Personal Summary

Dr. Belcourt (Aímmóniisiaki/Mdbogay-Otterwoman) Chairs Native American Studies and is an American Indian Professor in the College of Health at the University of Montana’s School of Public and Community Health Sciences Departments (enrolled tribal member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, Mandan, Hidatsa, Blackfeet, and Chippewa descent). She completed her clinical training and doctoral studies in clinical psychology with advanced postdoctoral science training completed at the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health. She has worked clinically with diverse populations, including combat veterans, Native Americans, and low-income populations specializing in posttraumatic stress reactions and multiple psychiatric conditions. Her research and clinical priorities include mental health disparities, posttraumatic stress reactions, risk, resiliency, psychiatric disorder, and environmental public health within the cultural context of American Indian communities. She currently teaches American Indian public health courses. She was selected by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health to serve as a JPB Environmental Health Fellow 2014-2018. She was raised on the Blackfeet Reservation and is mother to three children. She is a mentor to Native American students, a writer, a film producer, and a proud alumnus of the University of Montana (BA '96, MA '03, PhD '06) and Browning High School ('92). She was a Ford Foundation Fellow at the predoctoral and dissertation level and has been a funded researcher by the NIH since 2006. She currently serves as a faculty senator for the University of Montana and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Senate. Dr. Belcourt has conducted grant-funded collaborative research projects with Native communities at UM and during work at the University of Colorado Denver Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health. Publications have appeared in the American Journal of Public Health, Psychological Bulletin, American Psychologist, Educational and Psychological Measurement, and Transcultural Psychiatry.

Education

B.A. University of Montana Psychology 1996

M.A. University of Montana Clinical Psychology 2003

 Denver Veteran’s Affairs 2006 Medical Center Pre-Doctoral Internship

Ph.D University of Montana Clinical Psychology 2006

Teaching Experience

Academic Appointments:

 

2006–2007                  Researcher, Black Hills State University

2006–2007                  Research Associate, American Indian and Alaska Native Programs, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine University of Colorado Denver

2007–2010                  Instructor, Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, University of Colorado Denver

2010-2015                   Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice/Community and Public Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Montana

2015-2020                   Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice/Community and Public Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Montana

2020-Current              Professor, Community and Public Health Sciences, College of Health, The University of Montana 

Research Interests

American Indian and Alaska Native health disparities research. Areas of focus: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; trauma; mental health; environmental health; community-engaged research; intervention and prevention.

 

Field of Study

Mental Health; Environment; Ethics

Selected Publications

Presentations:
 

Belcourt, A & Warne, D. (2022) Improving health for all: Reducing structural inequities in Indigenous Montana.Invited Keynote at The Montana Hospital Association (MHA) and Montana Primary Care Association (MPCA)2022Montana Healthcare Conference, Billings, MT.

 

Belcourt. A. (2022) Invited Keynote: Creating positive mental health strategies: Indigenous and psychological best practices in wellness. Mental Health Summit held at MSU Billings in conjunction with the MUS-BOR meeting, Billings, MT.

 

Belcourt, A. (2022) Invited keynote presentation at the Blackfeet Nation International Research Conference: Gifts of Scarface. Post-traumatic growth and healing following a global pandemic: Research and Clinical practice, Browning, MT.

 

Belcourt, A., Running Wolf, P., Paul, K (2022) Invited keynote presentation at the Blackfeet Nation International Research Conference: Gifts of Scarface. Blackfeet Nation IRB: Ethics and guiding processes for equity. Browning, MT
 

Belcourt, A. (2022)Post-traumatic growth and healing following a global pandemic: Research and Clinical practice,Invited presentation at the Harvard School of Public Health Sciences Environmental Public Health Fellowship.

 

Belcourt, A & Warne, D. (2022) Improving health for all: Reducing structural inequities in Indigenous Montana. Invited Keynote at The Montana Hospital Association (MHA) and Montana Primary Care Association (MPCA) 2022 Montana Healthcare Conference, Billings, MT.

