health system performance monitoring (PDF)
  • Listening session 1: 1:30-3:30 p.m. February 25 - Zoom link
  • Listening session 2: 10-11:30 a.m. March 4 - Zoom link
  
January 30 Informative – provisional reporting and surveillance of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease in Washington state (PDF)    
January 20 Collaborative – considering rulemaking on private detention facilities for juveniles (PDF)
  • Listening session: 2:30-4:30 p.m. February 12
  
January 20

Informative – information on agency rulemaking for January 1-15, 2026 (PDF)

 

  
January 8 Informative – corrected code reviser filing for December 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    
January 5 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for December 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    

2025

Date Letter Subject Meeting Information Additional Materials
December 26 Informative – 988 contact hub designation (PDF)    
December 18 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for December 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
December 11 Collaborative – DOH and Executive Order 25-20, A New Foundation for Washington State’s Governmental Relations With Sovereign Tribal Nations (PDF)
  • Listening session 1: 10-11:30 a.m. January 22
  • Listening session 2: 9-10:30 a.m. February 3
  
December 9 Informative – cross collaborative behavioral health meeting (PDF)    
December 2 Informative – DOH and Executive Order 25-20, A New Foundation for Washington State’s Governmental Relations With Sovereign Tribal Nations (PDF)    
December 2 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for November 16-30, 2025 (PDF)    
November 26 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for November 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
November 10 Informative – update on 988 crisis care continuum project status (PDF)    
November 4 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for October 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    
October 17 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for October 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
October 7 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for September 16-30, 2025 (PDF)    
October 7 Informative – Office of Immunization funding information sessions – action requested (PDF)
  • Information session 1: 3:30-4 p.m. October 27
  • Information session 2: 11-11:30 a.m. October 30
  
September 23 Informative – update on the status of the State Emergency Medical Reserve Corps (SEMRC) (PDF)    
September 22 Collaborative – maternal mental health funding opportunity (PDF)
  • Office hours 1: 10-11 a.m. October 6
  • Office hours 2: Noon-1 p.m. October 17
 Perinatal mental health 1-pager (PDF)
September 22 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for August 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    
September 22 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for September 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    

September 19

 Informative – environmental justice grants listening sessions follow-up (PDF)   Environmental justice grants for Tribes 1-pager (PDF)
September 11 Collaborative – funding for Tribal/Urban Indian Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs listening sessions (PDF)
  • Listening session 1: 1:30-2:30 p.m. September 22
  • Listening session 2: 10-11 a.m. September 24
  
September 9 Collaborative – seeking new members for the Preventive Health and Health Service Block Grant Community Health Advisory Committee (CHAC) (PDF)    
September 5 Informative – State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) priority announcement (PDF)    
August 28 Informative – Native & Strong Lifeline text and chat services (PDF)    
August 21 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for August 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
August 19 Informative – school participation in the 2025 Healthy Youth Survey (PDF)    
August 5 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for July 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    
August 4 Informative – CDC public health emergency preparedness notice of award budget period 2 2025-2026 (PDF)    
July 18 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for July 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
July 17 Collaborative – Department of Health 2026 proposed legislative package review webinar (PDF)
  • Tribal webinar: 3-4 p.m. August 26
  • General webinar: 3-4 p.m. August 27
 Budget request 1-pager (PDF)
July 17 Collaborative – updates to Tribal Shellfish Consent Decree and attachments of minimum position requirements (PDF)
  • Listening session: 2-4 p.m. August 12

Collaborative updates handout (PDF)
July 17 Informative – 988 contact hubs application process (PDF)    
July 17 Informative – Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) federal accreditation update (PDF)    
July 15 Consultation closure – Tribal foundational public health services funding allocation for state biennium 2025-2027 (PDF)   

Consultation closure slides (PDF)

Tribal funding agreement template (PDF)

