To honor Native American Heritage Month,
Sacramento County Public Health and
Stop Stigma Sacramento are spotlighting the vital mental health work
Native Dads Network is doing in the County. The Native Dads Network is a local nonprofit organization, founded by visionary Michael Duncan and co-founder Albert Titman in 2014, that’s mission is to address the unique mental health challenges faced by Native men and their families.
Stop Stigma Sacramento, funded by the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services, is committed to reducing mental health stigma in the region. Through its “Mental Illness: It’s Not Always What You Think” campaign, the program promotes mental health awareness, combats discrimination and offers resources for those in need of support.
Titman is the Deputy Director for the Native Dads Network, former Associate Director of Cultural Integration and Development at Sprenger Behavioral Medicine for the TeleWell Indian Health MAT project, and acts as a representative of the Native and Indigenous communities within the Stop Stigma Sacramento project. He emphasizes that for many Native individuals, the historical trauma associated with Western institutions has fostered distrust and a reluctance to seek help.
By integrating culturally relevant healing practices into mental health services, organizations like the Native Dads Network, with the support of Stop Stigma Sacramento, are creating spaces where Native individuals feel safe to seek support.
“We didn’t expect to see our images on billboards,” said Titman, reflecting on his participation in Stop Stigma Sacramento. “But it became a conversation starter. Having it visible in ceremonial spaces allowed me to discuss mental health, wellness and healing openly.”
Titman is affiliated with several Native American tribes including the Miwok, Nisenan, Maidu and Madesi Band of the Pure River Nation. He understands firsthand the many barriers to mental health treatment Native communities face.
He grew up in the region and navigated a world shaped by cultural trauma and substance use, which ultimately led him on a path to healing that combined both traditional Native practices and Western approaches to care. Titman’s journey points to the importance of cultural identity in the healing process, a theme central to the work of the Native Dads Network.
The organization’s work is deeply rooted in Native cultural practices, offering a holistic approach to mental health that includes ceremonial healing and the recognition of cultural values. The Native Dads Network operates in Sacramento and serves communities throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona.
Stop Stigma Sacramento will continue to support the efforts to eliminate barriers to mental health care in the Native community, one conversation at a time.
“As we continue to grow, we are not just providing care, we are building trust,” said Titman. “It’s about creating a sense of safety, a space where we can heal in a way that honors our culture.”
Visit the
Native Dads Network website to learn more about their effort to protect and restore the Indigenous family structure through culture, education and intergenerational healing.
This program is funded by the Division of Behavioral Health Services through the voter approved Proposition 63, Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).
