Culture, Connection, and Community: Rethinking Suicide Prevention in Native American Communities
3.0 CE/CEU credits
On-demand (recorded)
**On-demand content will be available 1 day after the live webinar (December 1, 2026)**
This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $256,219.00 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the US Government.
Investment: This course is FREE until May 30, 2027 at 11:59pm CT (6 months after live webinar) if you meet at least one of the following criteria (enter code RHTP100 at checkout for free registration):
- You are a rural or Tribal North Dakota resident (i.e., live anywhere in North Dakota EXCEPT for Fargo, West Fargo, Grand Forks, or Bismarck); OR
- 50% of the clients that you serve or people you employ are rural or Tribal North Dakota Residents
If you do not meet criteria for free registration, the registration fee is $55 + sales tax.
- If you do not finish the on-demand course by May 30, 2027 at 11:59pm CT, you must purchase the course to have access.
CE/CEU credits included: 3.0 (see below for approval details)
Format: On-demand webinar ("asynchronous") to be viewed at your own pace. You may pause and rewind at any point during the videos. It also comes with a PowerPoint handout
Quiz: there is a quiz at the end to ensure viewing, which you must pass (75%; allowed 3 attempts). It is required by all CE/CEU approval organizations
Presenter: Julie Smith-Yliniemi, PhD, LPCC, NCC (see bio below)
Abstract:
Suicide prevention in Native American communities requires approaches that extend beyond traditional models of risk assessment and intervention to recognize the importance of culture, relationships, identity, and community connection. This three-hour interactive webinar will explore suicide prevention through a culturally grounded, strengths-based lens, emphasizing the role of Indigenous ways of knowing, historical and contemporary experiences, and community-defined pathways to wellness and healing.
Participants will examine how historical and intergenerational trauma, systemic inequities, and barriers to care intersect with protective factors such as cultural identity, belonging, relationships, and connection to community. The session will challenge deficit-based narratives and encourage participants to consider how culturally responsive, relationship-centered approaches can strengthen suicide prevention efforts.
Through guided reflection and practical examples, participants will explore strategies for building trust, fostering meaningful connections, recognizing community strengths, and integrating Indigenous perspectives into prevention and intervention practices. Emphasis will be placed on cultural humility, relational responsibility, and the importance of working alongside Native communities rather than imposing externally developed solutions.
Participants will leave with practical considerations and strategies for supporting culturally responsive suicide prevention efforts that honor Indigenous knowledge, strengthen relationships, and promote individual and collective well-being.
Objectives:
- Identify at least three historical, systemic, and contemporary factors that influence suicide risk and prevention efforts within Native American communities.
- Describe the role of cultural identity, relationships, belonging, and community connection as protective factors that support Indigenous mental health and well-being.
- Differentiate between conventional, individually focused suicide prevention approaches and culturally grounded, relationship-centered approaches that incorporate Indigenous knowledge, values, and community strengths.
- Apply at least two culturally responsive, relationship-based strategies to strengthen suicide prevention practices in professional or community settings.
Non-Discrimination:
HPC and ATAGF do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, military status, sexual orientation, or age.
Conflict of Interest Statements:
Dr. Smith-Yliniemi receives compensation for this webinar from the funding source identified above. There are no relationships between the CE sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could be construed as conflicts of interests. There is also no commercial support or benefits for endorsement of products (e.g., books, training, drugs).
The presenter will inform participants of the utility and validity of content discussed (including the basis for statements about utility/validity), as well as limitations of the approach and the most common and severe risks, if any, associated with program content.
Requests for Accommodations:
HPC and ATAGF are committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in all aspects of its continuing education activities. Participants with special needs should contact program organizers so reasonable accommodations can be made.
To request accommodations, contact ATAGF'S Continuing Education Vice Chair, Christine Boulton-Olson, PhD, LP, at training@grandforkstherapy.com.
