In order to better serve the needs of American Indian youth ages 6 to 24, IHCRC began a redesign and reinvigoration of its youth programs last year. The team noted that while suicide and drug use prevention remain crucial, IHCRC's youth programs must also be designed to address one of the most impor
In spring of 2020, IHCRC's Behavioral Health Department had a waiting list of more than 60 youth. Additionally, staff had begun to recognize the need to offer support for American Indian youth identifying as LGBTQ2S+. A study by Kids Data found that 7.6% of California's Native American youth identif
Tucked away in a hallway rarely traveled by patients or staff are the hard working staff known as Patient Benefit Coordinators. We prefer to call them our unsung heroes. These individuals battle daily to ensure our patients have the health care, services, and insurance they need.A fallacy about Indi
Ten percent of IHCRC's annual patient population are ages 65 and up. Another 1,500 are ages 55 to 64. According to the U.S. Census, 14.2% or 6,387 of Tulsa County's population are Native American ages 65+. Elders in Native American societies play a vital role in the preservation of Indian culture. E
When part of a routine, children can develop relationships with those they interact with during those activities, and it can help support a sense of belonging and self-confidence. As they grow, they will be able to follow routines, begin to demonstrate independence, and more easily adjust to change.
The last two years have been all about separating ourselves from… you know… people. Other people. Those people. Them. As much as I want to believe, still, that pre-pandemic normalcy is surely right around the corner, I struggle with a pragmatic belief that we probably are living our new normal and m
Carmelita began her career at IHCRC in 1976 when she helped survey residents to assess health needs of the local urban Indian population. Survey results showed medical needs of Tulsa’s Native Americans were not being met. When she was hired as one of IHCRC’s original four employees, the agency provi
Most of us have heard about transgender people in the news recently, with multiple celebrities coming out and also multiple states attempting to pass legislation prohibiting treatment for transgender youth and preventing transgender youth from competing on athletic teams matching their gender identi
Two Spirit people have existed in the American Indian culture for centuries. But what exactly does Two Spirit mean?https://youtu.be/A4lBibGzUnE“Two Spirit” may sound like a new terms for most people, however, it has been around since 1990 in Canada. The term “Two Spirit” is used as an umbrella term
With COVID-19 here to stay for the foreseeable future, many parents are left wondering how to protect their children. Schools are returning to in-person learning which can increase a child’s risk for potential exposure, and many parents are hopeful that vaccination can be an additional line of defen
IHCRC will be closed February 16th due to weather. Stay safe and warm!
Going into 2020, none of us knew what it was going to be like. Maybe you had plans like a vacation or graduation, a new job or a wedding. Or maybe you were looking forward to spending quality time with family that you don't get to see very often. Whatever you were hoping to do in 2020, COVID-19 prob
At First Nations, we always put Native communities first – every day and with every opportunity. But for many people outside Indian Country, thoughts about Native Americans and Native communities can be fleeting, and come to the forefront only on certain occasions. For many, those occasions happ
A diagnosis of pre-diabetes can be confusing and scary but what is pre-Diabetes? A diagnosis of pre-diabetes means that your blood sugar levels are higher than what your doctor considers normal. This is usually diagnosed with an A1C reading. An A1C is a representation of a 2-3 month average of blood
While the fear of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to rise, there is fear that cases of domestic violence will also be on the rise. While residents of Oklahoma are being asked or issued to practice social distancing and remain within their homes, which is crucial in reducing the spread of COVID
The Encyclopedia of Britannica states that the instinct and enthusiasm people share for gardening occurs all over the world and over all periods of human history with the earliest known garden plan from Egypt in 1400 BC. The encyclopedia goes on to say that the shared human desire to garden is from
We all have problems and people are always willing to help. However, getting advice from a friend is not the same as counseling or therapy. We all struggle with life’s problems: relationship problems, money problems, job problems, car problems. Bottom line is we all have problems. Many of us have fr
Parties. Family. Money problems. Lack of time. All of these things cause stress and anxiety during the holidays. Often times we think simply avoiding something will relieve all that stress and anxiety. Anxious about seeing family who criticize you? Just don't attend the family holiday party. After
Tidings of comfort and joy. Be of good cheer. Have a holly jolly Christmas. May your days be merry and bright. It is the season of giving thanks. We hear these sentiments almost daily this time of the year. Too often we fail to realize that the holidays are a difficult time for many people. Life
National Stalking Awareness Month is observed on Tuesday, January 1st, 2019. It has been observed the month of January since 2004.Did You Know 7.5 million people are stalked in one year in the United States. 15% of women and 6% of men have experienced stalking victimization at some point during the