2015 cultural retreat newsletterpsyphd.uaa.alaska.edu/fall15newsletter.pdf ·...

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Community!Corner!

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Cultural!Committee!Newsletter!!Volume!2!

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October!2015!

Inside!

UAA9UAF!PhD!Program!in!Clinical9Community!Psychology!

The!Annual!Cultural!Experience!

“Where your talents

and the needs of the

world cross, there

lies your cal ling.”

Mission!Statement:!!!

The! PhD! Program! in! Clinical9Community! Psychology! is!designed!to!create!scientist9practitioners!who!join!theory,!practice,! and! research! to! meet! the! behavioral! health!needs! and! to! improve! the! wellbeing! of! Alaskan,! rural,!circumpolar,! and! culturally! diverse! peoples! and!communities.! The! program! integrates! clinical! and!community! psychology! and! focuses! on! applications! of!rural,! indigenous,!and!cultural!psychology! for! the!benefit!of!all!people.!

!http://psyphd.alaska.edu/studenthandbook.pdf!

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Faculty!Spotlight!!

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~!Aristotle!

Upcoming!Events!

The!Cultural!Committee!

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Campus!Clubs!

19! Student!Spotlight!

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Cultural!Committee!Newsletter! Volume!2:!October!2015!

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Upcoming!Events!

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5th!Friday!Talk:!Chinese!Medicine!as!Somatic!Psychology!

Presented!by!Michael!Aanavi,!PhD,!LAc!Friday,!October!30th!from!6:00!pm!9!7:30!pm!Location:!UAA!Social!Sciences!Building,!room!302!and!UAF!Gruening!Building,!room!209!

!Urban!&!Rural!in!Alaska:!

Community!Engagement!at!UAA!Conference!

!Friday!November!6th!from!9:00!am!–!1:30!pm!Location:!UAA!Lucy!Cuddy!Hall!!Dr.!Rebecca!Volino!Robinson!will!be!presenting!from!9:30!am!–!10:30!am!on!the!Community!Psychology!Research!Collaborative!refugee!needs!assessment!!

UAAKUAF!Cultural!Event!&!Open!House!The!cultural!committee!is!planning!a!potluck!style!open!house!where!everyone!is!invited!to!come!and!share!their!culture!through!food,!dance,!symbols,!or!dialogues.!This!event!will!provide!undergraduates!students!with!the!opportunity!to!learn!about!the!program!and!will!give!the!PhD!students!an!opportunity!to!mentor!and!interact!with!potential,!future!colleagues!and!leaders.!The!date!will!be!in!the!end!of!January.!Watch!for!more!details!!

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The!2015!Cultural!Experience!was!a!great!success!thanks!to!everyone!involved,!whether!directly,!indirectly,!or!in!spirit!!!This!year’s!experience!provided!opportunities!to!learn!about!invaluable!cultural!knowledge,!to!share!of!one’s!self!through!talking!circles,!to!create!a!collaborative!art!piece!that!can!be!enjoyed!jointly!across!campuses,!to!be!in!nature,!and!to!see!old!and!new!friends!alike.!Thank!you!to!everyone!that!came,!and!we!hope!to!see!everyone!at!the!next!cultural!experience!!

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2015!Annual!Cultural!Experience!

Associated!Student!of!UAF!for!their!gracious!funding!of!$2000.!!Birchwood!Camp!for!hosting,!housing,!feeding,!accommodating,!and!providing!a!fabulous!venue!for!the!cultural!experience.!!Our!Cultural!Elders,!Iva!GreyWolf,!Elizabeth!Fleagle,!Rita!Blumenstein,!Max!Chickalusion,!and!Sam!Demientiff!for!sharing!of!themselves,!their!cultures,!their!wisdom,!and!their!important!community!work.!

Special

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Back!left!to!right:!Adrienne!Hampton,!Maria!Crouch,!Brionne!Elkins,!Jake!Chapman,!Mike!Worrall,!Valerie!Gifford,!Kirsten!Hagen,!Ali!Marvin,!Omar!Gomez!Middle!left!to!right:!Ellen!Lopez,!Kimmie!Yatsushiro,!Inna!Rivkin,!Amanda!Zold,!Pat!Sandberg,!Xiomara!Owens,!Brittany!Murrell,!Kendra!Campbell,!Ann!Thomas,!Annie!Laweryson!Front!left!to!right:!Jocelyn!McGee,!Iva!GreyWolf,!Elizabeth!Fleagle,!Rita!Blumenstein,!Max!Chickalusion,!Sam!Demientiff!

