We are excited to announce our federal listening session schedule during our 2025 National Tribal Health Conference (NTHC) on Monday, September 8, 2025, at Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, AZ. Each year, the NIHB hosts several no-cost Federal Tribal Listening Sessions at NTHC. These sessions are a valuable opportunity for elected Tribal leaders and Federal Agencies to collaborate and formulate policies to advance American Indian and Alaska Native health. This year we are happy to announce four free listening sessions at NTHC 2025.

National Tribal Behavioral Health Listening Session

Time: 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. MT

Description: The National Tribal Behavioral Health Listening Session will provide an opportunity for Tribal leaders to meet with federal officials from the IHS Division of Behavioral Health (DBH), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to discuss Tribal-specific mental health and substance use service and to explore means for increasing access to the provision of quality behavioral healthcare in Indian Country. Additionally, this session will provide a forum for Tribal leaders to discuss Tribal Behavioral Health priorities. As a part of this Listening Session, the SAMHSA, the IHS DBH, and the VA invite participants to share input, recommendations, or ask questions.

Indian Health Service (IHS) Tribal Listening Session

Time: 10:45 a.m. – 12: 45 p.m. MT

Description: This session will allow Tribal leaders to meet with the IHS officials to discuss health policy and program management issues related to the provision of health services to Indian Country. IHS will provide updates on recent consultation and confer activities. As part of this Listening Session, IHS invites the audience to share input, recommendations, or ask questions.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Listening Session

Time: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. MT

Description: The CMS Listening Session will offer an opportunity for CMS leadership to share updates and information about CMS initiatives such as tribal implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBBA) enacted on July 4th, 2025, implementation of the 1115 demonstration proposals for traditional healthcare practices, HHS/CMS Reorganization plans, CMS’ American Indian Alaska Native Quality Improvement Organization Project and other efforts for IHS and Tribal hospitals and facilities. Participants will be able to raise issues and ask questions related to CMS Tribal concerns.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Indigenous Data Sovereignty Policy and Implementation Guidance Related to the NIH American Indian Alaska Native Institutional Review Board Protocol (IRB)

Time: 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. MT

Description: NIH will conduct a Tribal listening session to receive input from Tribal leaders about the implementation process of an NIH internal policy regarding intramural research projects involving Tribes and AIAN communities. NIH supports both intramural research and extramural research. Intramural research is conducted by NIH employed researchers situated at the various NIH facilities throughout the United States. Extramural research is conducted by independent researchers at independent institutions or organizations, who have submitted a meritoriously reviewed NIH grant application and received NIH funding. NIH recently implemented an internal policy in which intramural research projects involving AIAN populations will receive pre-proposal review and guidance from the NIH Tribal Health Research Office (THRO), prior to review by an NIH AIAN focused IRB. During this Tribal listening session, NIH would like guidance from Tribal leaders, research review and/or IRB committee members, as well as Tribal health researchers regarding implementation approaches and recommendations for NIH intramural investigators to properly fulfill the AI/AN IRB policy and to ensure alignment with Tribal research codes and laws as applicable.

How to Register for the Listening Sessions

Registration for the conference is now open and the listening sessions are free to attend. To register for the free sessions, navigate to our registration site using the link above and select “Listening Sessions/No-Cost Sessions/Events” option at the top of the screen. If you have already registered for the full conference, you do not need to re-register for the listening sessions.

NIHB is honored to help facilitate communication between our federal partners and Tribal leaders and hope you can join us for these sessions. To learn more about Listening Sessions at NTHC 2025, please contact Garrett Lankford at glankford@nihb.org.