The mission of the Native American Behavioral Health Program is to improve behavioral health services for Native American populations in New Mexico.  The Program collaborates with Native communities and agencies to provide consultation, training, research, and evaluation partnerships and services.

 

Goals:

• Consultation with Native American communities and behavioral health agencies on system development;
• Participate in community projects that result in data gathering to be used in future grant initiatives and other funding opportunities; and
• Establish training and educational initiatives for behavioral health stakeholders that are culturally relevant

Activities:

• Native American Behavioral Health Agency Needs Assessment
• Participation on Region 6, Local Collaborative 14 and 15 councils
• Collaborate with ValueOptions NM and Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board to provide grant writing workshops to Native communities
• Partner with Native American community-based projects to improve behavioral health services for children, adolescents, family members, and adults (e.g., Project TRUST)
• Provide direct psychiatric services through Telehealth to Indian Health Services
• Provide direct psychiatric service and consultation to Na’Nizhoozhi Center, Inc. (NCI)
• Participate in Department of Health’s cultural competency initiative
• Develop collaborative technical assistance models to build capacity in Native American behavioral health systems
• Potential training and educational initiatives, including, but not limited to:
   

• Introduction to culturally competent behavioral health;

• Incorporation of culturally relevant models of helping, well-being, and problem attribution into treatment and services;

• Provision of co-occurring disorder treatment that is culturally relevant;

•  Identification and development of culturally appropriate assessment instruments; and Understanding issues related to ethno-pharmacology
   

Partnerships:

• Region 6, Local Collaborative 14 and 15
• Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board
• Project TRUST
• Na’Nihzhoozhi Center Inc (NCI)
• ValueOptions NM
• NM Department of Health
• UNM Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
• Pueblo of Santa Clara
  Eight Northern Circles of Life Behavioral Health Program
  COSIG