Lessons from the North:

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• Lessons from the North
• Alaskas Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative

Karen Perdue Associate Vice President University
of Alaska February 14, 2006
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• Alaska is . . .
• Rural
• 1.1 person per square mile
• Extreme Temperatures
• -83 Prospect Creek 1973
• 100 Fort Yukon 1915
• Northern most point (Barrow), Eastern most
  point (Aleutians), Western most point (Little
  Diomede Island)
• Home of the Iditarod, official state sport
  Mushing

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Photo by Karen Perdue
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(No Transcript)
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Photo by Nile Mueller
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Odds are good but the goods are odd!
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Relative Size of Alaska compared to the
contiguous United States
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Center for AK Native Health Research 2006
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Center for AK Native Health Research 2006
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Village Health Clinic in Western AK
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BH Workforce Projections
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University of Alaska has a responsibility to be
part of the solution

• Growing Our Own
• Quality
• Quantity
• Place Committed versus Place Bound

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BH Degrees Enrollments
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of Total BH Degrees by Discipline 2005
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• UA Behavioral Health Students are
• Older
• Average 32 years vs 27
• More ethnically diverse
• 23 are Alaska Native vs 13 systemwide
• More use of distance education

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Behavioral Health Career Pathways
Social Work or Community Psychology Masters
Degree
POSITIONSClinicians, Rural Health Service
Providers
Social Work or Psychology Bachelors Degree (120
Credits)
POSITIONSClinical Counseling, Village Program
Supervisor, ICWA Supervisor Addictions Worker
Mental Health Worker
Human Services AAS Degree (60 Credits)
Approved HSV, Psychology, and Social Work
Courses (30 Credits) or Rural Human Services
Certificate (32 Credits)
POSITIONSFamily Service Worker, Alcohol
Counselor, Suicide Prevention Worker, ICWA
Worker, Entry-Level Village Worker, Village-Based
Counselor
12 Selected HSV Credits 12 Selected RHS Credits
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• Rural Human Services
• 220 Students / 25 Cohorts completed 32 credit
  certificates
• 95 Rural indigenous people
• Completion ratio around 80
• 40 pursuing further degree
• Recognized nationally

• Associate Bachelors SW
• Moved to intensive cohort model in 2002, 2004
• Completion rates are improving significantly
• Test scores for distance students are
  comparable to on campus students

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Growing Our Own
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Since May 2004

• Increasing supply from certificate to doctoral
• Improving course and program articulation
• More distance and flexible learning
• Curriculum reflects new practice trends

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Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

• Beneficiaries
• People with Mental Illness
• People with Developmental Disabilities
• People with Chronic Alcoholism
• People with Alzheimers Disease Related
  Disorders

Trustees manage 1 million acres of land and an
endowment.
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Over Four Years

• Expand
• Certificate
• Associate
• Bachelors
• Masters
• Doctoral
• BH Areas
• Social Work
• Human Services
• Psychology
• Residential Care
• Disabilities
• Gerontology
• Training Academy
• Improve
• Integrating Sub. Abuse, Mental Health
• Distance Learning
• Articulation

AMHTA 2.3 Million

• Oversight by
• University (3)
• Alaska Mental
• Health Trust
• Authority (2)
• State of Alaska (1)

5 Million
UA Regents 2.3 Million
State 400,000
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• New PhD in Rural Community Psychology
• Training Academy for Rural Professionals
• More slots in Distance BSW, MSW
• Disabilities credential
• Gerontology

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A Counselor in Every Village Program
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Behavioral Health Career Pathways
BH Clinical Supervisor Social Work or Community
Psychology Masters Degree
POSITIONSClinicians, Rural Health Service
Providers
BH Level IV Clinical Social Work or Psychology
Bachelors Degree (120 Credits)
POSITIONSClinical Counseling, Village Program
Supervisor, ICWA Supervisor Addictions Worker
Mental Health Worker
BHA Level III Clinical Human Services AAS Degree
(60 Credits)
BHA Level II Approved HSV, Psychology, and Social
Work Courses (30 Credits) or Rural Human
Services Certificate (32 Credits)
POSITIONSFamily Service Worker, Alcohol
Counselor, Suicide Prevention Worker, ICWA
Worker, Entry-Level Village Worker, Village-Based
Counselor
BHA Level I 12 Selected HSV Credits 12 Selected
RHS Credits
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Lessons from the North

• Lessons
• Spend the time to bring everyone on board, and
  give people jobs
• Dont assume people wont work together
• Be as inclusive as you can tolerate
• Focus on your numbers
• Focus on what you do well
• Get an early win
• Anything worth doing is worth naming

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Photo by Maia Zelenak