ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the importance of cultural considerations when working with under-represented minority youth from historically oppressed groups. It provides examples to illustrate the significance of identity and application of culturally relevant strategies. The importance of cultural considerations in helping understand causation in youth mental health issues is complex, with cultural, social, biological, and psychological factors all contributing. The most recent Surgeon General's report on mental health indicates that the key considerations of social context, cultural factors, racism, discrimination, and poverty are important for understanding contributors to mental health struggles. A study using the youth comprehensive risk assessment and application (YCRA) compared psychosocial risk behaviors of adolescents who are deaf or hard of hearing with their hearing peers in a mental health treatment facility. The chapter presents a case study that was deemed valuable to a youth mental health treatment agency in its effort to determine how to best help American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth.