Presenter: Julie Smith-Yliniemi
Dr. Julie Smith-Yliniemi is an Ojibwe scholar, licensed mental health professional, educator, and researcher from the White Earth Nation in Minnesota. She currently serves as a Research Scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Indigenous Health, where her work focuses on advancing Indigenous health, education, and culturally grounded approaches to wellness and healing.
Dr. Smith-Yliniemi brings more than two decades of experience in mental health counseling, education, suicide prevention, and community engagement. Her professional background includes serving as a school counselor, clinical mental health provider, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota. She has also provided suicide prevention training and collaborated with Tribal communities to strengthen culturally responsive mental health services and prevention efforts.
Her research and teaching interests include Indigenous behavioral health, historical and intergenerational trauma, substance use and recovery, community-based participatory research, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge and healing practices with Western approaches to mental health care.
Central to her work is the belief that suicide prevention in Native American communities must extend beyond individual risk factors to recognize the importance of culture, identity, relationships, belonging, and community strengths. She is committed to advancing prevention approaches that honor Tribal sovereignty, elevate Indigenous voices, and build upon the knowledge and resilience within Native communities.
Through her teaching, Dr. Smith-Yliniemi encourages learners to approach suicide prevention with cultural humility, compassion, and an understanding of the historical and contemporary experiences shaping Indigenous wellness.
Course Curriculum
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Continuing Education Approvals (CE/CEU)
This course is available for 3.0 CE/CEU credits. Full viewing is required; credit will not be given for partial viewing/attendance. You must pass (75%) the post-test within 3 attempts. To get additional attempts, you must re-purchase the course.
Continuing education credit note: Many licensing boards will accept continuing education credits from other state boards as long as the approval is the same license type. If you are not sure, check with your licensing board to see if they will accept any of these approvals.
This course is co-sponsored by Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks.
Athletic Trainers: This program has been planned and implemented in accordance with the requirements and policies of the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC) through the joint sponsorship of Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC, and Haugen Performance Consulting, PLLC. Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks is approved by the BOC to provide continuing education for Athletic Trainers (provider #P10213).
Psychologists: Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
New York State Licensed Psychologists: Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks/Haugen Performance Consulting is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists (#PSY-0328).
ND Licensed Social Workers: Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC, is approved by the North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners (NDBSWE) to sponsor continuing education for social workers in North Dakota (approval through 4/5/27, provider #P-217).
ND Licensed Addiction Counselors: Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks is an approved continuing education provider for the North Dakota Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners (NDBACE; approval through 1/29/27).
ND Licensed Counselors: This course will be submitted for approval to the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners (NDBCE) for 3.0 credit hours.
ND Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This course will be submitted for approval to the North Dakota Marriage and Family Licensure Board (NDMFTLB) for 3.0 credit hours.
ND Licensed Nurses: Per the North Dakota Board of Nursing (NDBON) website, contact hours approved by any other health care regulatory board (e.g., North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners [NDBSWE]) within the state or out-of-state will be accepted as meeting the NDBON requirements. You are encouraged to check with them to ensure this information is still accurate.
ND Licensed Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants: This webinar will be submitted to the North Dakota State Board of Occupational Therapy Practice for 3.0 credit hours.
ND Licensed Veterinarians or Veterinary Technicians: This course will be submitted to the North Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners for veterinarians and veterinary technicians licensed in North Dakota for 3.0 hours. This webinar is categorized as practice management continuing education.
ND POST Board: This webinar will be submitted for approval to the ND POST Board to be an approved training program for 3.0 hours.
North Dakota EMS: This course is available as LCCR/ICCR for 3.0 hours for pre-hospital.
ND Certified Peer Support Specialists: This program will be submitted for continuing education credits for North Dakota Certified Peer Support Specialists.
Those using the free registration option will have access to the course for 6 months (until May 30, 2027 at 11:59pm CT). Paid registrants have lifetime access to this course.
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FREE for those meeting eligibility criteria ($55+ tax otherwise)
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