 

Belcourt. A. (2022) Invited Keynote: Creating positive mental health strategies: Indigenous and psychological best practices in wellness. Mental Health Summit held at MSU Billings in conjunction with the MUS-BOR meeting, Billings, MT.

 

Invited Podcasts and Science outreach on Indigenous Science:

 

Belcourt, A. (2022). Indigenous Health and Healing. Environmental Health News: Agents of Change in Environmental Justice: https://www.ehn.org/mental-health-indigenous-2657647468.html

 

Belcourt, A. (2022) Professor Spotlight: Annie Belcourt. University of Montana Confluence Podcast.

https://www.umt.edu/grad/telling-our-story/stories-folder/annie-belcourt-otter-woman.php

 

Publications:

 

Carrión, D., Belcourt, A., & Fuller, C. H. (2022). Heading Upstream: Strategies to Shift Environmental Justice Research From Disparities to Equity. American Journal of Public Health, 112(1), 59-62.

 

Holter, O. G., Goforth, A. N., Pyke‐Pierce, K., Aguilar, L. N., & Belcourt, A. (2022). School‐based racial microaggressions and depression among Indigenous young adults. Psychology in the Schools.

 

Walker, E. S., Semmens, E. O., Belcourt, A., Boyer, B. B., Erdei, E., Graham, J., ... & Noonan, C. W. (2022). Efficacy of air filtration and education interventions on indoor fine particulate matter and child lower respiratory tract infections among rural US homes heated with wood stoves: results from the KidsAIR randomized trial. Environmental health perspectives, 130(4), 047002.

 

Russette, H., Brown, J., Belcourt, A., McKay, K., Graham, N., & Semmens, E. O. (2022). Identifying family-child activities among children with prenatal drug exposure in a Tribal Nation: Caregiver perspectives on barriers, facilitators and positive outcomes. Plos one, 17(9), e0273989.

 

Walker, E. S., Noonan, C. W., Belcourt, A., Boulafentis, J., Garcia, C., Graham, J., ... & Ward, T. J. (2022). Efficacy of air filtration and education interventions on fine particulate matter among rural Native American homes heated with wood stoves: Results from the EldersAIR randomized trial. Science of The Total Environment, 843, 157029.

 

Brown, B., Pedersen, M., Harrington, J., Belcourt, A., Windchief, S., Thomas, A., ... & Wu, K. (2022). Exploring personal, relational, and collective experiences and mentorship connections that enhance or inhibit professional development and career advancement of native American faculty in STEM fields: A qualitative study. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.

 

Publications

 

2022 Presentations:

Belcourt, A & Warne, D. (2022) Improving health for all: Reducing structural inequities in Indigenous Montana.Invited Keynote at The Montana Hospital Association (MHA) and Montana Primary Care Association (MPCA)2022Montana Healthcare Conference, Billings, MT.

Belcourt. A. (2022) Invited Keynote: Creating positive mental health strategies: Indigenous and psychological best practices in wellness. Mental Health Summit held at MSU Billings in conjunction with the MUS-BOR meeting, Billings, MT.

Belcourt, A. (2022) Invited keynote presentation at the Blackfeet Nation International Research Conference: Gifts of Scarface. Post-traumatic growth and healing following a global pandemic: Research and Clinical practice, Browning, MT.

Belcourt, A., Running Wolf, P., Paul, K (2022) Invited keynote presentation at the Blackfeet Nation International Research Conference: Gifts of Scarface. Blackfeet Nation IRB: Ethics and guiding processes for equity. Browning, MT

Belcourt, A. (2022)Post-traumatic growth and healing following a global pandemic: Research and Clinical practice,Invited presentation at the Harvard School of Public Health Sciences Environmental Public Health Fellowship.

Belcourt, A & Warne, D. (2022) Improving health for all: Reducing structural inequities in Indigenous Montana. Invited Keynote at The Montana Hospital Association (MHA) and Montana Primary Care Association (MPCA) 2022 Montana Healthcare Conference, Billings, MT.

