amanda palmer
clinical cultural specialist

sləxlaxt waý x̌ast sx̌əl x̌ʕalt (Hello friends, good day.)

My name is Amanda and I am an enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes affiliated with the bands Entiat, Moses-Columbia, Palus, San Poil and Wenatchi. I was born in Omak and raised in Nespelem, where I will be raising my two sons. I am proudly one of the Clinical Cultural Specialists that work under Behavioral Health and get the privilege of also working with clients of the newly San Poil Treatment Center. I have almost earned my bachelor's degree in American Indian Studies with a minor in Anthropology from the University of Washington. We are collaborating diligently to eliminate barriers to care and develop strategies that blend traditional native teachings with evidence based practices and cognitive behavioral therapy. I believe in holistic approaches and have a knack for scientifically evidence-based practices; I cannot wait to help people in all walks of life obtain a sense of belonging and understanding.

I have spent the last 7 years living an alcohol-free sober lifestyle which propels me to encourage my elders, my peers and the youth to do the same. It takes work, not just to say no, but to address the problems that come along with any type of dependency issue that have solely affected American Indian communities since the white men began to try and steal away our existence. I believe that we are derived from some of the strongest nations and aim to restore spirituality while revitalizing efforts that can help people who need it.