What Families are Dealing With
Mental wellness is looked at differently in the Native culture. The ancestral way is holistic. Research has shown that many Native Americans that suffer from various depressions, anxieties, and/or substance abuse disorders seek help from spiritual healers instead of westernized medicine.
Indian Health Service facilities are generally on reservations yet the largest population of Native Americans no longer live on the reservations. And since many Native Americans receive the care from Indian Health Service, access is curtailed.
How This Affects the Families I Work With
The families you work with may need:
- Access to professional helpers may be limited.
- Families may not have resources they need to heal and become well.
What I Can Do to Build on Family Strengths
- When working with families, remember they are not all about risk factors.
- Help identify their challenges, focus on their strengths, and acknowledge their resilience.
- Work together to compose an agreed plan.
- Support and guide family members.
- Help them focus on pursuing a path of healing and empowerment. Native healing may include a holistic balancing of mind, body and spirit, a balancing of energies, emphasizing connectedness to the land and community.