Allyson Kelley

• Doctor of Public Health
• Principal at Allyson Kelley & Associates PLLC

There are 574 federally recognized Tribes in the United States. Tribes have experienced increased rates of domestic violence (DV) due to structural determinants like gender violence, loss of control, discrimination, marginalization, oppression, and political violence. American Indian and Alaska Native girls and women experience the highest rates of...

Background Disparities in sexual health outcomes persist among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) youth due to intersectional challenges accessing youth-friendly health services. AIAN youth have an increased prevalence of STIs and teen pregnancy. To address disparities in sexual health outcomes, the Ask Auntie/Ask Your Relative (AYR) Q&A serv...

Background When a person dies by suicide, it takes a reverberating emotional, physical, and economic toll on families and communities. The widespread use of social media among youth and adolescents, disclosures of emotional distress, suicidal ideation, intent to self-harm, and other mental health crises posted on these platforms have increased. One...

Introduction School-based health centers (SBHCs) are an evidence-based model for providing contraceptives to adolescents. SBHCs ability to provide reproductive health services is often limited by school district policies, state laws, and health center policies. Methods We used data from the Teens Exploring and Managing Prevention (TEMPO) study to...

In this article, we present findings from a May 2022 to March 2023 qualitative evaluation of Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics–Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) projects addressing COVID-19 testing disparities among underserved populations. Interviews with academic and community partners from 13 RADx-UP projects revealed that despite the pandemic,...

This article describes the formative process of developing and implementing a Qualitative Evaluation Plan (QEP) for a large-scale, National Institute of Health (NIH) supported program: Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics — Underserved Populations (RADx-UP). RADx-UP includes over 137 projects in the United States that aim to ensure that all Americans...

Case management (CM) is increasingly used in community settings to support individuals as they transition from one point in their lives to the next. This study sought to explore the perspectives of front-line Community Health Workers CMs working in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The objective of this study was to answer the question ‘How do CHWs define e...

Introduction Structural racism, bias, and discrimination within institutions of higher education prevent Hispanic women from becoming university leaders and professors, especially when they do not have a formal degree. Hispanic leaders in higher education often have lived experiences based on their cultural values, family connections, and time work...

This Viewpoint examines disparities and inequalities regarding life expectancy in American Indian and Alaska Native populations and what can be done to address them.

Through stories and conversations, Drs. Dolores BigFoot and Allyson Kelley reflect on research, clinical work, faith-based topics, spirituality, and recovery. They invite readers to reflect on what it means to walk on a healing path. Beginning with a brief history of broken spirits and a broken world, the book then discusses the causes of brokenne...

This chapter highlights the innovative work of Native PRIDE, a 501c3 non-profit located in Corrales New Mexico. This chapter begins with a history of Native American education and the impact of colonization, boarding school eras, and trauma on educational outcomes in Native American youth. Authors then describe the importance of resilience in overc...

American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) community stakeholder engagement has the power to transform health research. However, the engagement and dissemination process is challenging in AIAN communities due to the historical and current negative experiences of AIAN populations in health research (Dillard et al., 2018). Whereas there is a paucity...

Documenting community readiness to support substance abuse prevention in tribal communities is needed to maximize the impact of prevention programming. Semi-structured interviews with 26 tribal community members from Montana and Wyoming served as the primary data source for this evaluation. The Community Readiness Assessment was used to guide the i...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Despite copious research on CVD incidence and outcome discrepancies, a social determinants of health (SDOH) focused framework on CVD risk factors and health outcomes in AIAN populations has not been undertaken. This paper presents the following: 1)...

This evaluation explored the benefits of Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) within a reservation-based, State-certified outpatient treatment provider. The three CAM strategies provided were massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic therapies. The evaluation team worked with a peer recovery support specialist and tribal evaluation intern to co-cr...

Purpose and Objectives American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) hypertension contributes to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of premature death in this population. The purpose of this article is to document strategies, concerns, and barriers related to hypertension and cardiovascular disease from Native-Controlling Hypertension and Risks thro...

Objectives: U.S. Hispanic teens experience higher rates of unintended pregnancy than white teens. Limited research has been done to explore the sociocultural factors that impact Hispanic teens and their decisions about birth control and long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). The theory of planned behavior served as a framework for this study...

Culturally-adapted evidence-based programs (EBPs) are needed to promote healthy behaviors among Native teens and young adults. Little is known about the facilitators and barriers of implementing and sustaining EBPs in Native communities. This paper aims to identify those factors described by educators who implemented the Native Students Together Ag...

Health advocates are increasingly using social media and mobile technology to reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth to address important health topics and enhance protective factors. Public health experts did not know to what extent AI/AN youth used these tools to access health resources during the pandemic. The Native Youth Health...

