Topics include:Present Realities of American Indians, the state of Native American Health, Health disparities, Clinical Psychology and American Indians, Vocational rehabilitation of American Indians with alcohol problems, Assistive Technology, Vocational rehabilitation, American Indian women issues, and much more. -- Amazon.

This report describes a project to promote independent-living outreach services that are culturally relevant for American Indians and Alaska Natives with severe or significant disabilities. A pilot training workshop conducted in Aztec, New Mexico, focused on the importance of service providers understanding American Indian culture and on independent-living strategies for outreach. At the close of the workshop, participants developed Blue Print for Action Plans. Progress outcomes were measured by a 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month evaluation of each action plan and its efficacy. Evaluations described completion of action plan steps, resources used, any revision of steps, barriers encountered and how they were overcome, and exciting aspects of the action plan. Evaluation results revealed that 43 percent of participants had to revise their action plans because of barriers associated with "finding American Indian consumers" due to isolated areas of the reservation and cross-cultural communication problems. A common solution to these barriers was "persistence in outreach services." Results indicate that 44-56 percent of participants who used the pilot training workshop methods for over 6 months increased their level of independent-living service delivery to American Indian clients. Appendices include the workshop agenda, evaluation forms for the workshop and action plans, handouts, a timeline, and the project advisory committee. (Contains 18 data tables and figures.) (SV)

Native Americans suffer disproportionately from many social and health disparities. High rates of poverty, exposure to environmental toxins, and various forms of violence all increase the risk of health problems, including disabilities, yet there is very little published scholarship concerning Native American experiences with disabilities. In collecting contributions on various aspects of disability in Native American populations in one volume, this book seeks to redress this lack of attention. Writing about regions of the United States, Canada, and Australia, and spanning a diverse range of settings from remote rural areas, to reservations, to college campuses, the authors are attentive to the impact of specific environments on their inhabitants. Taking into account both physical and social environment, and recognizing the importance of cultural context, this book is a good starting point for anyone interested in developing a better understanding of the experience of Native peoples living with disabilities. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation.