Trauma-Informed Caring for Native American Patients and Communities Prioritizes Healing, Not Management

Addressing intergenerational trauma remains a public health priority in Native American (NA) communities. Clinicians working with NA patients must express humility, understand local culture, collaborate, and develop an insider's perspective on NA past and present life in order to earn trust. This case considers an NA adolescent suffering from mental distress, possible substance use, and multiple traumas. The commentary argues that trauma-informed therapies are lacking in some current psychiatric and primary care practices in the Indian Health Service and that an interprofessional, trauma-informed approach that considers the interplay between relevant somatic and psychological factors can better motivate patient-centered care. Cultivating safe environments in which interventions are pursued within the patient-clinician therapeutic alliance is key to generating optimal outcomes and healing among NA patients.