Delivering Culturally Responsive Behavioral Health Services to American Indians & Alaska Natives

Delivering Culturally Responsive Behavioral Health Services to American Indians & Alaska Natives is organized by EdCompass. This course has been approved for a maximum of 8.00 Continuing Education Credit Hours.

This course expires on 07/01/2024

CEU Course Description:
American Indians and Alaska Natives have consistently experienced disparities in access to behavioral healthcare services, and availability and accessibility of such services continue to be major barriers to recovery for these populations. The purpose of this intermediate-level continuing education course developed using information from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is to illustrate strategies for facilitating American Indian and Alaska Native individuals’ access to and engagement in behavioral health services and to outline promising practices for providers to apply in working with American Indians and Alaska Natives. In addition, several vignettes are presented that demonstrate specific knowledge and clinical skills necessary for providing effective counseling to American Indians and Alaska Natives across behavioral health settings.

CEU Course Objectives:
• Summarize American Indian and Alaska Native history, historical trauma, and critical cultural perspectives on such key topics as health beliefs and help-seeking behaviors.
• Outline American Indian and Alaska Native demographics, social challenges, and behavioral health issues.
• Identify how and to what extent a client’s cultural background affects his or her behavioral health needs and concerns.
• Discuss strategies to expand providers’ cultural awareness, competence, and culture-specific knowledge.
• Evaluate specific treatment interventions, including traditional American Indian and Alaska Native interventions and cultural adaptations of standard treatment and prevention strategies.
• Review practical vignettes that demonstrate the client’s concerns and treatment needs as well as specific knowledge and clinical skills necessary for providing effective interventions.
• Analyze practical suggestions and guidance for key stages in the provider–client relationship.