Bio:

Dr. Brave Heart received her M.S. from Columbia University School of Social Work in 1976. Before going on to receive her PhD in Clinical Social Work from Smith College in 1995, she attended the New York Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies and the Colorado Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies, where she was also a faculty member. Dr. Brave Heart joined the faculty of the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work in 1992 and was tenured there as an Associate Professor in 1998. At the University of Denver, Dr. Brave Heart served as the Coordinator of Native People’s Curriculum Project and was core faculty in the Post-Graduate Trauma Response and Recovery Certificate Program. She was also a member of the Stress and Trauma Research Network in at the University of Denver’s Psychology Department.

Dr. Brave Heart developed historical trauma and historical unresolved grief theory and interventions among American Indians, which has become internationally recognized. In 1992, she founded the Takini Network, a Native non-profit organization devoted to community healing from intergenerational massive group trauma among Native Peoples.   Dr. Brave Heart’s Historical Trauma and Unresolved Grief Intervention was recognized as an exemplary model in a special minority Center for Mental Health Services grant award for a Lakota Regional Community Action Grant Historical Trauma in 2001. Dr. Brave Heart also incorporated the intervention components in reservation parenting prevention and intervention work through a number of successful grants. Dr. Brave Heart directed the Models for Healing Indigenous Survivors of Historical Trauma: A Multicultural Dialogue Among Allies Conference from 2001-2004 and has been a member and repeat conference presenter for the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Dr. Brave Heart has also served on the Board of Directors for the Council on Social Work Education and a consultant to the National Indian Country Child Trauma Center.

Dr. Brave Heart brings her advanced training in psychotherapy, private practice experience, and a strong background in community mental health on reservations and in the urban areas to her research. Since 1976, she has worked not only among the Lakota in South Dakota but also with tribes in New Mexico and the urban Indian population in Denver as well as Latinos in New Mexico and New York. Further, Dr. Brave Heart has conducted historical trauma training for numerous tribes across the country and in Canada. Dr. Brave Heart joined the Columbia faculty as an Associate Professor in January, 2007, and is a member of the Hispanic Treatment Program Research Team at New York State Psychiatric Institute.


Awards:

• Excellence in Education for Outstanding Support and Dedication to Students With Disabilities at the University of Denver, The Learning Effectiveness Program, Center for Academic Resources, and Office of ADA Coordinator, 1998
• Honored as a Lakota Woman Leader at the 1994 Kyle Fair, Pine Ridge Reservation in Kyle, SD, 1994
• Francis Allen Fellowship, Newberry Library, D'Arcy McNickle Center for the American Indian, Chicago, IL, 1992-93
• YWCA Women on the Move Award for Mental Health Practice, 1990
• Honored by the Winyan Wasaka Project ("Strong Women" in Lakota), Denver Indian Health and Family Services
  
• Honored by the National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 1987

Research Interests:

• Intergenerational massive group trauma among Native Peoples of the Americas
• Clinical intervention research on depression, grief, PTSD and other trauma responses
• Clinical practice with American Indians, Latin American Indians, and Latinos
• Historical trauma theory and interventions for American Indians, Latin American Indians, and Latinos
• Psychoanalytic psychotherapy
• Cultural adaptation of clinical evidence-based practices

Current Projects:

• Research Team, Hispanic Treatment Program, New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Latin American Indian Cultural Factors Impacting Grief and Complicated Grief
• Cultural Adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy with Latinos
• Integrating Historical Trauma Intervention Components with Interpersonal Psychotherapy for American Indian and Latin American Indians
• Cultural Adaptation of Complicated Grief Treatment with American Indians and Latin American Indians
  
  

Select Publications:

Books and Chapters
Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (in press). The impact of historical trauma: The example of the native community. In M. Bussey & J. Wise, (Eds.), Transforming trauma: Empowerment responses. New York: Columbia University Press.

Brave Heart, M.Y.H., DeBruyn, L.M., Crazy Thunder, D., Rodriguez, Jr., B., & Grube, K. (2005). This is hallowed ground: Native voices from ground zero, In Y. Danieli & R. Dingman (Eds.),  On the ground after September 11: Mental health tesponses and practical knowledge gained on the third anniversary (pp.332-340). New York: Haworth Press.

Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2004) The historical trauma response among natives and its relationship with substance abuse: A Lakota illustration. In E. Nebelkopf & M. Phillips (Eds.), Healing and Mental Health for Native Americans: Speaking in Red (pp. 7-18).

Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2004) Incorporating native historical trauma content. In L. Gutierrez, M. Zuniga, & D. Lum (Eds.), Education for multicultural social work practice (pp. 201-211). Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education.

Brave Heart, M.Y.H. & Chase, J.  (2004). Social work practice with first nations peoples. In D. Lum (Ed.), Cultural competence, practice stages, and client systems: A case study approach. Brooks/Cole Thomsen Learning

Yellow Horse, S & Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2004). Native american children. In A. Strode (Ed.), Mental Health Best Practices for Vulnerable Populations. The Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training.

Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2001). Clinical assessment with American Indians. In R. Fong & S. Furuto (Eds.), Cultural competent social work practice: Practice skills, interventions, and evaluation (pp. 163-177). Reading, MA: Longman Publishers.

Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2001). Clinical interventions with American Indians. In R. Fong & S. Furuto (Eds.). Cultural competent social work practice: Practice skills, interventions, and evaluation (pp. 285-298). Reading, MA: Longman Publishers.

Journal Articles
Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2005). Substance abuse, co-occurring mental health disorders, and the historical trauma response among American Indians/ Alaska Natives. Research Monograph, Bureau of Indian Affairs, DASAP, Washington, DC.

Crazy Thunder, D. & Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2005). Cumulative trauma among tribal law enforcement officers: Search, rescue, & recovery at Ground Zero and on the reservation. Research Monograph, Bureau of Indian Affairs, DASAP, Washington, DC.

Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2003). The historical trauma response among Natives and its relationship with substance abuse: A Lakota illustration, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 35, 7-13.

Brave Heart, M.Y.H. (2000). Wakiksuyapi: Carrying the historical trauma of the Lakota. Tulane Studies in Social Welfare, 21-22, 245-266.

Videos
Whitford, B. (Producer) (in press) Red Road [Motion picture].
(International video on Native Diabetes; Historical trauma consultant, and appearance in the video.)

McMaster University Indigenous Studies (Producer). (2005). Jidwa`:Do>h: Let us become again [Motion picture]. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
(Historical trauma consultant, and appearance in the video.)

Takini network (Producer). (2002). Celebration of Survival: The Takini Network [Motion picture]. Gemma Lockhart, videographer.

Last updated July 01, 2009 .