Introduction

To honor American Indian Heritage Month we asked outstanding Native American social workers to tell us why they chose the social work professional and to describe the unique challenges facing our Native American Community.

Teri L. Cardwell, LCSW, ACSW, MSW
Indiana Chapter, NASW Member
St. Vincent Hospital
Indianapolis, Indiana

Ms. Cardwell

Q.   Ms. Cardwell, where did you earn your social work degree, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed?    

I am a Native American of Cherokee and Shawnee heritage and  I earned my Bachelor degree in 1978 from Anderson University.    I received my  MSW from Indiana University in 1985. Since 2002 I have been employed at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, IN as Coordinator of HIV Services and Diversity and Translation Programs.  

My   career spans 30 years in several areas of social work, including domestic violence, medical social work, and 21 years working in mental health and addiction services in both clinical and management roles.   As an associate faculty member at the School of Social Work at IUPUI in Indianapolis, I have taught social policy in the undergraduate and graduate programs since 1999.

I served as president of the NASW Indiana Chapter's   Board of Directors from 2006-2008; as president-elect, I participated in the 2005 Delegate Assembly and re-elected as a representative from Indiana in 2011.   An active member and chairperson on the chapter's Public Policy Committee since 1997, in 2009 I was honored with the NASW Indiana Chapter's Service Award for my ongoing role in state public policy.   I have served since 2007 on the Indiana state advisory committee of the US Commission on Civil Rights and earlier this year was appointed to the Indiana Governor's Commission on Childhood Poverty.   I also serve as Board President and Personnel Committee Chair on the Board of Directors for the American Indian Center of Indiana.

Q.   Why did you choose social work as your career?

The focus throughout much of my career has been on social justice issues and advocacy.     Poverty, discrimination, equity issues, civil rights and universal human rights remain priorities for many people in the US.   These societal problems are the foundation of many of the reasons why people seek services from social workers in health and human service organizations.   Assisting individuals, families, and groups to navigate helping systems is vital to insuring greater stability and success in people's lives.   Social policy and the ability to make a positive impact people's lives through policy reform, as well as providing direct services, is the motivation for my choosing social work as a career.

Q. What are the greatest challenges facing  our native community?

Some of the greatest challenges are health and mental health disparities.   Diabetes and heart disease remain two of the greatest health concerns among indigenous people of the United States.   Alcohol dependence and other addictions, along with suicide, disproportionately affect American Indians and Alaskan Natives.   Economic pressures are also very evident; access to education and job training programs play a significant role to improving employment rates and economic stability.   Unfortunately, there is still much misinformation about Native Americans that leads to discriminatory practices including the lack of adequate funding for health and social service programs.

Social workers can help by increasing their knowledge and cultural competency in working with Native Americans.   Becoming knowledgeable, and understanding the significance, of cultural values and traditions when working with Native Americans is critical to improving health outcomes.   Social workers can contact local or regional Native American organizations to enhance their knowledge of many issues facing Native Americans and collaborate with existing programs to broaden available services.     Advocating for access and services is another important role social workers can utilize that will assist Native American individuals, families and communities to address the many problems we face today.  

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