Building Mental Health via Community Strength in Native and Indigenous Communities (1 CE)

Description:

In this episode of the Multicultural Psychologist Podcast, host Linda Fleming McGee speaks with Autumn BlackDeer, a scholar and proud member of the Southern Cheyenne Nation, about Indigenous mental health, decolonizing education, and supporting Native youth. Dr. BlackDeer shares her personal journey into social work and research, including how experiences of trauma and systemic inequities shaped her commitment to addressing sexual violence against Indigenous women and improving mental health outcomes in Native communities.

The conversation explores the limitations of Western training models in psychology and social work, the need for decolonized approaches to education and research, and the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into mental health practice. Dr. BlackDeer also discusses the unique challenges faced by Indigenous LGBTQ+, queer, trans, and two-spirit youth, including discrimination, invisibility in research, and elevated mental health risks.

Listeners will learn about culturally grounded interventions, including the role of cultural identity, community connection, and traditional practices in promoting resilience among Native youth. The episode highlights how strengthening cultural identity and community support systems can serve as powerful protective factors for Indigenous students and emerging professionals navigating higher education and mental health systems.

Keywords: Indigenous mental health, Native American youth, decolonizing education, multicultural psychology, two-spirit identity, LGBTQ Indigenous youth, Indigenous research methods, cultural identity and resilience, Native representation in mental health, sexual violence against Indigenous women, community-based interventions, Indigenous social work, Native student support, decolonization in psychology, Indigenous cultural identity 

Guest: Autumn BlackDeer

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe key limitations of Western psychological and social work training models when applied to Indigenous communities.

2. Explain the concept of decolonizing education and its relevance for mental health research and practice.

3. Identify unique mental health challenges facing Indigenous LGBTQ+, queer, trans, and two-spirit youth.

4. Discuss how cultural identity, community connection, and traditional practices function as protective factors for Native youth mental health.

5. Recognize strategies institutions can implement to support Indigenous students and increase representation in mental health professions.