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What is the Hero’s Story Project?

1st-Place Winner of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Mission Daybreak Challenge as Project Hozho.
‍
Fast Company's "World Changing Ideas 2023"

Hero’s Story is a comprehensive solution to reduce isolation and promote community healing amongst AI/AN veterans and Tribal communities via accessible traditional healing practices.

Who We Are

Televeda is a group working to reduce social isolation and loneliness for those who face challenges connecting. Members of the Televeda team include first-generation and 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th- generation immigrants. We are Indigenous peoples, Arizonans, New Yorkers, Africans, Guatemalans, New Mexicans, and Indians. We are varied genders and sexual orientations, we are multi-generational, and we are all passionate about making human connections.

We have deep and powerful partnerships in the communities we support, including Navajo Nation, Hopi, Lakota, Pascua Yaqui, Tohono O’odham, and more. Our work is community-led and always community first.

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What Will the Hero’s Story Project Do?

We’re launching the first Indigenous, community-based platform to facilitate a trusted network of culturally-appropriate interventions & resources that support mental health. In partnership with each community, we're working to deliver care where people need it.

Culturally-competent & Community-led

Digital infrastructure & internet access

Evidence-based interventions & outcomes

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Traditional Healing Modalities

By listening closely to AIAN communities, we support & service their traditional practices as the best solution to combat social isolation & trauma.

Storytelling

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Talking Circles

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Traditional Healers

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Nature Therapy

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Join an Event

Digital Inclusion

The right kind of care in the right place

Televeda is actively engaged with Broadband efforts to increase digital infrastructure on Tribal Lands. We support this effort today through effective digital literacy training and access to devices, and will continue to help improve access to care for all Tribal areas.

Over 67% of AIAN veterans don't use the Veterans Affairs mental health services.

Some rural Tribal Community members, Navajo Nation residents must drive an average of 3-4 hours to access healthcare resources.

Over 73% of households lack broadband access and over 51% lack computers.

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Evidence-Based Research

We incorporate traditional healing practices like storytelling and talking-circle interventions to facilitate community healing. We are establishing a research-based framework that honors traditional methods, unlocking a new path to care. The project builds upon validated practices including peer support, group therapy, and narrative medicine to establish a culturally-sensitive framework uniquely designed for AIANVs.

Collaborate Now

Foundational Infrastructure For Native American populations

Hero’s Story Project Goals

Product

Services

Sustainability

Broadband, devices, & digital-literacy

Culturally appropriate mental health app

Safe, veteran-run peer support groups

Centralized hub of Indigenous programming

Sessions from Traditional Healers & Native Elders

Suicide prevention interventions training

Access to VA resources & benefits

Scalable model across tribes

Collaborate Now

Hero's Story Supporters

abc logoCBS logoPBS logoForbes Logo

Transformation Tales

“Televeda is a true tribal champion, and one of my favorite projects to support. The massive strides they have made in tribal connectivity cannot be understated. This is how public-private partnerships should be done so it can meaningfully help communities”

Teresa Manygoats
Bureau Chief, Arizona Dept. of Health Services

Empowerment Echoes

“The Televeda team has been highly supportive. You can see they are full of passion & truly care about serving the Dine community. I get help for all the logistics- collateral, curriculum and trauma specialists so that we can grow our impact & services in the region.”

Minifred Lilly
Veterans Officer, Navajo Nation Veterans Administration

Nature's Wisdom

“This is the first time the Navajo Nation VA is offering talking circles to the veterans. It is historic as it is much needed. Early feedback from the veterans and Navajo Spring Council have been highly motivating. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Televeda and serving our veterans.”

Bobbie Baldwin
Executive Director, Navajo Nation Veterans Administration

Community Chronicles

"Our virtual women veterans peer support group through Televeda runs every Thursday evening. We have had women from Navajo county, Apache county, homebound veterans who otherwise would not be able to meet, connect with other women veterans and share."

Jessica Roza
Arizona Veterans' Services

Transformation Tales!

"Hosting these virtual sessions with Televeda have been inspiring. One attendee is disabled/homebound and she shared that after attending the group last week and getting support/connecting, she felt excited all week to get up in the morning and get out of bed! She said this group is something to look forward to."