Belcourt. A. (2022) Invited Keynote: Creating positive mental health strategies: Indigenous and psychological best practices in wellness. Mental Health Summit held at MSU Billings in conjunction with the MUS-BOR meeting, Billings, MT.

Invited Podcasts and Science outreach on Indigenous Science:

Belcourt, A. (2022). Indigenous Health and Healing. Environmental Health News: Agents of Change in Environmental Justice: https://www.ehn.org/mental-health-indigenous-2657647468.html

Belcourt, A. (2022) Professor Spotlight: Annie Belcourt. University of Montana Confluence Podcast.

https://www.umt.edu/grad/telling-our-story/stories-folder/annie-belcourt-otter-woman.php

Publications:

Carrión, D., Belcourt, A., & Fuller, C. H. (2022). Heading Upstream: Strategies to Shift Environmental Justice Research From Disparities to Equity. American Journal of Public Health, 112(1), 59-62.

Holter, O. G., Goforth, A. N., Pyke‐Pierce, K., Aguilar, L. N., & Belcourt, A. (2022). School‐based racial microaggressions and depression among Indigenous young adults. Psychology in the Schools.

Walker, E. S., Semmens, E. O., Belcourt, A., Boyer, B. B., Erdei, E., Graham, J., ... & Noonan, C. W. (2022). Efficacy of air filtration and education interventions on indoor fine particulate matter and child lower respiratory tract infections among rural US homes heated with wood stoves: results from the KidsAIR randomized trial. Environmental health perspectives, 130(4), 047002.

Russette, H., Brown, J., Belcourt, A., McKay, K., Graham, N., & Semmens, E. O. (2022). Identifying family-child activities among children with prenatal drug exposure in a Tribal Nation: Caregiver perspectives on barriers, facilitators and positive outcomes. Plos one, 17(9), e0273989.

Walker, E. S., Noonan, C. W., Belcourt, A., Boulafentis, J., Garcia, C., Graham, J., ... & Ward, T. J. (2022). Efficacy of air filtration and education interventions on fine particulate matter among rural Native American homes heated with wood stoves: Results from the EldersAIR randomized trial. Science of The Total Environment, 843, 157029.

 

Brown, B., Pedersen, M., Harrington, J., Belcourt, A., Windchief, S., Thomas, A., ... & Wu, K. (2022). Exploring personal, relational, and collective experiences and mentorship connections that enhance or inhibit professional development and career advancement of native American faculty in STEM fields: A qualitative study. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.

 

 

 

Publications:

Walker, E.S., Noonan, C.W., Semmens, E.O., Ware, D., Smith, P., Boyer, B.B., Erdei, E., Hopkins, S.E., Lewis, J., Belcourt, A. and Ward, T.J. (2021), Indoor fine particulate matter and demographic, household, and wood stove characteristics among rural US homes heated with wood fuel. Indoor Air. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12808

Walters, K. L. Johnson-Jennings, M., Stroud, S., Rasmus, S., Charles, B., Simeon, J., Allen, J., Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula, J., Look, M. A., & de Silva, M., Lowe, J., Baldwin, J., Lawrence, G, Brooks, J., Noonan, C. W., Belcourt, A., Quintana, E., Semmens, E. O., & Boulafentis, J. (2020) Growing from Our Roots: Strategies for Developing Culturally Grounded Prevention Programs in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Communities. Prevention Science 21, 54–64.

Dickerson DL, Baldwin J, Belcourt A, Belone L, Gittelsohn J, Kaholokula, JK, Lowe J, Patten C, & Wallerstein, N. (2020) Encompassing Cultural Contexts within Scientific Research Methodologies in the Development of Health Promotion Interventions. Prevention Science, 21, pages 33–42.

Gittelsohn, J, Belcourt, A., Booth-LaForce, C., Duran, B., Magarati, M., Mishra, S., Belone, L., Blue Bird Jernigan, V. (2020). Building Capacity for Productive Tribal-University Partnerships. Prevention Science 21, pages 22–32

Stanley, L. R., Swaim, R. C., Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula^, J., Kelly, K. J., Belcourt, A. & Allen, J. (2020) The Imperative for Research to Promote Health Equity in Indigenous Communities. Prevention Science 21, pages 13–21.  