Objectives: This qualitative evaluation was guided by two questions: 1) How does peer recovery support (PRS) support American Indian (AI) people in recovery from substance use disorders? and 2) What makes PRS effective? Methods: We utilized a descriptive qualitative study design to explore the essence of PRS. Semi-structured interviews were conduc...

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth are strong in culture and rich in heritage and experience unique strengths and challenges throughout adolescence. Documenting conditions that protect against risk factors associated with poor health outcomes are needed. We explored scales that measure self-esteem, culture, social support, and communit...

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Tribes, tribal organizations, AI/AN youth and community-serving programs, and tribal health organizations have responded and adapted programs and services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores how COVID-19 impacted Native...

Objectives To explore health behavior profiles of AI/AN youth involved in native students together against negative decisions (STAND), a national culture-based curriculum. Methods We analyzed data from 1236 surveys conducted among AI/AN youth at 40 native STAND implementation sites located in 16 states throughout the US from 2014 to 2017. Health p...

Culturally relevant interventions have the potential to improve adolescent health and protective factors associated with sexual risk taking. We evaluated the impact of the Native STAND curriculum with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN or Native) high school students living across the U.S. using a pre-post evaluation design. Native STAND is a...

Background Many American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN or Native) communities express concern about high rates of suicide and poor mental health. Technology-based health interventions that nurture resilience, coping skills, connectedness, and help-seeking skills may be an effective strategy for promoting health and wellbeing among AI/AN youth. Th...

BACKGROUND Many American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN or Native) communities express concern about high rates of suicide and poor mental health. Technology-based health interventions that nurture resilience, coping skills, connectedness, and help-seeking skills may be an effective strategy for promoting health and wellbeing among AI/AN youth. Th...

Objectives We aimed to identify correlates of short-term recovery among American Indians who participated in the Transitional Recovery and Culture (TRAC) Program, a Peer Recovery Support (PRS) program. Research aims (As) were A1. How do recovery capital resources and indicators of recovery differ between TRAC participants who completed a six-month...

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) young adults are strong and resilient. Interventions designed to improve their mental health and help-seeking skills are especially needed, particularly those that include culturally relevant resources and relatable role models. This paper presents formative research from the BRAVE study, a five-year commun...

This paper shares lessons learned recruiting and engaging participants in the BRAVE study, a randomized controlled trial carried out by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the mHealth Impact Lab. The team recruited 2330 American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) teens and young adults nationwide (15–24 years old) via social media channel...

Objective. The purpose of this evaluation was to document the impact of the Good Road of Life (GRL) Training on Native men from four communities in the Western US. Design: A mixed-method evaluation design was used to document changes in participant responses (N=60) based on pre/post assessments and qualitative data provided. Results. Findings from...

BACKGROUND Culturally-relevant interventions are needed to help American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) teens and young adults navigate common risky situations involving family and friends, including drug and alcohol misuse, dating violence, and suicidality. We R Native – a multimedia health resource for Native teens and young adults – designed a...

Background Culturally relevant interventions are needed to help American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) teenagers and young adults navigate common risky situations involving family and friends, including drug and alcohol misuse, dating violence, and suicidality. Leveraging We R Native, a multimedia health resource for Native teenagers and young a...

Aims Emerging qualitative work documents that social media conflict sometimes results in violence in impoverished urban neighborhoods. Not all experiences of social media conflict lead to violence, however, and youth ostensibly use a variety of techniques to avoid violent outcomes. Little research has explored the daily violence prevention strategi...

Mental health professionals that work with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations are often viewed as ineffective because their professional training is based on a Western model of service delivery that is an extension of Western colonization. Research on effective training approaches for AI/AN mental health providers or mental healt...

Documenting Tribal health priorities is needed to inform research agendas, policy efforts, advocacy, and funding. However, published literature rarely documents the methods used to develop surveys in Indigenous communities. This methods paper includes two objectives: (1) increase knowledge and understanding about the importance of community involve...

Aims Community management of youth with problematic sexual behavior (PSB) is complex. Public policies and service practices have historically utilized adult‐focused approaches with limited research outcomes. This descriptive case study aimed to address this gap by documenting current PSB policies and policy reforms for community‐based management sy...

Urban American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth represent a unique and growing population in the United States. Culture and participation in cultural activities is associated with resilience; however, urban AI/AN youth often report limited access to their culture. This paper presents results from a mixed-method feasibility evaluation of the N...

Aims: This study explored the relationship between social support, community connections, self-esteem, and culture on misuse in American Indian youth. Methods: The study team developed a culturally-responsive 16-question survey for American Indian youth ages 12-20 living in six American Indian communities in the Great Plains Region of the United...

