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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 community healing amongst AI/AN veterans and Tribal communities via accessible traditional healing practices.
Televeda is a group 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.
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.
Collaborate NowWe’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.
Culturally-competent & Community-led
Digital infrastructure & internet access
Evidence-based interventions & outcomes
By listening closely to AIAN communities, we support & service their traditional practices as the best solution to combat social isolation & trauma.
The right kind of care in the right place
Televeda is actively engaged with Broadband efforts to increase digital infrastructure on Tribal Lands. We support this effort today through effective digital literacy training and access to devices, and will continue 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.
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.
Collaborate Now
Hero’s Story Project Goals
Broadband, devices, & digital-literacy
Culturally appropriate mental health app
Safe, veteran-run peer support groups
Centralized hub of Indigenous programming
Sessions from Traditional Healers & Native Elders
Suicide prevention interventions training
Access to VA resources & benefits
Scalable model across tribes
“Televeda is a true tribal champion, and one of my favorite projects to support. The massive strides they have made in tribal connectivity cannot be understated. This is how public-private partnerships should be done so it can meaningfully help communities”
“The Televeda team has been highly supportive. You can see they are full of passion & truly care about serving the Dine community. I get help for all the logistics- collateral, curriculum and trauma specialists so that we can grow our impact & services in the region.”
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“This is the first time the Navajo Nation VA is offering talking circles to the veterans. It is historic as it is much needed. Early feedback from the veterans and Navajo Spring Council have been highly motivating. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Televeda and serving our veterans.”
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"Our virtual women veterans peer support group through Televeda runs every Thursday evening. We have had women from Navajo county, Apache county, homebound veterans who otherwise would not be able to meet, connect with other women veterans and share."
"Hosting these virtual sessions with Televeda have been inspiring. One attendee is disabled/homebound and she shared that after attending the group last week and getting support/connecting, she felt excited all week to get up in the morning and get out of bed! She said this group is something to look forward to."
“Televeda is a true tribal champion, and one of my favorite projects to support. The massive strides they have made in tribal connectivity cannot be understated. This is how public-private partnerships should be done so it can meaningfully help communities”
“The Televeda team has been highly supportive. You can see they are full of passion & truly care about serving the Dine community. I get help for all the logistics- collateral, curriculum and trauma specialists so that we can grow our impact & services in the region.”
“This is the first time the Navajo Nation VA is offering talking circles to the veterans. It is historic as it is much needed. Early feedback from the veterans and Navajo Spring Council have been highly motivating. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Televeda and serving our veterans.”
"Our virtual women veterans peer support group through Televeda runs every Thursday evening. We have had women from Navajo county, Apache county, homebound veterans who otherwise would not be able to meet, connect with other women veterans and share."
"Hosting these virtual sessions with Televeda have been inspiring. One attendee is disabled/homebound and she shared that after attending the group last week and getting support/connecting, she felt excited all week to get up in the morning and get out of bed! She said this group is something to look forward to."
“Televeda's transformative initiatives for our indigenous communities & commitment to delivering grassroots, culturally appropriate tech, and mental wellbeing support is evident. They listen intently, build trust, and go above and beyond to meet the complex needs of this demographic.This is an example of a public-private partnership that has led to meaningful work in communities.”
“The Televeda team has been highly supportive. You can see they are full of passion & truly care about serving the Dine community. I get help for all the logistics- collateral, curriculum and trauma specialists so that we can grow our impact & services in the region.”
“This is the first time the Navajo Nation VA is offering talking circles to the veterans. It is historic as it is much needed. Early feedback from the veterans and Navajo Spring Council have been highly motivating. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Televeda and serving our veterans.”
"Our virtual women veterans peer support group through Televeda runs every Thursday evening. We have had women from Navajo county, Apache county, homebound veterans who otherwise would not be able to meet, connect with other women veterans and share."
"Hosting these virtual sessions with Televeda have been inspiring. One attendee is disabled/homebound and she shared that after attending the group last week and getting support/connecting, she felt excited all week to get up in the morning and get out of bed! She said this group is something to look forward to."
A collaborative partnership has been officially set up between Televeda & the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration (NNVA) to support AIAN veteran community development.
Read More
The Tribal Connectivity Project, "Roger That," is an initiative with the Arizona Department of Veteran Services and Televeda, to bridge the digital gap among Native American veterans in Arizona.
Read More
Homeless Veterans' Reintegration project to provide physical and mental support for unhoused veterans like workforce development, job training & behavioral health services.
Read More
The Televeda & Black Hills team received IRB approval from the Lakota Tribe for the Storytelling Curriculum intervention. This is an important milestone for research validation and commitment to uphold tribal sovereignty.
Read MoreTrauma Recovery Services, an Indigenous owned & operated behavioral health service will be running virtual peer support sessions on Televeda. Participants are able to share veteran experiences in a place where they feel welcome and safe.
Read More
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.
Our 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.
Televeda's mission is to combat social isolation by encouraging human connection through healthy socialization.
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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
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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. accessibility@televeda.com  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,
We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  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,
Accessibility is never complete and is an ongoing journey. If you would like to make suggestions for improvements, have questions or would like get involved please reach out to accessibility@televeda.com. We take requests for special accommodations.Â
We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  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,
We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  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,
We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  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,
We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  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,
We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  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,
We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  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
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