Pearson, C. R., Smartlowit Briggs, L., Belcourt, A., Bedard Gilligan, M., & Kaysen, D. (2018). Building a Tribal–Academic Partnership to Address PTSD, Substance Misuse, and HIV Among American Indian Women. Health Promotion Practice,152483991876212.

Olvera, H. A., Appleton, A., Fuller C. H., Belcourt, A., Kubzansky, L. D. (2018) An Integrated Socio-Environmental Model of Health and Well-being: A conceptual framework exploring the joint contribution of environmental and social exposures to health and disease over the life span. Current Environmental Health Reports.

Belcourt, A. E. (2018) The hidden health inequalities that American Indians and Alaskan Natives face. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/the-hidden-health-inequalities-that-american-indians-and-alaskan-natives-face-89905 

Pearson, C. R., Kaysen, D., Belcourt, A., Stappenbeck, C. A., Zhou, C., Smartlowit-Briggs, L., & Whitefoot, P. (2015). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Rural American Indian/Alaska Native Women. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research (Online), 22(3), 1–20.

Jernigan,V. B. B., Peercy, M.,  Branam, D., Saunkeah, B.,  Wharton, D., Winkleby, M., Lowe, J., Salvatore, A., Dickerson, D., Belcourt, A.,  D’Amico, E.,  Patten, C. A.,  Parker, M., Duran, B.,  Harris, R., and Buchwald, D. (2015) Beyond Health Equity: Achieving Wellness Within American Indian and Alaska Native Communities. American Journal of Public Health.

Yuan, N. P., Belcourt, A., Schultz, K., Packard, G., & Duran, B. M. (2014). Research agenda for violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women: Toward the development of strength-based and resilience interventions. Psychology of Violence, 5(4), 367-73.

Johnson-Jennings, M. D. & Belcourt, A. & Town, M. & Walls, M. L. & Walters, K. L. (2014) Racial Discrimination’s Influence on Smoking Rates among American Indian Alaska Native Two-Spirit Individuals: Does Pain Play a Role? Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, vol. 25 no. 4, 2014, pp. 1667-1678. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/hpu.2014.0193

Belcourt, A., Swaney, G., & Kelley, A. (2014). Indigenous methodologies in research:

Social justice and sovereignty: Foundations of community-based research

Indigenous sovereignty anthology, Shanley, K. Editor.

Jervis, L. L., Spicer, P., Belcourt-Dittloff, A., Novins, D. K., Sarche, M., Fickenscher, A., and Beals, J. (2013). The social construction of violence among American Indians with Antisocial Personality Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder. Transcultural Psychiatry, 1-24. DOI: 10.1177/1363461513501710.

Kelley, A., Belcourt-Dittloff, A., Belcourt, C., Belcourt, G. (2013). Indigenous Regulation of Research: Lessons learned from an Inter-Tribal Regional Institutional Review Board. American Journal of Public Health, 103(12), pp. 2146-2151.

Greenfield, B., Skewes, M. C., Dionne, R., Davis, B., Cwik, M., Venner, K., & Belcourt-Dittloff, A. (2013). Treatment for American Indians and Alaska Natives: Considering cultural adaptations. The Behavior Therapist, 36(6), 146-151.

Beals, J., Belcourt-Dittloff, A., Garroutte, E. M., Croy, C., Jervis, L. L., Rumbaugh-Whitesell, N., Mitchell, C. M., Manson, S. M. & the AI-SUPERPFP team (2013). Trauma and conditional risk of posttraumatic stress disorder in two American Indian reservation communities. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 48:895–905.

Belcourt-Dittloff, A., Swaney, G., & Belcourt, G (2011) Tribal Borders: Confronting health disparities and accessible care Northwest Public Health Journal.

