American Indian college students often face multiple challenges that might be helped by counseling. However, these students are the least likely to take advantage of counseling services. In order to understand how to improve counseling services for this group, qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 practicing college counselors who have considerable experience working with American Indian students. The themes generated from the analysis include recommendations for both institutions and individual counselors.

Like many Indigenous nations, the Navajo Nation has worked to develop its human and economic potential. It has provided scholarships and other supports to enable its members to pursue post-secondary education. However, relatively few of these college-educated members return to the reservation to contribute directly to its development. This phenomenon has been termed a brain drain. This study explored the experiences of 28 college-educated Navajos who, while raised on the reservation, were living off the reservation after completing their post-secondary education. Participants indicated a number of factors that went into their decision to live off the reservation. These included:

Ké’: Relationships/Connections to Family, Culture, Homeland, People;
Iiná: Lifestyle/Lifeway, Desirable Setting, Learned Work Ethic, Social Atmosphere, Togetherness (Diné) vs. Individualism (Mainstream);
Bee ach’į’ na’hwii’ná: Resources and Roadblocks to Making a Life, Infrastructure, Services, The “System”;
Bee ajit’9: Opportunity, Prosperity and Personal Improvement, Education, Extracurricular, Job Availability, Work Experience.

As part of Utah’s state-wide Youth Suicide Prevention Manual, parent handouts offer an invitation to increase parent involvement and home/school collaboration. Information from a variety of resources was synthesized into handouts that schools can provide to parents (see handouts provided in the Appendix). These handouts include information regarding adolescent suicide, warning signs, steps parents can take if suicidal ideation or planning is suspected, and community resources available for parents and adolescents. Developed as part of home/school collaborative suicide prevention efforts, these handouts will be made available in Utah’s Youth Suicide Prevention Manual. School districts are encouraged to consider their schools’ needs and to modify these handouts as needed to fit their community’s and families’ needs.