Keeping Psychologists in Indian Country

Every one of us has days where we feel blue. Days when our friends, our favorite sitcoms, or even chocolate just can't shake the doldrums. Though we feel small, weak, or depressed, as adults we learn that a bad day fades away. Yet, according to the American Psychological Association, depression is a way of life for one in ten Americans. This statistic is higher for Native American and Alaskan Natives, largely due a lack of services in rural communities. Simply put, the infrastructure isn't there.

Some argue that the high proportion of mental illness amongst Native Americans and Alaskan Natives extends as far back as the dawn of colonialism. As Darrel Stolle, the Director of the Montana Center for Investigative and Treatment of Childhood Trauma said, "Native Americans may experience symptoms linked to intergenerational trauma, stemming largely from years of oppression and detrimental government policies." Decades of geographic and political fractures have wreaked havoc in the psychological strength of Indian Country. Yet, increased community attention and funding have strengthened the psychological services and community outreach to these oftentimes underrepresented communities.

It is no secret that access to health information contributes to better health outcomes in tribal communities. Getting the information into the communities and effectively disseminating the learning tools is another story. This begins with the psychological professionals that can provide services and outreach within communities. In 2002, Psychologists in Indian Country, a Division 18 section, was formed to address the problematic issue of securing and retaining psychological professionals in Native American communities. Division 18 is a coalition of psychology groups that "are committed to improving the psychological condition of persons served by public sector agencies." Psychologists in Indian Country rapidly expanded, serving to digitally and physically connect its members.

Co-founded by John Spaulding, then an Indian Health Services psychologist, Psychologists in Indian Country created an invaluable listserv that helped to address the unique nature of that sub-sector of Psychology. At the time, nadequate financial resources increased the strain on the already taxing position of providing psychological assistance to native communities. The isolation of rural positions was exacerbated by the fact that many native communities had no language with which to understand psychological outreach. Indeed, Psychologists in Indian Country has initiated a series of healing actions for many Native American communities.

Most recently, Connie Hunt, the current chair of Psychologists in Indian Country, is reported to have launched a recent push for prescriptive training fellowships at Indian Health Services. This issue, raised at the Division 18 Executive Board Meeting in January, 2006, could have widespread effects on the quality and means of mental health treatment in Indian Country.

For more information on this important group, please visit: http://www.apa.org/about/division/div18.html