The Navajo Division for Children and Family Services (NDCFS) welcomed the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services (National Center) on February 24-25, 2026.
The National Center and NDCFS are tailoring a work plan for the Navajo Nation to improve access to competent mental health services that are culturally appropriate and comprehensively address the needs of children and families.
National Center team members Becky Main, Alicia Groh and Deana Around Him facilitated discussion on objectives and strategies with the liaison-steering team and Navajo Nation leadership and partners. Present at the meeting were representatives from NDCFS, Division of Behavioral and Mental Health Services, and Indian Health Services.
Discussions centered on capacity building, cross-collaboration between agencies, and strengthening knowledge and skills for staff through training opportunities for NDCFS and partner organizations.
Several training modules are available from the National Center through its Training Initiative to help mental health and child welfare professionals more effectively support children and foster, adoptive, and guardianship families.
The work plan involves identifying partners who are key to ensuring the success of the goals, as well as barriers that need to be overcome.
NDCFS Executive Director Thomas Cody said that the partnership and goals must align with both the Navajo Nation’s P.L. 102-477 Plan and Diné Action Plan (DAP).
“Our work plan for the nation involves all stakeholders. It is looping everybody in and reaching out to all Navajo Nation departments,” he said.
With the 477 Plan, the NDCFS is increasing wraparound services to comprehensively address the needs of its members (clients), which will be complemented by the collaborations that are a part of the work plan. The collaborations will also enhance the work of the DAP, which encourages partnerships among Navajo Nation entities and partners to collectively address social ills including suicide, substance abuse, violence, and missing and murdered Diné relatives.
The partnership with National Center began when it first reached out to tribes in October 2024 to find out who would be interested in receiving technical assistance. Executive Director Cody confirmed that the Navajo Nation was interested, and on January 1, 2025, the National Center and NDCFS signed a letter of commitment. The two organizations have been holding regular meetings since then to develop and implement the work plan.
###