Supporting Tribal Youth at Risk for Suicide: Honoring Children, Mending the Circle-View Recorded Webinar

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This webinar, titled Supporting Tribal Youth at Risk for Suicide, Honoring Children, Mending the Circle, was presented by Dr. Dolores Bigfoot and sponsored by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center in collaboration with the American Psychiatric Association. The webinar focused on supporting tribal youth at risk for suicide and highlighted the work conducted through the Indian Country Child Trauma Center. Dr. Bigfoot, a child psychologist and presidential professor at the University of Oklahoma, discussed the cultural adaptation of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) to better serve American Indian and Alaska Native children and their families. The webinar emphasized the importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge and practices into evidence-based models, highlighting the compatibility between indigenous ways of knowing and the theories driving TF-CBT. Dr. Bigfoot presented a working model called Honoring Children Mending the Circle, which expands upon the core components of TF-CBT and includes the spiritual and relational aspects of healing. The webinar also emphasized the significance of land acknowledgement and the need for cultural adaptation of interventions to meet the unique needs of different tribes. Dr. Bigfoot emphasized the importance of storytelling and resiliency in the indigenous community, and provided examples of culturally enhanced practices such as singing goodbye songs after the passing of a family member. Overall, the webinar provided insights into how to support tribal youth at risk for suicide by incorporating culturally appropriate interventions and understanding the unique histories and teachings of different tribes.

Keywords

Supporting Tribal Youth at Risk for Suicide

Honoring Children, Mending the Circle

Dr. Dolores Bigfoot

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

American Psychiatric Association

Indian Country Child Trauma Center

Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Cultural adaptation

Indigenous knowledge

Land acknowledgement