Programs

Family Spirit Home Visiting Program

The Family Spirit Program is an evidence-based and culturally tailored home visiting intervention delivered by Native American paraprofessionals as an Indigenous solution to supporting caregivers during pregnancy and early childhood. Caregivers gain knowledge and skills to achieve optimum development for their children across the domains of physical, cognitive, social-emotional, language learning, and self-help. The Family

Focus Area: Cultural StrengthsEarly Childhood DevelopmentParenting Support

Associated Location(s): Chinle, AZFort Defiance, AZNavajo NationShiprock, NMWhite Mountain ApacheWhiteriver, AZ

Family Spirit Nurture

Family Spirit Nurture is a home visiting module designed for and with Native American families to promote healthy infant feeding and growth in the first year of life and reduce early childhood obesity risk. The culturally-based, strengths-based lessons focus on moderating sugar intake, best infant responsive feeding practices, and healthy eating for the whole family.

Focus Area: Diabetes & Obesity PreventionEarly Childhood DevelopmentParenting

Associated Location(s): Chinle, AZFort Defiance, AZNavajo NationShiprock, NMWhite Mountain ApacheWhiteriver, AZ

Family Spirit Strengths

Background Mental health and substance misuse pose some of the greatest risks to the health and well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and result in intergenerational morbidity and mortality. These risks are the legacy of historical trauma and ongoing discrimination. Simultaneously, many AI/AN communities emphasize a holistic view of well-being centered around

Focus Area: Mental Health Promotion

Associated Location(s): Navajo NationShiprock, NM

Haemophilus influenzae carriage among southwestern American Indian children

Haemophilus influenzae is a type of germ (bacteria) that frequently lives in the back of the nose and throat. This is a state called carriage, and it is usually harmless but sometimes the bacteria can cause serious diseases such as meningitis or pneumonia. H. influenzae are transmitted through coughing and sneezing. There are six types

Focus Area: Infectious Disease Prevention

Associated Location(s): Chinle, AZFort Defiance, AZGallup, NMNavajo NationShiprock, NMWhite Mountain ApacheWhiteriver, AZ

Haemophilus influenzae Rapid Response investigation (HiRRI)

Historically, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children aged <5 years have suffered from invasive H. influenzae type b (Hib) disease at rates at least 5 times higher than the general U.S. population. Following introduction of a primary series and booster dose with conjugate Hib vaccine in the late 1980s, rates of Hib disease decreased

Focus Area: Infectious Disease Prevention

Associated Location(s): Fort Defiance, AZGallup, NMShiprock, NMTuba City, AZWhiteriver, AZ

HibVax Study

In partnership with the Navajo Nation and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, we are conducting a study to assess whether Vaxelis, a hexavalent combination vaccine, provides a similar protective antibody response against H. influenzae type b (Hib) after the first dose as PedvaxHIB (Hib PRP-OMP), the currently recommended vaccine against Hib in American Indian and

Focus Area: Infectious Disease Prevention

Associated Location(s): Chinle, AZFort Defiance, AZGallup, NMNavajo NationShiprock, NMWhite Mountain ApacheWhiteriver, AZ