Through the Diamond Threshold: A Community-based Psycho-Educational Group Training Program for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Among American Indians.

Researchers offer Through the Diamond Threshold, a culturally relevant, community-based training program to increase awareness and promote healing related to substance use disorders (SUD) among American Indians (AIs). For providers, this program seeks to promote greater cultural responsiveness, empathy, cultural humility, and effectiveness in SUD treatment provision. Largely interactive in nature, the activities offer an opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in an AI experience through the use of stories, music, a traditional meal, and experiential exercises.

American Indian gay, bisexual and two-spirit men: a rapid assessment of HIV/AIDS risk factors, barriers to prevention and culturally-sensitive intervention.

Epidemiological data indicate that HIV and AIDS are disproportionately affecting American Indians. Specific to American Indian men identifying as gay, bisexual, two-spirit or who have same-sex experiences, this study assessed HIV-risk behaviours and barriers to testing, prevention and treatment efforts. A rapid assessment model was utilised as an indigenous-supporting research design.

Decolonizing personality assessment and honoring indigenous voices: a critical examination of the MMPI-2.

Utilizing a mixed methods approach located between constructivist-interpretivist and critical-ideological research paradigms (Ponterotto, 2005), the current study builds upon previous research (Pace et al., 2006) that investigated the cultural validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2 in its use with American Indians. Thirty items from MMPI-2 scales F, 1, 6, 8, and 9 were identified via item analysis as reflecting significant differences in endorsement rates between an American Indian sample and the MMPI-2 normative group.

A cultural-contextual perspective on the validity of the MMPI-2 with American Indians.

This study investigated the normative validity of the MMPI-2 with two distinct American Indian tribes. Differences occurred on 8 of the 13 basic validity and clinical scales (F, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) between the MMPI-2 norms and both tribal samples. Elevated MMPI-2 scores of American Indians may not only reflect the possibility of psychological distress spurred by historical oppression and present adversity, but also an expression of a divergent worldview.

Roles of American Indian grandparents in times of cultural crisis.

This study examined the roles of contemporary American Indian grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren. Structured interviews were conducted with 20 American Indian grandparents. Analysis of interviews followed a sequence of strategies traditionally identified with the process of data reduction and analysis using qualitative methodologies.

Project Eagle: techniques for multi-family psycho-educational group therapy with gifted American Indian adolescents and their parents.

This article describes Project Eagle, a model for short-term psycho-educational therapy with gifted and talented American Indian adolescents and their parents. Descriptions of Project Eagle s program organization as well as its culturally relevant techniques and activities are provided. The program evaluation includes: participant ratings of the activities, cultural relevance, feelings of being respected, interaction with parents and overall effectiveness of the program.