Building Strong Working Alliances with American Indian Families

Abstract

A strong working alliance between school and home is essential for positive student outcomes. Such alliances are based on a spirit of respect and a desire for collaboration. Given their unique roles and training, school social workers, counselors, and psychologists play a pivotal role in the formation of a strong school-home alliance. With American Indian families, this alliance can be developed only through a sound understanding of the cultural characteristics of these families. Only through such understanding will stereotypes of American Indian families be replaced by more accurate and positive perspectives. To help school social workers, counselors, and psychologists promote strong school-home working alliances, this article outlines six key cultural characteristics of American Indian families: geographical isolation, cultural heterogeneity, extended family, inclusive role for children, group primacy, and traumatic educational history. In addition, the implications of these characteristics for effective consultative and psychotherapeutic activities are discussed.