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!Maria!Christina!Crouch!is!a!second!year!doctoral!student!of!Mexican,!Deg!Hit'an,!and!Scandinavian!heritage.!Her!research!and!clinical!passions!are!rooted!in!Alaska!Native!mental!health,!gender!and!sexuality,!and!cultural!diversity.!!

!Omar!Gomez!is!a!first9year!doctoral!student.!!His!research!interests!include!anxiety!disorders!and!trauma9!and!stressor9related!disorders,!the!efficacy!of!Dialectical!Behavioral!Therapy!with!American!Indian/Native!Alaskan!populations,!and!community9based!participatory!research.!!!!!

!Dhara!Shah!is!a!second!year!doctoral!student!of!East!Indian!heritage.!Her!research!interests!include!the!application!of!health!psychology!to!improve!health!outcomes,!as!well!as!the!evaluation!and!adaptation!of!behavioral!treatments!with!populations!historically!underserved!with!mental!health!resources.!

!Brionne!Elkins!is!a!second!year!doctoral!student.!His!research!interests!include!the!identification!of!how!the!digital!frontier!has!and!will!continue!to!reshape!the!human!condition!in!a!pan9cultural!capacity,!as!well!as!the!ethics!of!involving!technology!within!clinical!settings.!

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The!Cultural!Committee!would!like!to!extend!a!most!special!thanks!to!former!committee!member!Brittany!Murrell.!Brittany!was!an!invaluable!contributor!to!the!vision!and!goals!of!the!committee,!she!dedicated!endless!hours!of!her!time,!and!she!continues!to!strive!to!evolve!her!own!critical!consciousness!whilst!raising!critical!consciousness!among!her!peers.!!Brittany!imbues!her!work!and!her!life!with!cultural!awareness!and!diversity!and!represents!an!active!example!of!the!vision!of!this!committee.!!

“I've!been!a!student!of!the!Ph.D.!program!going!on!four!years.!I'm!currently!working!on!applying!to!internship!and!completing!my!dissertation.!Recently,!phase!1!of!my!dissertation!was!approved!9!HOORAY!!The!dissertation!project!engages!multidisciplinary!perspectives!and!expertise!pertaining!to!engaging!audiences!via!theatrical!productions!to!address!social!and!psychological!issues!in!communities.!Specifically,!I'll!be!conducting!a!mixed9method!repeated!measures!design!to!track!change!across!audience!related!outcomes.!I've!had!the!advantage!of!an!incredibly!supportive!dissertation!committee,!and!encourage!everyone!to!seek!that!out!for!themselves.!I!also!had!the!opportunity!to!get!involved!in!a!committee!this!year,!which!was!a!rewarding!experience!and!allowed!me!to!build!stronger!relationships!with!peer!students!and!faculty.!It!was!also!a!welcome!creative!outlet!that!nurtured!other!areas!of!my!interests!(e.g.,!event!planning,!art,!design).!I'd!recommend!joining!sometime!in!your!academic!career!9!I!had!a!lot!of!fun!and!met!some!pretty!awesome!people.!Personally,!this!year!was!a!bit!of!an!emotional!whirlwind.!My!mother!was!diagnosed!with!cervical!and!ovarian!cancer.!She!was!fortunate!enough!to!get!medical!intervention!quickly!and!is!now!a!survivor.!Just!recently,!I!helped!my!best!friend!bring!her!first!child!into!the!world,!my!goddaughter,!Lily.!Throughout!all!my!experiences!in!this!program,!all!the!work!and!long!hours,!the!missed!events,!and!random!craziness!9!one!thing!has!always!seen!me!through!9!the!support!of!incredible!friends.!I'd!like!to!end!expressing!my!gratitude!to!all!the!wonderful!people!who!have!been!a!part!of!this!journey!with!me!and!who!have!taken!the!time!to!check9in.!Thank!you.”

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!Dr.!E.!J.!R.!David,!PhD!

