Navajo Nation marks Mental Health Awareness Month with talking circles

Families in Window Rock, Chinle and St. Michaels had a free place to gather for support at the Navajo Nation Museum Hogan, where a talking circle ran from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 20 and was open to the public. Registration was available by QR code on the flyer, and two more sessions were already listed for June 17 and July 15, turning the effort into a continuing series rather than a one-time event.

The May message from the Navajo Nation Office of the President tied Mental Health Awareness Month to culturally grounded healing, wellness and community support under the theme More Good Days, Together. The Nation said the theme connects to Hózhǫ, the Navajo idea of balance and harmony across mind, body, spirit, family and land, a framing that speaks directly to Apache County residents who often rely on services that fit Diné values as well as clinical needs.

That fit is built into the system behind the talking circles. The Navajo Division of Behavioral and Mental Health Services says it coordinates culturally responsive behavioral treatment across the Navajo Nation and specializes in alcohol and substance use prevention, education, treatment and after-care services. AHCCCS identifies the division as the Tribal Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Navajo Nation members, and its service area includes Apache County, Coconino County and Navajo County. The June 17 listing names Shawnmarie Billiman as the contact at (928) 357-6766.

The approach matters in a region where trust and cultural alignment often determine whether families seek help at all. The division’s model brings together counselors, licensed therapists, traditional practitioners and faith-based counselors, making the talking circle part of a broader effort to connect ceremonial practice with formal behavioral health care. The Navajo Department of Health says it manages 14 programs that reach more than 300,000 Navajo people, underscoring the scale of the health network supporting that effort.

The public health stakes remain high. CDC data show that in 2022, non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native people had a suicide rate 91% higher than the general population. A Navajo Nation statement last year said the Navajo Nation Mortality Report identified suicide as the eighth leading cause of death among Navajos from 2015 to 2017. Against that backdrop, the Window Rock talking circles offered more than a symbolic observance of Mental Health Awareness Month: they gave Apache County families a concrete place to show up, be seen and stay connected to care.