Celebrating National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month
The MolinaCares Accord partners with community organizations to support and empower our Native Americancommunities. During National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, we are proud to celebrate the dedication of organizations that are working to better their communities.
Totah Behavioral Health Authority
The MolinaCares Accord granted funds to the Totah Behavioral Health Authority in Farmington to expand traditional Native American healing services used to treat behavioral health issues, including substance abuse. Significant disparities remain in the treatment of behavioral health issues among tribal community members. The adjusted death rates from alcoholism and suicide among American Indians and Alaska Natives outpace the general US population by a rate of 520% and 60% respectively.
The only service of its kind in New Mexico, Totah Behavioral Health Authority provides traditional healing services from healers who are certified through the Diné Hataałii Association. Services are provided in Navajo and English and include a sweat lodge, talking circle, traditional education, cultural activities, Navajo wellness and parenting, women’s and men’s groups, counseling, community support services, long term treatment, and more.
New Mexico Caregivers Coalition
The MolinaCares Accord, in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of New Mexico and the New Mexico Caregivers Coalition, recognized 19 students from the Santa Fe Indian School’s Health Careers Program with scholarships to support their future education. The students completed a semester-long internship program with community organizations, including the New Mexico Caregivers Coalition, the Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico, Birthing Tree, Many Mothers, the Villa Therese Catholic Clinic, Jicarilla Apache Tribe Community Health Representative Program, Santo Domingo Community Health Representative Program, and Ohkay Owingeh Community Health Representative Program.
Speaking to her future plans, scholarship recipient Eliana Bailon of Santo Domingo Pueblo hopes to inspire “many more Native American women to join the health care team,” and sought a career in health care due to her desire to “maintain community members’ health, especially elders and children.” She plans to become a phlebotomist and go to school for Naprapathy, with hopes to extend services to Indian Health Services.
Native Women Lead
MolinaCares partnered with Native Women Lead to support the annual Native Women’s Business Retreat, a restorative retreat attended by more than 150 Native American women entrepreneurs. The four day retreat focused on connecting and providing resources to Native Women leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners from Native communities. The retreat provided a space for inspiring Native women leaders to share stories of emergence, growth, and possibility through restoration, healing, self-care, and reconnecting with the community.