Associate!Professor!at!the!University!of!Alaska!Anchorage!in!the!Joint!Ph.D.!Program!in!Clinical9Community!Psychology!that!has!a!Cultural!and!Indigenous!emphasis.!He!is!also!Director!of!the!Alaska!Native!Community!Advancement!in!Psychology!Program.!His!research!on!the!psychological!effects!of!internalized!oppression!as!experienced!by!different!ethnic!and!cultural!groups!started!while!he!was!in!graduate!school!at!the!University!of!Illinois!at!Urbana9Champaign.!Dr.!David!is!the!author!of!"Brown!Skin,!White!Minds:!Filipino!9/!American!Postcolonial!Psychology"!and!the!editor!of!"Internalized!Oppression:!The!Psychology!of!Marginalized!Groups."!For!more!info,!check!out!!www.ejrdavid.wix.com/ejrdavid!!

!Dr.!Rebecca!Robinson,!PhD!

Assistant!Professor!of!Psychology!at!UAA.!Dr.!Robinson!coordinates!the!UAA!Community!Psychology!Research!Collaborative!(CPRC).!The!mission!of!CPRC!is!to!promote!mentored!research!and!practice!grounded!in!the!principles!of!Community!Psychology.!Dr.!Robinson's!program!of!research!and!practice!is!focused!on!understanding!and!promoting!resilience!in!the!context!of!refugee!resettlement.!She!recently!completed!a!local!refugee!needs!assessment,!a!project!funded!by!the!UAA!Selkregg!Community!Engagement!and!Service!Learning!Award!and!the!APA!Society!for!Community!Research!and!Action.!Dr.!Robinson!is!working!closely!with!the!local!community!to!mobilize!the!knowledge!produced!through!this!research,!turning!the!data!into!action!through!political!advocacy,!program!development,!and!community!capacity!building.!

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!Dr.!Valerie!Gifford,!PhD,!MSW!

Assistant!Professor,!University!of!Alaska!Fairbanks!School!of!Education,!Counseling!Program.!In!conjunction!with!this!position,!she!assumed!a!new!role!as!the!Interim!Director!of!Clinical!Training!and!Program!Director!for!the!Joint!UAF/UAA!Clinical!and!Community!Psychology!Ph.D.!Program!with!Rural!and!Indigenous!Emphases.!!Val!is!committed!to!developing!a!culturally!attuned!educational!and!behavioral!healthcare!workforce!in!rural!Alaska.!With!training!as!a!clinical!social!worker!and!clinical!psychologist,!she!maintains!teaching,!research,!and!service!interests!that!promote!the!spirit!of!culturally!grounded!behavioral!healthcare!services!and!educational!opportunities!that!embrace!rural!value!systems!and!Indigenous!ways!of!knowing!and!healing.!!As!a!former!school!counselor!and!school!social!worker!living!and!working!in!rural!Alaska,!Val!holds!tightly!to!grassroots!community!efforts!that!address!those!concerns!as!identified,!defined!and!solved!from!within.!!As!someone!growing!up!and!living!rurally!for!most!of!her!life,!she!is!committed!to!the!healthcare!and!educational!needs!of!rural!residents!and!Indigenous!populations.!!She!holds!a!Ph.D.!in!Clinical!Psychology!and!an!MSW!in!Social!Work.!!!

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Faculty!Members:!

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Sharon Campbell Executive Director of Denakkanaaga

“Elders teach

and mentor the

next generation”

Our!core!values/!commitments!are:!• Having!a!united!voice!

to!keep!the!Native!voice!stronger!for!positive!action!

• Continuing!our!Native!traditions,!art,!cultural!values,!language!and!subsistence!lifestyle!

• Unity!among!Native!organizations!and!people!

Our!core!programs!are:!• Peer!support!of!each!

other!(elder!to!elder)!• Support!and!mentor!

the!next!generation!• Cultural!programs!• Regional!voice!on!

issues/concerns!

!How!long!have!you!been!the!Executive!Director!of!Denakkanaaga?!“I!have!been!the!executive!director!since!February!2014.!Prior!to!that!I!was!vice9president!of!communications!at!Doyon,!Limited!for!five!years!and!executive!director!of!Doyon!Foundation!for!six!and!a!half!years.”!

