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1st-Place Winner of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Mission Daybreak Challenge as Project Hozho.
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Fast Company's "World Changing Ideas 2023"
Hero’s Story is a comprehensive solution to reduce isolation and promote healing amongst AI/AN veterans and tribal communities via accessible traditional healing practices.
Collaborate NowTeleveda is a group of people working to reduce social isolation and loneliness for those who face challenges connecting. Members of the Televeda team include first-generation and 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th- generation immigrants. We are Indigenous peoples, Arizonans, New Yorkers, Africans, Guatemalans, New Mexicans, and Indians. We are varied genders and sexual orientations, we are multi-generational, and we are all passionate about making human connections.
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We have deep and powerful partnerships in the communities we support, including Navajo Nation, Hopi, Lakota, Pascua Yaqui, Tohono O’odham, and more. Our work is community-led and always community first.
We’re launching the first indigenous, community-based platform to facilitate  a trusted network of culturally-appropriate interventions & resources that support mental health. In partnership with each community, we're working to deliver care where people need it.
The design and implementation of the Hero’s Story Project has been and will continue to be deeply informed by members of tribal nations including Navajo, Lakota, and O’odham. In partnership with experts, researchers, and tribal liaisons, we are focused on three pillars:
Culturally-competent & Community-led
Digital infrastructure & broadband access
Evidence-based interventions & outcomes
If you are having thoughts of suicide or know someone who is, contact the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7/365 days a year.
The right kind of care in the right place
Televeda is actively engaged with State and National Broadband efforts to increase digital infrastructure into Tribal Lands. We support this effort today through effective digital literacy training and access to devices, and will continue to partner to help improve access to care for all Tribal areas.
Over 67% of AIAN veterans don't use the Veterans Affairs mental health services.
Some rural Tribal Community members, Navajo Nation residents must drive an average of 3-4 hours to access healthcare resources.
Over 73% of households lack broadband access and over 51% lack computers.
"Historical Trauma" is not indexed in the DSM-5 as a diagnosis despite being a known contributing factor for suicide in the AIAN population. Treating intergenerational trauma to support mental health would be a seismic shift in how Western healthcare system evaluate these traditional practices.
We incorporate traditional healing practices like storytelling and talking-circle interventions to facilitate community healing. We are establishing a research-based framework that honors traditional methods, unlocking a new path to care. The project builds upon validated practices including peer support, group therapy, and narrative medicine to establish a culturally-sensitive framework uniquely designed for AIANVs.
Hero’s Story Project Goals
Broadband, devices, & digital-literacy
Safe, veteran-run peer support groups
Sessions from Traditional Healers & Native Elders
Access to VA resources & benefits
Culturally appropriate mental health app
Centralized database of traditional practices
Suicide prevention interventions training
Scalable model across tribes
Additionally, the nation's leading AI/AN public health researchers, cultural experts & veteran service designers are involved in co-design, research & implementation to help scale this across all tribes.
Learn MoreOur philosophy is simple — hire a team of diverse, passionate people and foster a culture
that empowers you to do you best work.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or know someone who is, contact the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7/365 days a year.
Everything you need to know about the project.
Yes, you can try us for free for 30 days. If you want, we’ll provide you with a free, personalized 30-minute onboarding call to get you up and running as soon as possible.
The Hero’s Story Project is a longitudinal research project. As funded today, it will run for up to four years. This time period will include multiple research studies and demonstrations of efficacy of the program. In addition to the original funding received from the Mission Daybreak Challenge, which is a 10-year commitment from the VA, Televeda is actively working to secure sustainable funding to offer this program in perpetuity.
Additionally, our efforts are designed to empower Tribes to offer similar programming regardless of Televeda’s platform. Our goal is to increase accessibility to culturally-appropriate care, and we’re doing that in many ways.
The funding award from the Mission Daybreak Challenge is being used in several buckets, including broadband access, Tribal research, and digital connectivity. Funding will support the following activities:Â
-A first-of-its-kind research study with Native American Veterans in South Dakota in partnership with Black Hills Center for American Indian Health
-Ongoing facilitated offerings of storytelling or talking circle groups, hiring local Tribal Members to facilitate
-A team of Tribal Liaisons from many tribes in Arizona and beyond to perform outreach and gain feedback
-A small team from Televeda who is building the program, designing the platform and developing the space
-Indigenous designers to provide design expertise and contribution to ensure a truly Indigenous space
-An Indigenous- and Veteran- led curriculum design process that includes testing and feedback in order to prepare a playbook that can be used in an Indigenous Community.
-Future research studies currently in development
The Hero’s Story Project, as funded today, will be launched and run with multiple Tribes in the US by 2026. In addition to the original funding received from the Mission Daybreak Challenge, Televeda is actively working to secure sustainable funding to offer this program across the United States in perpetuity.
Suicide prevention programs, as of today, are dependent on government grants & non-profit donations. Research has shown that nearly all previously funded tribal cultural programs become defunct when new donations & grant monies run out. Televeda is on a mission to create a sustainable model that will support the tribal communities for the long term.If you are interested in bringing this program to your Tribal Community, please contact our team.
Tribal data sovereignty is an important issue the team takes seriously. We are collaborating with various local, state & federal stakeholders including public health organizations, tribal boards and academia to set a new bar for appropriate data sovereignty work. Please see our extended post here: Hero's Story Data Commitment.
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Hero's Story, previously known as Project HĂłzhĂł, is a comprehensive solution to promote social connectedness amongst AI/AN veterans & tribes via traditional-healing practices.
First-Place Winner of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Mission Daybreak Challenge
Ambitious rollout of Digital Infrastructure. We are increasing broadband access and digital-literacy in Indian country to improve access to care.
Web application delivering care where the people are. We're launching the first indigenous community-based app to facilitate building a trusted network of culturally-appropriate interventions & resources that support mental health.
Evidence & research-based framework & analysis. We incorporate traditional healing practices like storytelling and talking-circle interventions to reduce social isolation and facilitate community healing.
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) have the highest rates of PTSD and suicide. They often have trouble accessing care or don't want to receive services due to a historical lack of trust in the government & culturally inadequate resources.
"Historical Trauma" is not indexed in the DSM-5 as a diagnosis despite being a known contributing factor for suicide in the AIAN population. Treating intergenerational trauma to support mental health would be a seismic shift in how Western healthcare system evaluate these traditional practices.Â
The Hero's Story initiative would be the first time indigenous practices would be digitized and remotely accessible for mental health support. The project builds upon validated practices including peer support, group therapy, and narrative medicine to establish a culturally-sensitive framework uniquely designed for AIANVs.Â
The Black Hills Center for American Indian Health is our primary operational and research partner in the Navajo Nation.
Additionally, the nation's leading AI/AN public health researchers, cultural experts & veteran service designers are involved in co-design, research & implementation to help scale this across all tribes.
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Native Americans have used oral storytelling to educate and promote wellness for thousands of years.Â
We’re honored to support the timeless wisdom of Native Elders for future generations and play a part in cultural preservation of such important traditions.
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Read our commitment to Tribal Data Sovereignty & User Privacy. ‍
Currently developed Accessibility Features for Programs include:
We take requests for special accommodations. [email protected]  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.
1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”
2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,
Protecting vulnerable members is what we do.
You can read more details of our IT Security, Privacy & ToC, and Community Guidelines here.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or know someone who is, contact the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7/365 days a year.
Phone: Dial 988 then press 1
Chat: Online support at https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
Text: Send a message to 838255