You are not a statistic. You are a descendant of survivors.
Stories, Native-led crisis lines, and culturally rooted resources — because Western therapy alone was never going to be enough.
2x
higher suicide rate for American Indian/Alaska Native youth vs. the U.S. average.
Source: CDC
~50%
higher rate of serious mental illness among Native adults vs. the general population.
Source: SAMHSA
<3%
of U.S. psychologists are Native — culturally matched care often requires telehealth.
Source: APA, 2019
What we know about Indigenous mental health
What gets called 'addiction' or 'depression' in Indigenous communities is often the inherited weight of genocide, forced relocation, boarding schools, and stolen children. Historical trauma is not a metaphor — it shows up in the body.
Western medicine and traditional healing are not competing options. Sweat lodges and SSRIs, ceremony and CBT, sponsor and elder — they work together. The most successful Indigenous recovery models, like Wellbriety, were built on exactly this combination.
Native therapists, IHS resources, and tribally specific programs exist. They can be hard to find, especially off-reservation. The directories below are the best starting points.
Crisis support for our community
These lines are staffed by people trained to understand cultural context. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Native and Strong Lifeline
988 (press 4)First U.S. lifeline staffed by Native crisis counselors. Available 24/7.
StrongHearts Native Helpline
1-844-762-8483Culturally appropriate domestic, sexual, and dating violence helpline for Native Americans.
We R Native Text Line
Text NATIVE to 741741
Crisis text support with a Native-focused community.
Therapist directories & community resources
Vetted national directories where you can find a therapist or support program rooted in indigenous community context.
WhiteBison / Wellbriety Movement
Culturally adapted 12-step Wellbriety meetings, training, and recovery resources.
NICOA
National Indian Council on Aging — includes the Native American Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Indian Health Service
Federal program providing behavioral health services to AI/AN people through tribal and urban programs.
We R Native
Comprehensive health resource by and for Native youth — mental health, identity, relationships.
One Sky Center
National resource center on AI/AN mental health and substance use, based at OHSU.
Related guides
Reading & listening
- The Mishomis Book — Edward Benton-Banai
- Braiding Sweetgrass — Robin Wall Kimmerer
- All My Relations Podcast