Chihuum Piiuywmk Inach, a Serrano phrase that translates to A Gathering of Good Minds, is the name given to our project by Mr. Ernest Siva, a respected elder from the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians. The goal of the “Gathering of Good Minds: Engaging Native Americans in Wellness” project is to build trust and lasting partnerships that will lay the groundwork for providers and Native American patients in the Riverside/San Bernardino area to address patient well-being and chronic health concerns. The University of California, Riverside, Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) and Riverside/San Bernardino County Indian Health Inc (RSBCIHI) represent the collaboration for this Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Engagement Award. This project is intended to increase the capacity of stakeholders to conduct partnered research. We intend to do so through a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings to our gathering.

For more information please contact Juliet McMullin at mcmullij@hs(dot)uci(dot)edu or (949)824-1141

About the Gathering of Good Minds Project

Gathering of Good Minds (GoGM) aims to:

• Build trust between Native American communities, researchers, and health care providers in the Riverside/San Bernardino area
• Share and understand concerns around health inequalities, chronic illnesses, and the role of intergenerational care
• Collaborative training in research ethics and methods
• Increase the capacity of community partners and UCR faculty and students to partner in community-engaged research

GoGM aims are accomplished through several engagement activities:

• Establishment of GoGM Action Planning Committee
• Host Fellowship meetings
• Community Forums
• Wellness Summit

What’s Happening Now

We completed our first PCORI award, Gathering of Good Minds: Engaging Native Americans in Wellness, which is described above. Here’s our first proposal if you’d like an example (GoGM-Engaging in Wellness-PCORI Proposal).  You can also find summaries of our Fellowship meetings from our newsletters (Newsletter Booklet Single Pages 12-6-17) One of the outcomes of our first award was to apply to PCORI for a second Engagement Award, where we would collaboratively adapt a historical trauma curriculum for health care providers.  You can find the full proposal here (GoGM-Historical Trauma Curriculum-PCORI Proposal).

Project two: Gathering of Good Minds: Adapting a Historical Trauma Curriculum for Providers and Patients

The primary goal of this project is to enhance the growing partnership between UCR’s Center for Healthy Communities faculty and Riverside/San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. providers and patients. This partnership is expanding and focusing in more depth on patient centered research that will increase knowledge of Historical Trauma, improve provider/patient communication, and health outcomes among Native American populations. Historical trauma, as defined by Brave Heart, is the “cumulative emotional and psychological wounding across generations, including the lifespan, which emanates from massive group trauma”(1) and has been linked to chronic health issues in Native American communities. Through engagement and shared learning we will 1) continue to build our foundation of trust that will support future patient centered outcomes research, 2) provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to gain knowledge and experience important to future comparative effectiveness research in HT and trauma informed care, and 3) adapt an historical trauma curriculum that can be tested in multiple contexts for engaging patients and educating physicians about the importance of historical trauma on patient wellbeing. The long term objective of the proposed project is to use a hybrid design to build the foundation for implementing a comparative effectiveness intervention, wherein the new curriculum is compared to existing training.

We are also building a digital archive of materials related to historical trauma in inland southern California. This material is shared at http://www.gogm.live

Our project’s historical trauma curriculum is mostly done. We have two more episodes to create for our Historical Wisdom podcast. In the meantime, here is the booklet with the learning modules and curriculum. 

Our website, http://www.gogm.live/podcast has the curriculum with additional resources and a link to our Historical Wisdom podcast that is to be used with the activities in our curriculum.  The podcast can also be found on itunes, spotify, and google podcasts.

Project Team

Juliet McMullin (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Kendall Shumway (Provider Project Lead)
Luella Vann Thronton (Community Project Lead)
Sherri Salgado (Riverside/San Bernardino Indian Health, Inc Board Lead)
Regina Hughes (Riverside/San Bernardino Indian Health, Inc. Behavioral Health Lead)
Katheryn Rodriguez (Project Coordinator)  and Wyatt Kelly (Project Coordinator)

Project partners

Dr. Shumway grew up in Northern Arizona between the Navajo and Apache Reservations and has enjoyed his 13 years working in Indian Health. During the past seven years, in addition to overseeing two Federal Indian Health Service Grants for Heart Health and Diabetes Care, he has been the Diabetes Director at RSBCIHI. This program consists of three Diabetes Educators, two Fitness Specialists, a Medical Assistant, and a Family Nurse Practitioner who help oversee diabetes education and community outreach with the seven RSBCIHI clinics.

Luella Vann Thornton BS, MPH, RN, is retired; she was previously a Certified Health Education Specialist, and recipient of the 2011 California Rural Indian Board (CRIB) award for significant contributions to the health care of Native American groups. As a health educator, Ms. Thornton has taught parenting courses and counseling on drug addiction. Originally from Proctor, OK, Ms. Thornton is a member of the Ketoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.

Sherri Salgado is the Vice Chair of the RSBCIHI Board of Directors and member of the Cahuilla Band of Indians. Ms. Salgado has been a delegate to the Riverside-­San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. since 1999. As a member of the RSBCIHI Board of Directors she is part of the following Committees: Finance/ Planning Committee, Diabetes Task Force, and Wellness Committee. During her time at RSBCIHI she has seen the clinic grow and expand to offer new services. Her continual collaboration with RSBCIHI is integral to her being a part of improving Native American community wellness.

Regina Hughes, *LAADC , ICADC, is a counselor for RSBCIHI Behavioral Health Services. Ms. Hughes is a Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Gina is a descendent of the Temecula Band of Luiseno Mission Indians and is currently employed by Riverside-San Bernardino Co. Indian Health, Inc. As a clinician of 28 years, she has provided services for adults, adolescents, families, and communities. Her varied opportunities working within native and non-native settings provided her with the experiences to educate and mentor student counselors. Through firsthand experience, Gina has acquired a deep understanding of the disease of addiction and the spiritual journey towards healing. Her compassion and sensitivity to the human spirit is the very essence of the holistic approach in working with Native American Indian Communities.