Sun Sep 15 03:00:01 UTC 2024: ## Tribal Leaders Gather to Address Mental Health Crisis in Indigenous Communities
**Rapid City, SD** – The 2024 Great Plains Tribal Behavioral Health Conference brought together over 130 Indigenous health professionals from across the Great Plains region to address the ongoing mental health crisis impacting Native communities. The three-day conference, organized by the Great Plains Behavioral Health Directors Association, focused on training, research, and sharing information about mental health and addiction.
“These people came from reservations across the nation here to this meeting to talk about issues in their homelands. It’s great to hear other stories and share information,” said Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, who attended the conference.
The conference highlighted the disproportionately high rates of mental health problems, such as suicide, PTSD, and substance abuse disorders, experienced by Indigenous populations. Attendees emphasized the need for culturally relevant approaches to suicide prevention and trauma-informed care.
“There are a lot of good presenters out there that focus on historical trauma but the truth is the trauma is here and now,” said Ellen Durkin, a citizen of the Kul Wicasa Oyate/Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and South Dakota Urban Indian Health Chief Behavioral Health Officer. “We can look at any tribal community and (see it), so it’s about including that in our message, in our treatment.”
The conference served as a platform for Indigenous health professionals to connect, learn from each other, and develop strategies to address the unique challenges faced by their communities.
First Piper 