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Native American Research
(NARCH) Center for Health

TCU Conclave: Embedding Behavioral Health/Health-Related Research Knowledge and Skills into the Curriculum

Meeting the behavioral health challenges of tribal college/university (TCU) communities by developing and growing TCU faculty research capacities.

The Tribal Colleges and Universities recognize the importance of Native communities seeking answers to their health-related concerns. They also value their role in developing researchers in health-related research disciplines to seek answers. The TCU Conclave was conducted to address the following:
  1. Share curriculum developed under AIHEC’s NARCH initiative
  2. Identify specific ways to enhance the TCU’s curriculum through webinars, short course, and modules
  3. Strengthen the TCU faculty network in these disciplines
  4. Share resources

Presentation Materials

The PowerPoint presentations and other materials resulting from this event are shared with other resources added based on faculty recommendations

Establishing a Bachelor’s Degree Program In Public Health by Dr. Mark Bauer, Diné College

Dr. Bauer presents the experience of Diné College in the development of a bachelor’s degree program in public health. Like many TCUs, Diné College recognized the community needs and sought out a number of partnerships and grant opportunities to meet those needs. The PowerPoint illustrates how Diné College built the foundation which led to the bachelor’s program. In addition to this presentation, Dr. Bauer shares this link to his page on the Diné College website to allow access to syllabi and a number of resources used in the establishment of the program and for teaching.

Feasibility of a Behavioral Health Minor by Stephen Wall, Institute of American Indian Arts

A unique background of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and the two student initiatives that led to the initial recommendation to establish a minor in behavioral health. Mr. Stephen Wall shared some of the issues considered by IAIA with regard to finding a curriculum that would best fit the students’ concerns as well as the mission of the college.

Special Topics Course: Indigenous Psychology by Loy Sprague, Fort Peck Community College

Ms. Loy Sprague presented Fort Peck Community College’s (FPCC) effort to strengthen its efforts to provide research knowledge and skills by developing a special topics course in Indigenous psychology.

Indigenous Research: Meaning, Value, and Process by Dr. Deborah His Horse is Thunder, AIHEC NARCH Project Director

A brief overview of the meaning, value, and process of indigenous research is presented. The PowerPoint includes the presenter’s notes as the full presentation was rushed due to time during the conclave.

Entering Freshman: Creation of a Student Researcher by Ann Johnstone, Stone Child College

Stone Child College created a three semester course series based on historical trauma under its NARCH Project in 2006. The concept of this curriculum is to allow an entering freshman student to become engaged with the need for and understanding of the behavioral health issues in their communities beginning with the concept of historical trauma. Ms. Johnstone provides an overview of this curriculum as well as other curriculum initiatives at SCC.

Additional Resources

IRB Professional Development

Tribal and Tribal College Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) professional development sessions are intended for members of IRBs serving tribal communities and tribal colleges. Sessions examine the nuances of research in Indian country and the challenges presented to these Institutional Review Boards.

IRBs have been established at the majority of tribal colleges and a significant number established by tribal nations. Sponsored by AIHEC’s NARCH Project, 1.5-day professional development sessions are intended for members of IRBs serving tribal communities and tribal colleges. Each session will provide an overview of the purpose, scope, and mission of IRBs including the requirements that must be met according to Title 45 CFR, Part 46 as administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most specifically, the focus of each session will examine the nuances of research in Indian country and the challenges presented to these IRBs. There will be discussion of the types of issues being faced by IRBs in Indian country including best practices.

Revised Common Rule (Title 45 CFR, Chapter 46, Subpart A plus Subparts B through E)
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations

Indigenous Research Methodology Graduate Certificate Program

Introduction to Indigenous Community Engagement and Research by Bonnie Duran, DrPH, at Sitting Bull College.

The goal of this course is to weave together the theory and practice of indigenous and critical methodologies and community engaged research through study of the literature, case studies, presentations by Native researchers, partners, and self-reflection on our own research questions and inquiry. Participants will gain an appreciation of indigenous methodologies and community engaged research advantages and challenges, as well as skills necessary for participating effectively in research projects. Candidates who complete the program will have acquired the ability to articulate a behavioral health research question into a research project, demonstrated understanding of the requirements of conducting research within Native American Institutional Review Board (IRB) jurisdictions, and demonstrated the facility with research tools, instrumentation and methods necessary to implement, analyze, and disseminate findings of a behavioral health research project.

Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health Tribal IRB Toolkit

This toolkit contains practical tools and guidance for starting a Tribal institutional Review Board. It is intended to serve as a resource for American Indian Tribal Nations or other Indigenous Nations developing Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for the ethical review and monitoring of research on tribal land. It was developed by the Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health (CRCAIH).

Writing Workshop Presentation

Dr. Tessa Evans Campbell presented a two day training session to enhance the professional writing skills for the NARCH TCUs. The focus of her presentation was on the development of an introduction and framing the message of an article with the training culminating in the development of a writing plan.

AIHEC Behavioral Health FaceBook

A Facebook page has been established to enable the sharing of research, professional development opportunities, and events that are relevant to the TCUs and Native communities in the area of behavioral health including historical trauma.

Fifth Annual AIHEC Behavioral Health Research Institute

Historical Trauma and Community Based Participatory Research

The AIHEC NARCH Project is designed to build the research capacity in behavioral health at the Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). An important component of this effort is the provision of an annual Behavioral Health Research Institute to provide professional development in behavioral health research theory, practice, and technical assistance. The fifth institute was held in Seattle, WA, on June 18-21, 2018, as a joint event with the University of Washington Research Conference.

In developing the NARCH Project, AIHEC recognized two important factors with regard to behavioral health research. The first was the impact of historical trauma that American Indian communities have experienced and continue to experience. This is an important concept to recognize in doing research in this field. In addition, AIHEC recognized that American Indians are traditionally collective societies whose decisions are made by the group or by elders, and not on an individual basis. This dynamic is an important cultural process to consider in designing research and found that the use of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), when operationalized in American Indian communities facilitated tribes as equal partners with regard to research resulting in tribal communities participating in the identification of the problem, the research design, the selection of measures, subjects and findings.

Purpose and Structure of the Behavioral Health Research Institute

The Behavioral Health Research Institute met for two and one-half days with the goal of furthering the development of research capacity in behavioral health for TCUs through presentations, research experience of Cohort II TCUs, small group breakouts, interactive activities, reflections on readings, and reflection on one’s own research experience. It was intended for participants to distinguish indigenous research methodology; assess indigenous research methodology as it may apply within communities; define the responsibilities of researchers in indigenous communities; review CBPR implementation within TCUs and their communities; identify major contextual and historical factors significant in the work with TCUs and indigenous communities; and contribute to the contextualization of five manuscripts based on analysis of data from the TCU Student Epidemiology Survey.

PRESENTATIONS:

  1. Indigenous Students’ Sources of Strength at a Tribal College by Melissa Holder and Sierra Two Bulls, Haskell Indian Nations University.
  2. CBPR on the Alaska Frontier: The Continued Adventures of a Reluctant Researcher by Lauren Kelly, Iḷisaġvik College.
  3. A Mental Health Assessment of the IAIA Student Body by Marushka Eloise Stempien, Institute of American Indian Arts.
  4. Indigenous Research Through an Indigenous Worldview by Sweeney Windchief, Montana State University.
  5. Introduction to NIH by Roberto Delgado, Jr. and Kathy Etz, National Institute of Mental Health