Jordanna Saunders
CEO of Trauma Recovery Services

Transformation Tales

“Televeda is a true tribal champion, and one of my favorite projects to support. The massive strides they have made in tribal connectivity cannot be understated. This is how public-private partnerships should be done so it can meaningfully help communities”

Teresa Manygoats
Bureau Chief, Arizona Dept. of Health Services

Empowerment Echoes

“The Televeda team has been highly supportive. You can see they are full of passion & truly care about serving the Dine community. I get help for all the logistics- collateral, curriculum and trauma specialists so that we can grow our impact & services in the region.”

Minifred Lilly
Veterans Officer, Navajo Nation Veterans Administration

Nature's Wisdom

“This is the first time the Navajo Nation VA is offering talking circles to the veterans. It is historic as it is much needed. Early feedback from the veterans and Navajo Spring Council have been highly motivating. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Televeda and serving our veterans.”

Bobbie Baldwin
Executive Director, Navajo Nation Veterans Administration

Community Chronicles

"Our virtual women veterans peer support group through Televeda runs every Thursday evening. We have had women from Navajo county, Apache county, homebound veterans who otherwise would not be able to meet, connect with other women veterans and share."

Jessica Roza
Arizona Veterans' Services

Transformation Tales

"Hosting these virtual sessions with Televeda have been inspiring. One attendee is disabled/homebound and she shared that after attending the group last week and getting support/connecting, she felt excited all week to get up in the morning and get out of bed! She said this group is something to look forward to."

Jordanna Saunders
CEO of Trauma Recovery Services

Building Trust

“Televeda's transformative initiatives for our indigenous communities & commitment to delivering grassroots, culturally appropriate tech, and mental wellbeing support is evident. They listen intently, build trust, and go above and beyond to meet the complex needs of this demographic.This is an example of a public-private partnership that has led to meaningful work in communities.”

Teresa Manygoats
Bureau Chief, Arizona Dept. of Health Services

Empowerment Echoes

“The Televeda team has been highly supportive. You can see they are full of passion & truly care about serving the Dine community. I get help for all the logistics- collateral, curriculum and trauma specialists so that we can grow our impact & services in the region.”

Minifred Lilly
Veterans Officer, Navajo Nation Veterans Administration

Nature's Wisdom

“This is the first time the Navajo Nation VA is offering talking circles to the veterans. It is historic as it is much needed. Early feedback from the veterans and Navajo Spring Council have been highly motivating. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Televeda and serving our veterans.”

Bobbie Baldwin
Executive Director, Navajo Nation Veterans Administration

Community Chronicles

"Our virtual women veterans peer support group through Televeda runs every Thursday evening. We have had women from Navajo county, Apache county, homebound veterans who otherwise would not be able to meet, connect with other women veterans and share."

Jessica Roza
Arizona Veterans' Services

Transformation Tales!

"Hosting these virtual sessions with Televeda have been inspiring. One attendee is disabled/homebound and she shared that after attending the group last week and getting support/connecting, she felt excited all week to get up in the morning and get out of bed! She said this group is something to look forward to."

Jordanna Saunders
CEO of Trauma Recovery Services

Follow our Project Updates

Press Releases

Navajo Nation Partnership

A collaborative partnership has been officially set up between Televeda & the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration (NNVA) to support AIAN veteran community development.

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Press Releases

RogerThat: Tribal Connectivity

The Tribal Connectivity Project, "Roger That," is an initiative with the Arizona Department of Veteran Services and Televeda, to bridge the digital gap among Native American veterans in Arizona.

Read More
Press Releases

Mission Reconnect: Homeless Vets

Homeless Veterans' Reintegration project to provide physical and mental support for unhoused veterans like workforce development, job training & behavioral health services.

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Case Studies

Lakota IRB Approval

The Televeda & Black Hills team received IRB approval from the Lakota Tribe for the Storytelling Curriculum intervention. This is an important milestone for research validation and commitment to uphold tribal sovereignty.

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Press Releases

Trauma Recovery Services

Trauma Recovery Services, an Indigenous owned & operated behavioral health service will be running virtual peer support sessions on Televeda. Participants are able to share veteran experiences in a place where they feel welcome and safe.

