Panelists will examine strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of our Indigenous people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The panelists will discuss the concerns of the communities and highlight solutions incorporating cultural humility and respect. In addition, they will raise awareness of other unique pandemic stressors facing the Indigenous communities.

Learning Objectives

• Provide an overview of the mental health inequities experienced by Native Americans due to assimilation and its current relation to the COVID -19 pandemic.
• Provide tools and resources that educate the Native American community about mental health, particularly for those who are diagnosed with and suffer from mental illness and substance use disorder.
• Communicate COVID-19 vaccine safety, particularly those who are diagnosed with and suffer from a mental illness and substance use disorder.
• Dispel COVID -19 misinformation through the lenses of practicing psychiatrists, a psychologist and advocates.
• Communicate to current and new advocates about APA's existing resources supporting physician involvement in patient care, as well as resources on safely increasing access to care.

Target Audience

Psychiatrists, Residents/Fellows

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
Begin Date: February 4, 2022
End Date: February 4, 2025

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

The following program presenters and planners have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Program Presenters

• Regina James, MD; Deputy Medical Director and Chief, Division of Diversity and Health Equity, American Psychiatric Association. 
• Donald Warne, MD; Associate Dean DEI, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
• Linda Nahulu, MD; Psychiatrist/Counselor, University of Hawaii.
• Nathan Billy; Director, Behavioral Health Programs, NIHB.

Program Planners

• Regina James, MD; Deputy Medical Director and Chief, Division of Diversity and Health Equity, American Psychiatric Association. 

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance