Indian Mental Health Initiative

In 1997, the Child, Adolescent and Families Branch of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, began to examine the status of Indian children with serious emotional disturbances. Thirteen different federal agencies and a team of Indian advisors formed the Council for Coordination and Collaboration and labeled the effort the "Indian Children's Mental Health Initiative."

A study of the issue was published and disseminated by the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) in March 2000. This study, called the American Indian Children Mental Health Services, reveals that there is only one children's mental health provider in the Indian Health Service for every 25,000 Indian children. Tribes have no access to mental health funding. Although states are obligated to serve all citizens, they are not reaching Indian children.

The report uses findings about how several tribes are working to overcome the barriers to make recommendations for system changes. CMHS is working with tribes to bring about change. Some of the major conclusions are:

• There is a serious and ongoing lack of funding for Indian children's mental health.
• No single system has taken primary responsibility for this population.
• Tribes do not have fair access to children's mental health funding.
• Native American children have more stresses than mainstream-culture children.
• Traditional healing practices are an important part of the mental health services, but the regular service system does not support those practices.
• Many tribes are addressing the mental health needs of their children by carrying out the difficult job of putting together programs from different funding sources.
• Tribal governments provide the best possible chance for a culturally competent, community-based, child- and family-focused approach when given enough resources.

This report may be read online at: http://www.nicwa.org. It is also available from NICWA. The cost of a single copy is $4.50.

National Indian Child Welfare Association, 5100 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97201, 503.222.4044 (voice), 503.222.4007 (fax), www.nicwa.org (Web), info@nicwa.org (e-mail).