Native American youth are placed at greater risk for suicide than any other age or ethnic population in the United States. Resilience has helped Native Americans overcome adversity. In this paper, authors provide an example of how intergenerational mentoring can moderate or reduce these risk factors. The Intergenerational Connection Project at Nati...

Suicide is the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, and between 1999 and 2009 the greatest increases in suicide were among American Indians and Alaska Natives. The present study highlights the efforts of 1 American Indian community to prevent suicide using the public health approach as a framework. A survey was developed and...

American Indian youth substance use is a major public health concern. To date, there has been limited evaluation of American Indian youth substance use prevention programs. Evaluation of prevention programs is necessary to understand the aspects of programming that are effective or not effective. This mixed-methods evaluation focuses on select outc...

Objective: The main objective of this systematic review was to determine how TBPs are implemented and shared in the context of tribal substance use prevention. The second objective was to document TBP examples from three tribal communities involved in a 5-year substance use prevention initiative. Methods: A systematic review of published and gre...

Peer Recovery Support (PRS) is emerging as a key intervention for communities and individuals as they address high rates of substance abuse and limited recovery resources. American Indian populations were among the first people to use concepts of PRS through abstinence-based revitalization movements and ceremonies. The present study examined the im...

Purpose: In this article, we report a pilot study that tested the feasibility and initial efficacy of a culturally, linguistically, and developmentally tailored risky sex prevention intervention for middle school-age Latinas and their mothers. Design: We used a one-group pre-test, post-test, and 3-month post-intervention follow-up design. Data w...

Visual methods serve a unique purpose in that they help generate data that uncover experiences, knowledge, and contextual factors that lead to a greater shared understanding about a topic. We describe the process and results of one American Indian community-based organization's success using visual methods to prompt community conversations about me...

Peer recovery support (PRS) offers significant benefits for individuals in recovery from substance abuse disorders. This research describes the experiences of the first 12 months of a tribally led, American Indian community-based PRS project in two American Indian communities. An intrinsic qualitative case-study design was used to answer the resear...

Purpose – Effective community-based suicide prevention strategies require culturally relevant contextually driven approaches, validated by community members. Existing literature, funding agencies, and polices do not adequately address the differences in community vs non-community definitions and approaches to suicide prevention. These differences a...

To compare American-Indian and Caucasian mortality rates from diabetes among tribal Contract Health Service Delivery Areas (CHSDAs) in the Great Plains Region (GPR) and describe the disparities observed. Mortality data from the National Center for Vital Statistics and Seer*STAT were used to identify diabetes as the underlying cause of death for eac...

This cross-sectional study explored child welfare agency workers' attitudes and practice regarding working with fathers whose children are at-risk for abuse and neglect. Agency workers completed a questionnaire about their attitudes towards working with fathers, their knowledge of barriers to fathers' engagement, and their experiences with their ow...

American Indian and Alaska Native communities share unique cultural, historical, and political influences that continue to shape contemporary ethical research practices. Where and how AIAN communities live today has been shaped and defined by the federal history of colonial deterministic policy. Unfortunately, this history of systematic oppression...

The aim of this study was to understand adolescent mothers' childbirth experiences. Semistructured interviews were conducted with participants recruited from a community-based program for adolescent mothers. Fourteen mothers described their birth experiences. Using a narrative analytic approach, responses were reconstructed into birth stories. Stor...

This qualitative study explored resident and nonresident fathers’ perspectives about factors that facilitated and inhibited their ability to play a positive and active role in their children’s lives. A total of 30 fathers were recruited from a support/mentoring group and from the general population to complete a semi-structured, audio-taped intervi...

CBPR is an effective approach to prompt social change and improved health in communities. However, traditional researchers and institutions resist CBPR, because it: distracts from discipline specific research, requires extensive community involvement, takes time away from teaching/ research duties, and may not lead to the types of products typicall...

Institutional review boards (IRBs) function to regulate research for the protection of human participants. We share lessons learned from the development of an intertribal IRB in the Rocky Mountain/Great Plains Tribal region of the United States. We describe the process through which a consortium of Tribes collaboratively developed an intertribal bo...

Introduction: Training for new and existing researchers in community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches requires flexibility and a departure from traditional research methods courses. The literature has not fully reported how universities teach CBPR or the impact of CBPR courses on students and researchers. Method: In this paper, I u...

Significance. Approximately 70% of pregnant teens do not receive childbirth education. This is especially troubling given associations between childbirth education and positive birth experiences, which translate into more positive birth and parenting outcomes. Although improving birth and parenting outcomes among teen mothers is an important public...