Choctaw Nation Holds Mental Health and Substance Misuse Conference

DURANT, Okla. – The Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority (CNHSA) hosted over 350 mental health, law enforcement, judicial, and nursing professionals at the annual Navigating Mental Health and Substance Misuse Conference March 11 and 12. Chief Gary Batton opened the conference by thanking the attendees for their service and support they provide to our tribal members, then by encouraging them to remember to take care of themselves.

The conference was organized by Choctaw Nation Behavioral Health associates, who brought in over 25 speakers to provide a packed two-day learning experience for the attendees. “The conference has been hosted every year for four years,” says Lacey Callahan, conference lead. “This is the largest participation yet, and we are so excited to bring various topics for our participants to learn and earn continuing education units for their certifications or licensures.”

The team also brought in a mock bedroom, with 25 drug-related items hidden in a simulated teenager’s room. Participants scavenged through items typically found in a bedroom but were altered or created to hide drugs or drug paraphernalia from parents. “The mock bedroom brings awareness to how many different items, from drink cans to highlighters, can hide dangerous or illegal things from the adults or guardians in the children’s lives,” says Kelsea Johnson, community opioid intervention pilot project program manager. “We travel with and set the bedroom up as a training simulation for several groups around the reservation. We also offer simulation goggle experiences, as well as training related to drug trends, social media, and opioid awareness.”

Fulfilling Chief Batton’s encouragement of self-care, the conference also had a relaxation room with chair massages during the day and acupuncture sessions in the evenings. “Acupuncture is a natural way to stimulate our bodies’ ability to heal itself,” explains Dr. Carmen Jones, Good Tree Natural Health owner and practitioner.