This newly updated Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) helps providers and administrators better understand how to include families in substance use disorder treatment and services. This TIP, first published in 2004, has been revised to reflect new research and developments.

TIP 61 provides behavioral health professionals with practical guidance about Native American history, historical trauma, and critical cultural perspectives in their work with American Indian and Alaska Native clients. The TIP discusses the demographics, social challenges, and behavioral health concerns of Native Americans. It highlights the importance of providers’ cultural awareness, cultural competence, and culture-specific knowledge. The TIP also helps administrators, program managers, and clinical supervisors foster a culturally responsive environment for American Indian and Alaska Native clients. Specific topic areas include workforce development strategies, program and professional development considerations, and culturally responsive policies and procedures.

This Executive Summary of TIP 61 presents a high-level overview of approaches and best practices in providing effective, culturally sensitive behavioral health services to American Indian and Alaska Native clients.

This literature review for TIP 61 provides a review of the literature, links to selected abstracts as well as annotated bibliographic entries for resources that had no abstracts available, and a general bibliography.

This guide helps professional care providers and administrators understand the role of culture in the delivery of mental health and substance use services. It describes cultural competence and discusses racial, ethnic, and cultural considerations.