Healing and Mental Health for Native Americans: Speaking in Red

Substance abuse, mental illness, and violence are a self-perpetuating vicious cycle in many Native American communities. In this book, the authors highlight the importance of eliminating health disparities and increasing the access of Native Americans to critical substance abuse and mental health services. Dedicated educators, researchers, and clinicians in the Native community demonstrate how practitioners can work within both the walls of western medicine and the circles of traditional healers, and promote healing through changes in the way we treat our sick_spiritually, traditionally, ceremonially, and scientifically_whether in rural areas, on reservations, or in cities. They emphasize the importance of non-profit community-based health organizations as nodes for community interaction and sources of mental health services for Native Americans in multi-tribal, multi-ethnic, and multi-racial urban areas. This excellent collection will be invaluable for medical and mental health professionals and the Native health community.

Ethan Nebelkopf, Ph.D., is director of the Family & Child Guidance Clinic of the Native American Health Center in Oakland and San Francisco. He has worked for community-based non-profit organizations for thirty years and is a licensed family therapist in California. Mary Phillips (Omaha/Laguna, Pueblo) has experience in program coordination, managed information systems development, evaluation, and community assessment for the Native American community and works for First Nations Development Institute. She has participated in several publications on mental health and Native Americans and received her Bachelors degree at Nebraska Wesleyan University.