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Follow Project news

Frequently Asked Questions

Slide

The Black Hills Center for American Indian Health is our primary operational and research partner

Additionally, the nation's leading AI/AN public health researchers, cultural experts & veteran service designers are involved in co-design, research & implementation to help scale this across all tribes.

Melody

Melody  
Lewis

Image

Dr. Patricia Nez
‍Henderson

Image

Melody  
Lewis

Learn More

Meet Our
Multidisciplinary Team

Our philosophy is simple — hire a team of diverse, passionate people and foster a culture
that empowers you to do you best work.

Project Management

- Sidnee Peck
Mayank Mishra 

Informal Consultants

- Acknowledgement to Thor Ringler from VA;
Dr. Jennifer Hill (UoA) on Narrative Medicine.

Black Hills Center

- Dr. Patricia NezDr.
Jeff Henderson Lead Research Team

Dr. Bhupin Butaney

- Clinical Psychologist (St. John, Harvard), Mindfulness Curriculum Design

Rebekah Rickner

-Phoenix VA Health Care.
“My Life, My Story” Project

Dr. Roger Walker

- Veteran, Native American.
OneSkyCenter for Public Health

Kyle Mitchell

- Native Veteran
Traditional and Modern Navajo Storyteller

Dr. Renda Madrigal

- Native American.
Instructional Design &  Storytelling Researcher

Wayne Tormala

- Veteran - Facilitator, AZDHS ret. Bureau
Chief,  Emmy Award-Winner

Dr. Czarina Thelen

- Lead Scientific Officer.
Anthropologist & Critical Indigenous Studies

We're actively seeking partnerships and collaborations with Indigenous Communities. If you’re interested in bringing Hero’s Story to your community, let’s talk.

Learn More

Are you a Veteran and seeking a path to connect with others? We’d love to meet you.

Join Class

We’re here to help you!

If you are having thoughts of suicide or know someone who is, contact the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7/365 days a year.

Dial 988 then press 1

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Best Practices & Industry Standards

Currently developed Accessibility Features for Programs include:

WWW logo
Browser based
(no downloads or pins)
Username and password logo
Passwordless Authentication
click logo
1-click access to join classes
universal platform logo
Device, OS and browser agnostic for maximum inclusion
call center help logo
Live human tech supportoptions (via phone,email, chat)
changing account logo
Co-browsing remotescreen to assist usersin real time;
calendar logo
Scheduled email/textreminders to usersfor classes
webcam logo
Private classes forsecurity moderation ofspecial groups

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

Accessibility is never complete and is an ongoing journey. If you would like to make suggestions for improvements, have questions or would like get involved please reach out to accessibility@televeda.com. We take requests for special accommodations. 

  • Universal passwordless login, making the experience easy especially for users with cognitive disabilities.
  • Single Sign on (SSO) patterns to remember user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.
  • Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards & OWASP C1-C8 Controls.
  • User input includes a one-time registration process. All forms are Section 508 compliant.
  • Support for screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields.

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

We take requests for special accommodations. accessibility@televeda.com  Further, user input only includes a one-time form submission during sign up following accessibility guidelines as mentioned herein, including accessible via screen readers, color contrast, fonts for low vision, increased button and input fields for motor functions, and appropriate labeling for fields. The registration form is Section 508 compliant. After that the whole streaming/interactive experience can be operated by users simply by clicks. We leverage Auth0 universal passwordless login, making the experience easy for users with cognitive disabilities. The televeda website for class RSVPs uses JotForm which is the only third-party online form builder that is Section 508 compliant.Compliance with most WCAG 2.0 conformance standards. Registration: Our registration process has been developed without usernames-passwords for highest accessibility. Based on several accessibility studies, we have adopted the approach of not using username-passwords, and chosen invite codes for maximum inclusion. We are adopting Single Sign on (SSO) Patterns with browser cookies to remember the user’s device and enable 1-click access moving forward for utmost convenience.

1International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), “Usable Authentication Methods for Seniors”

2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5662789/, “Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review”, Meta analysis of patient portal software by NIH, mentions log-in issues and other papers with accessibility suggestions,

Leading Industry Standards

Security & Privacy Measures

Protecting vulnerable members is what we do.
You can read more details of our IT Security, Privacy & ToC, and Community Guidelines here.

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SOC 1 and SOC 2/SSAE 16/ISAE 3402
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Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)
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