Tribal statement of work template (PDF)
July 1 Informative – end of the 2025-2026 legislative session (PDF)    
July 1 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for June 16-30, 2025 (PDF)    
June 17 Collaborative – environmental justice grants listening sessions (PDF)
  • Listening session 1: 8:30-10 a.m. August 14
  • Listening session 2: 10-11:30 a.m. August 21
  
June 17 Informative – Tribal distribution list for monthly emergency medical services opioid surveillance reports (PDF)    
June 16 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for June 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
June 9 Informative – opportunity to participate in the Washington Syndemic Planning Group (PDF)    
June 3 Collaborative – environmental health disparities map listening sessions (PDF)
  • Listening session 1: 10-11:30 a.m. June 20 
  • Listening session 2: 2-4 p.m. July 15
  
June 3 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for May 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    
May 28 Collaborative – listening session for revising the 2026 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (PDF)
  • Listening session: 10 a.m. June 6
  
May 21 Collaborative – over-the-counter contraception access for teens and young adults (PDF)
  • Listening session 1: 5-6:30 p.m. June 17
  • Listening session 2: 3-4:30 p.m. June 18
  
May 16 Consultation – Tribal foundational public health services funding allocation for state biennium 2025-2027 (PDF)
  • Roundtable 1: 1:30-3 p.m. May 28
  • Roundtable 2: 3-4:30 p.m. June 4
  • Consultation: 3:30-5 p.m. June 11
  
May 15 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for May 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
May 14 Informative – updates to Tribal shellfish consent decree and attachments of minimum
position requirements (PDF)		    
May 13 Collaborative – source water protection grant guidelines update (PDF)
  • Listening session: 3:30-5 p.m. June 16
  
May 7 Informative – 2025 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund construction projects intended use plan (PDF)    
May 1 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for April 16-30, 2025 (PDF)    
April 29 Informative – update flu and RSV immunization dashboard data (PDF)    
April 16 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for April 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
April 14 Informative – 988 steering committee (PDF)    
April 9 Collaborative – residential treatment facility and psychiatric hospital Tribal attestation fee rulemaking hearing and public comment (PDF)
  • Virtual webinar: 1:30 p.m. April 22
  
April 9 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for March 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    
March 31 Collaborative – State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) listening sessions (PDF)
  • Listening session: 9-11 a.m. May 29
  
March 28 Consultation closure – DOH Tribal data sharing agreement template (PDF)    
March 18 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for March 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
March 11 Informative – opportunity to participate in the DOH Data@Health Collaborative (PDF)    
March 10 Collaborative – proposing DOH monthly Tribal meeting (PDF)
  • Listening session: 10-11:30 a.m. March 20
 Listening Session Report out (PDF)
March 10 Informative – Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center data sharing agreement amendment (PDF)    
March 4 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for February 16-28, 2025 (PDF)    
March 3 Informative – DOH preparing for CDC notice of funding opportunity strengthening vaccine-preventable
disease prevention and response cooperative agreement (PDF)		    
February 24 Collaborative – listening sessions for proposed data sharing language for 2026 legislative session (PDF)
  • Listening session 1: 10-11:30 a.m. March 21
  • Listening session 2: 10-11:30 a.m. April 4
  
February 24 Informative – Washington Vaccine Association data sharing agreement (PDF)    
February 21 Collaborative – proposed legislation on public water system definition for 2026 legislative session (PDF)
  • Listening session: 3:30-5 p.m. March 19
  
February 10 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for January 16-31, 2025 (PDF)    
January 15 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for January 1-15, 2025 (PDF)    
January 13 Informative – information on agency rulemaking for December 16-31, 2024 (PDF)    
January 6 Collaborative – overdose data to action in states – develop or expand overdose prevention (PDF)
  • Q&A call for Tribes: 1-2 p.m. January 27
  • Q&A call for partners: 1-2 p.m. February 6
 Overdose Prevention Funding Opportunity (PDF)
January 6 Informative – update on WIC's Tribal General Welfare payment waiver request (PDF)    

Contact Us

For more information, call 360-819-7626 or email OTPHR@doh.wa.gov.