Indigenous Relapse Prevention

Indigenous Relapse Prevention: Sustaining Recovery in Native American Communities combines the resilient strengths of Indigenous cultural beliefs and practices with empirically supported methods to help readers better understand and address relapse processes.

The text recognizes that mainstream relapse prevention programs must be adapted to better serve American Indian and Alaska Native clients. It leverages the Indigenist Relapse Prevention Model to offer a strengths-based, culturally grounded treatment model that assists individuals in overcoming threats to recovery. The model addresses Indigenous-specific issues related to substance use and recovery that are frequently not addressed in other programs, such as triggers related to racism, lateral violence, and intergenerational trauma. The program reflects an Indigenous worldview, emphasizes the role of spirituality in wellness, and is intended to restore balance and harmony in the lives of clients through an appreciation of the sacredness of Creation and self.

Indigenous Relapse Prevention is part of the Cognella Series on Advances in Culture, Race, and Ethnicity. The series, co-sponsored by Division 45 of the American Psychological Association, addresses critical and emerging issues within culture, race, and ethnic studies, as well as specific topics among key ethnocultural groups.