Presenters:

Danica Love Brown, PhD/MSW (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)
Dr. Danica Love Brown was born and raised in northern New Mexico and is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She is KAI’s vice president for behavioral health transformation. Dr. Love Brown has worked as a mental health and substance use counselor, social worker, and youth advocate for 30 years. Over the years, her research has focused on Indigenous Ways of Knowing and decolonizing methodologies to address historical trauma and health disparities in tribal communities. 


Katie Hunsberger, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Katie Hunsberger is a member of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation—her homelands are the areas around and within the Sedona desert. Katie has worked closely with Indigenous Peoples in various parts of the world for the last 10 years. She is co-deputy chair for Caring & Living As Neighbours, based in Sydney, Australia and currently works at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board as the behavioral health aide program manager. Katie strives to weave in Indigenized frameworks and theories to decolonize minds and create systems of care for our future generations. 

About: The behavioral health and chemical dependency fields in tribal communities are in a severe workforce deficit. To address the needs of American Indian and Alaska Natives, communities have developed training programs to "Grow our own" workforce. Dr. Danica Love Brown and Katie Hunsberger will address this concern and share models for working with and for tribal communities to meet this need.