Native Americans in the United States experience than their white counterparts. But finding a therapist in Texas who shares and understands a person鈥檚 Native American identity can be a challenge.
That鈥檚 where comes in鈥擳he Dallas clinic and community center has been working to expand mental health services and training its staff to address issues before they become a crisis.
For resources and support, call 988 to reach the , or text NATIVE to 741741 to reach a crisis counselor on the .
Back in February, employees packed the back room of Texas Native Health for a mental health first aid training. The training was held in partnership with the University of North Texas at Dallas, which received a from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to build behavioral health support in south Dallas.
The goal of mental health first aid, said , is to equip people with the tools they need to de-escalate a mental health crisis and connect the person in crisis with support services. The training helps explain the signs and symptoms of panic attacks, for example, in an approachable way rather than a clinical one.
鈥淟anguage is a big issue,鈥� Jesmin said. 鈥淚t is difficult how things are lost in translation. Our goal is to create this awareness [so] people become culturally sensitive.鈥�
The mental health first aid training is one way Texas Native Health is providing mental health care to Indigenous people in the state. The majority of Native Americans and Texas Native Health works with any enrolled tribal member who lives in the state.
According to , a little less than 1% of Texas鈥� population, or around 230,000 people, identify as Native American or Alaska Native.
The clinic sees between 3,000 and 5,000 patients a year, according to Chief Executive Officer Omer Tamir. In 2022, there were close to 650 behavioral health and substance use visits.
Impact of colonization and historical trauma on Native American mental health
Dora Brought Plenty, has been coming to the clinic since the 1970s. At 21, she was looking to process the experiences she had at a Native American boarding school as a kid.
Federal boarding schools, which started back in 1819, were created by the government to 鈥渃ulturally assimilate American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children by forcibly removing them from their families鈥� and communities, according to the In 2021, the department established the to investigate the physical and emotional abuse at these schools, and their wide-ranging health impacts on people today.
鈥淏eing mistreated and going through all the abuse in the Indian boarding schools, it changes the whole dynamics of who we are,鈥� Brought Plenty said.
A said that along with chronic health conditions like cancer and diabetes, adults who had been forced to attend boarding schools experienced 鈥渋ncreased risk for PTSD, depression, and unresolved grief.鈥� Brought Plenty said mental health practitioners she saw before coming to Texas Native Health 鈥渉ad not a clue how to teach or treat us.鈥�
鈥淗ad I not had this safe haven to come back to every time, I don't know if I'd even been here,鈥� she said.
The American Psychological Association (APA) to help mental health professionals provide culturally relevant services, which include recognizing and understanding 鈥渉istorical and contemporary experiences with power, privilege and oppression.鈥� But UNT associate professor Syeda Jesmin said cultural sensitivity isn鈥檛 always a part of the western model of health care.
鈥淭he history of generational trauma, the experience of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, lack of health care鈥攊f someone doesn't know these things, it is unlikely that the care will be provided with respect,鈥� she said.
There鈥檚 also a lack of Native American therapists鈥攖he reported that more than 80% of therapists were white. made up .13% of the workforce.
What the government did to Native communities 鈥渋s going to take generations to heal,鈥� Brought Plenty said, and she鈥檚 seen the impact it鈥檚 had on her family.
鈥淭here's a healing you have to go through,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd it's so sad. But we're still here. That's the main thing. And we're able to help each other now through it.鈥�
Culturally relevant behavioral health support
Chris Logan, who鈥檚 a licensed professional counselor with Texas Native Health, said clients who come to the clinic are looking for support with everything from life adjustments to processing experiences at Native American boarding schools, like Dora Brought Plenty. He said the staff are trained to look at the way traumas have been passed down through generations.
鈥淐lients specifically come to us because this is an environment where they feel comfortable,鈥� Logan said. 鈥淪o many Native Americans [in Texas] either live away from reservations or don鈥檛 have resources to go back to reservations to see a therapist.鈥�
He said it鈥檚 鈥減retty rare鈥� to encounter a therapist in Dallas-Fort Worth who鈥檚 worked with Native Americans specifically. It鈥檚 why it was important to have the staff go through mental health first aid training earlier this year, and why the clinic is working on expanding its services.
鈥淲e鈥檙e only human beings,鈥� Logan said. 鈥淲e can only handle so many things at any given point. We may need someone to talk to. There鈥檚 nothing wrong with that at all.鈥�
Texas Native Health now offers more trauma-informed therapy, like EMDR and somatic experiencing therapy. EMDR started in the . It involves bringing up unprocessed, negative memories to lessen their symptoms.
Similarly, is focused on helping clients identify the physical symptoms in their body when reliving a stressful or traumatic experience, and lessen distress gradually over time.
Logan also said his team has introduced a healing circle, a support group led by a clinician that meets about once a month.
鈥淚 have so many people come in there to talk about issues that are really deep-seated,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gives them an avenue to speak about [their issues, and] get support from like-minded community members.鈥�
The benefit to coming to Texas Native Health, said Logan, is that 鈥渨e鈥檙e literally like a one-stop shop.鈥� Clients can see doctors for physical health concerns, but also receive rental support, dental care, employment training, and attend community events.
鈥淭hey can get all their needs met and then go back home without having to go to a doctor in Oak Cliff, and then dentist in Plano, or a therapist in Austin,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot easier for them to come in [and] have everything under one roof.鈥�
For Dora Brought Plenty, the organization has been her safe place since she was in her 20s. Now in her 70s, she鈥檚 encouraging younger generations to do the same.
鈥淚 know we鈥檙e a strong people,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut we鈥檝e got to be able to find the help.鈥�
Mental health appointments with Texas Native Health are available Call 214-941-1050 to make an appointment and fill out a short intake form to get scheduled.
Got a tip? Email Elena Rivera at erivera@kera.org. You can follow Elena on Twitter .
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