Dee BigFoot, PhD, a child psychologist, is an associate professor who directs the Native American Programs at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Funded since 1994 by the Children’s Bureau, she has directed Project Making Medicine and, from 2003, she has directed the Indian Country Child Trauma Center where she was instrumental in the cultural adaptations of evidence based child treatments. Under her guidance, four evidence-based treatments were enhanced for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families in Indian Country, titled the Honoring Children Series. One of the four is Honoring Children — Mending the Circle, a cultural enhancement of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), for use with AI/AN children and their families. BigFoot has over 15 published articles and chapters, including serving as the lead author of the recent publication, “Adapting Evidence-Based Treatments for Use with American Indians and Native Alaskan Children and Youth.” BigFoot has served as principle investigator on thirteen federally funded projects.
Other distinctions include her service on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council, National Network to Eliminate Health Disparities and on the working groups for the Indian Health Service and the National Indian Child Welfare Association. She was selected to attend the White House conference on children’s mental health and is past president of the Society of Indian Psychologists. BigFoot has over 30 years of experience and is knowledgeable about the concerns of implementation and adaptation of evidenced based practices being introduced into Indian Country. BigFoot is a member of the national TF-CBT Trainer Network. BigFoot is an enrolled member of the Caddo Tribe with affiliation to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana where her children are enrolled members.