Beals, J., Belcourt-Dittloff, A., Freedenthal, S., Kaufman, C.,  Mitchell, T., Whitesell, N., Albright, K.,  Beauvais, F.,  Belcourt, G. M.,  Duran, B., Fleming, C., Floersch, N., Foley, K.,  Jervis, L.,  Kipp, B., Mail, P.,  Manson, S. M., May, P.,  Mohatt, G.,  Morse, B., Novins, D., O’Connell, J.,  Parker, T., Quintero, G., Spicer, P., Stiffman, A., Stone, J., Trimble, J., Venner, K., & Walters, K. (2009). Reflections on a proposed theory of reservation-dwelling American Indian alcohol use: Comment on Spillane and Smith 2007. Psychological Bulletin, 135(2).

Engaged scholarship with Tribal communities. Sarche, M., Novins, D., & Belcourt-Dittloff, A. Invited chapter to appear in Fitzgerald, H. E., Burack, C., & Seifer, S. (Eds). (2010). Handbook of Engaged Scholarship: The contemporary landscape. (Vol. 1). East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.

Bryant-Davis, T., Tillman, S. Chung, H. Belcourt-Dittloff, A. (2009). From the margins to the center: Ethnic minority women and the mental health effects of sexual assault. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 10(4), 330-357.

Bryant-Davis, T., Tillman, S., Belcourt-Dittloff, A., Chung, H (2009). The cultural context of trauma recovery: The experiences of ethnic minority women. In Diversity in Mind and Action (Ed. Jean Chin). Greenwood Publishing.

Belcourt-Dittloff, A. & Belcourt, G. M. (2006). Promoting Best Practices in Indian Country: Strengthening Traditional Medicine and Cultural Resilience. Prepared for the Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council, Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human        Services.

Belcourt-Dittloff, A. & Stewart, J. D. (2000) Historical racism: Implications for Native Americans. American Psychologist, 55(10), 1166-1167.

Caruso, J.C., Witkiewitz, K., Belcourt-Dittloff, A., & Gottlieb, J.D. (2001). Reliability of Scores from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire: A reliability generalization study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 61(4), 675-689.

Professional Experience

Hospital or Professional Positions:

1994-1997                   Bilingual Instructional Assistant for Native American Students (K-8), Missoula Public School District

1995-1996                   Student Assault Recovery Service, Curry Health Center, University of Montana

2000-2003                   Graduate Student Therapist, Clinical Psychology Center, University of Montana

2001 -  2002                Therapist, Partnership Health Center, Access to Therapy Program

2003-2005                   Graduate Student Therapist, Curry Health Center Counseling and Psychological Services

2005-2006                   Predoctoral Psychology Intern Denver Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center    

 

Committee Appointments

 

2007-2012      Billings Area Indian Health Services Representative, Indian Health Service Behavioral Workgroup, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

2007-2010       Site Visitor, Native Aspirations Suicide Prevention Program Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

2010                Missoula Indian Center Board of Directors (Interim Board Member)

2010-               Montana Geriatric Education Center Administrative Board

2010-               Montana Geriatric Education Center Curriculum Committee

2010-2013       Montana Traumatic Brain Injury Center Board of Directors

2010-               Skaggs Scholar Scholarship Committee

2010-2019       YWCA Board member

2011-2019       Racial Justice Taskforce Committee YWCA

2011-2013       Native American Studies Scholarship Committee-The University of Montana

2011-2015       University of Montana School of Community and Public Health Instruction Committee Chair

2013-2019       University of Montana Faculty Senator

2013-2019       University of Montana Athletic Committee

2013-2017       University of Montana Sexual Assault Committee

2013-               Diversity Advisory Committee

2013-2014       National Institute of Health Community Health Influences on Health Behavior Study Section member

2013-2019       National Academy of Science Ford Foundation Fellowship Psychology Panel, Chair

2014-2019       College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences Diversity Workgroup, Chair

2019-               University of Montana Faculty Senator

2021-               University of Montana Executive Committee of Faculty Senate 

International Experience

Has traveled for science scholarship internationally. Presentations primarily as research is with Tribal communities and Nations in the United States.

Hobbies

Dr. Belcourt enjoys reading, writing, music, her family, and spending time in her Indigenous homelands.