Behavioral Health Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives (12 CE)

Course Level: Intermediate

This course is for: Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors

Course Developed By: Helen Hinton, LPCC

Content By: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Behavioral Health Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 61. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 185070EXSUMM. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2018.

Course Description:  American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) experience behavioral health disparities pertaining to care access, service delivery, and treatment outcomes. Consequently, there is an existent need for appropriate, accessible, and available services that can address these issues. Suicide rates for AI/NA are more than double that of the overall US population. AI/AN women experience sexual victimization at a rate that exceeds that of any other ethnic group.  Individuals in the AI/AN demographic are also at an increased risk of substance abuse vulnerability and mental health disorder development due to the concomitant effects of violence and trauma, historical trauma, poverty, unemployment, and the loss of cultural traditions.  Culturally responsive strategies for holistic trauma-informed service implementation are explored in this course. An implementation guide for service providers, administrators, and clinical supervisors is also included to support effective behavioral health care service delivery across diverse treatment settings. Finally, workforce development resources and related evidence-based programs and practices are examined as viable and sustainable approach-types that may be effectively implemented for AI/AN.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the behavioral health needs and cultural considerations that are specific to the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) demographics
• Explain how the cyclical nature of historical trauma has present-day repercussions for AI/AN communities
• Identify demographic-specific social challenges, behavioral health issues, and help-seeking behavior
• List practice strategies for culturally responsive trauma-informed service delivery
• Examine client vignettes and identify the knowledge and skills necessary for the delivery of effective services
• Identify AI/AN culture-specific factors that contribute to grief, loss, and mistrust
• Explain patterns of substance abuse relative to AI/AN
• Determine how the awareness of beliefs, values, biases, and worldview on behalf of the therapist may serve to influence the counseling relationship
• Cite examples of the way traditional spiritual practices contribute to holistic healing
• Explain how the cycle of Native cultural identity, assimilation, and reconnection determines the role of culture in clients’ lives
• Examine culturally responsive services in consideration of the existent need for community leader, council, and familial participation
• Identify the core elements of a culturally competent workforce, organization and program
• Understand the processes that are necessary for successful development, implementation, and sustainability of culturally competent and responsive programs and practices
• Explore the ways that the tenets of AI/NA literature and evidence-based practice curriculums can be implemented across behavioral health settings

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Behavioral Health Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 61
• Read and review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Work through the literature to gain an understanding of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) demographics, social challenges and related behavioral health needs
• Review the strategies for delivering culturally responsive and trauma-informed services across behavioral health settings
• Work through the post-test questions; bear in mind that answer selections should be derived from the respective journal article
• Return to the referenced article for any missed questions and/or to review the identified resources for additional adaptations and methods for employing behavioral health services for American Indians and Alaska Natives

Approvals: