In this special on-the-ground episode, we’re coming to you live from Anchorage, Alaska at the National Association of Rural Mental Health Conference—moose sightings, state fair stories, and all. From the icy beauty of Chickaloon overlooking the Matanuska Glacier to villages with no roads along the Bering Strait, rural takes on a whole new meaning here. We unpack what true community orientation looks like in some of the most remote areas of the country, where resilience is culture and connection is survival. We’ll explore the difference between research done on versus with Indigenous communities, reflect on alarming youth mental health data, and share powerful insights from the Alaska Native Collaborative Hub on protective factors that actually work. Don’t miss this rich conversation on what it really means to build systems with rural communities, not just for them.
In this episode, you will be able to:
- Discover effective strategies for navigating behavioral health systems to better support your community.
- Overcome challenges in rural mental health access by learning innovative solutions and approaches.
- Explore the resilience of indigenous communities and gain insights into effective suicide prevention methods.
- Understand the profound impact of community and culture on mental health and well-being.
- Learn how to implement mobile crisis services in remote areas to provide timely support and intervention.
The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:44 - Introduction to the Behavioral Health System
00:03:23 - Understanding Rural and Frontier Communities
00:09:34 - Youth Suicide and Mental Health Services
00:12:44 - Building Resilience in Indigenous Communities
00:13:06 - Challenges of Telehealth in Remote Areas
00:15:24 - Community-Centered Research
00:18:27 - Protective Factors for Youth
00:19:41 - Focus on Positive Protective Factors
00:23:34 - Community Orientation and Workforce Integration
00:25:19 - The Importance of Community in Workplaces
00:25:49 - Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills
00:26:40 - Self Care and Travel Challenges
00:27:32 - Insight from Alaska's Rural Mental Health Conference
00:28:31 - Call to Action and Conclusion
Links:
- Book-Research is Ceremony-Indigenous research methods
- https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2025/05/01/providence-to-close-alaskas-only-short-term-adolescent-mental-health-crisis-center/
- https://health.alaska.gov/en/education/suicide-facts/
- https://www.anchrr.org
Connect with us:
https://ruralpolicypartners.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/rural-policy-partners/
https://www.facebook.com/facebook.com/ruralpolicypartners
https://www.youtube.com/@ruralpolicypartners
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wxUid2Z3t4E
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