Mental health care providers' perception of giving culturally responsive care to American Indians

PROBLEM: To determine if mental health care providers delivering culturally responsive care to American Indians experiencing severe and persistent mental illness. METHODS: This qualitative study used grounded theory. Eleven mental health care providers and two administrators participated on two American Indian reservations with two different tribal affiliations. FINDINGS: Preliminary findings indicate the ability of providers to be culturally responsive varied based on an awareness of their personal culture and of the diversity within the American Indian culture. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health providers need to develop a higher level of awareness of diversity within their culture, which is possible through greater connection to their own culture. Future research should ask clients what mental health services would be culturally responsive.