The Navajo Nation DBMHS Fort Defiance Outpatient Treatment Center is a tribally operated behavioral health clinic in Fort Defiance, Arizona, providing outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment to Native American adults and adolescents on and near the Navajo Nation. The center is one of nine DBMHS outpatient locations across Arizona.
Clinical and Culturally Integrated Treatment
The Fort Defiance center delivers individual therapy, group and family therapy, crisis counseling and intervention, and aftercare services within the same holistic DBMHS framework that integrates traditional Navajo healing and faith-based services alongside clinical programming. Traditional services and faith-based services, including ceremonies, prayers, and Celebrate Recovery, are offered as distinct program components, reflecting the center’s commitment to treating substance use and mental health within the full cultural and spiritual context of Diné life alongside clinical care.
ASAM-Aligned Outpatient Services Including Prevention and Early Intervention
Fort Defiance provides services across ASAM Levels 0.5 and I, covering prevention and early intervention for those at risk and outpatient treatment for those with identified substance use disorders. The center’s service list also includes the Duluth Men’s Group for domestic violence programming, Question Persuade and Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training, and postvention services, reflecting a community health scope that extends beyond individual clinical treatment to address the interconnected risk factors of substance use, suicide, and family violence that affect Navajo Nation communities.
Crisis Response and Suicide Prevention
The Fort Defiance center’s inclusion of crisis counseling, QPR training, and postvention services places it within DBMHS’s broader response to the elevated rates of suicide and behavioral health crises across the Navajo Nation. Crisis counseling and intervention services are available during center hours, with after-hours and weekend support, ensuring that community members are not left without access to help outside of standard business hours.