What!is!the!mission!of!Denakkanaaga?!“Denakkanaaga!is!the!regional!non9profit!organization!that!advocates)on)

behalf)and)for)our)

Native)elders!in!Interior!Alaska.!Our!mission!is!simply!to!be!the!elder)voice)for)the)people.”!

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What!have!been!some!of!the!biggest!challenges!you've!faced?!“As!with!any!non9profit,!the!biggest!challenge!is!having!enough!funds!to!carry!out!our!work.!Also,!being!a!regional!organization!for!such!a!large!area!(42!villages)!can!be!challenging!in!that!the!people!we!serve!are!so!spread!out!–!and!most!do!not!have!internet/email.”!

What!kind!of!support!have!you!received!from!the!community?!“We!are!so!fortunate!to!have!the!support!of!our!Native!“sister”!organizations!–!Doyon,!Limited,!which!is!our!largest!contributor,!Tanana!Chiefs!Conference,!Fairbanks!Native!Association!and!Interior!Regional!Housing!Authority.!!One)of)our)larger)events)is)our)annual)Denakkanaaga)Elders)

and)Youth)Conference)held)each)June)in)a)rural)community)

within)Interior)Alaska.!We!usually!double!or!triple!the!village’s!population!when!we!hold!our!conference.!It’s!important!though!to!hold!it!in!one!of!our!42!Interior!villages,!because!that!way!the!leadership!and!other!participants!get!a!firsthand!look!at!what!living!in!a!rural!setting!is!really!like!–!and!what!the!challenges!are!to!receive!assistance,!services…!things!that!those!in!urban!settings!take!for!granted.”!

What!advice!do!you!have!for!people!wanting!to!get!more!involved!in!community!service!with!organizations!like!Denakkanaaga?!“The!simplest!thing!is!to!ask!what!is!needed!and!then!get!involved.!Assistance!is!always!welcomed!and!appreciated.”!

Why!is!this!work!important!to!you?!“Interior!Alaska,!like!other!areas!across!the!nation!will!soon!be!seeing!an!“elder!tsunami”!as!baby!boomers!age.!With!that!comes!increased!needs!for!services!and!assistance!for!our!elders,!which!Denakkanaaga!works!to!achieve.!Along!with!that,!there!is!also!the!cultural!aspect!to!our!work!as!elders!teach!and!mentor!the!next!generation.!It!is!important!that!our!Native!ways!are!carried!on,!including!our!languages,!traditions,!cultural!values,!art,!and!subsistence!lifestyle.”!

What!is!important!to!keep!in!mind!when!working!with!Native!Elders,!or!with!those!who!have!different!cultural!backgrounds?!“Good!question.!I!would!suggest!researching!or!asking!what!their!customs!are!before!working!with!elders!and!those!with!a!different!cultural!background.!For!example,!some!of!our!elders!and!those!in!the!Native!community!do!not!look!directly!into!someone’s!eyes!and!have!been!taught!to!be!quiet!until!spoken!to.!Also!–!remember!that!English!is!a!most!likely!a!second!language!to!them.!So!you!need!to!give!them!time!to!respond!to!a!question!999!most!of!them!will!hear!the!question,!then!think!about!it!in!their!Native!language!and!finally!translate!it!into!English!to!respond.!In!this!day!and!age!of!“instant”!everything,!many!will!expect!an!answer!right!away!and!start!talking!again!if!an!elder!or!Native!individual!doesn’t!respond!right!away!and!there!is!silence.!You!need!to!give!them!time!to!respond.”!

What!has!been!the!most!rewarding!thing!about!the!work!you!do?!“Being!able!to!advocate!for!the!elder!population!and!being!their!voice!on!issues/concerns!that!affect!our!region!and!State.!On!a!personal!level,!I!enjoy!being!able!to!interact!with!the!elders,!hearing!their!stories!about!growing!up!and!living!in!our!region…!each!of!them!is!a!unique!part!of!Interior!Alaska’s!history.!It!makes!me!proud!to!be!Alaska!Native.”!

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Culture!is!a!living!part!of!each!of!our!lives,!individually!and!on!group!levels.!As!future!Clinical9Community!Psychologists!we!know!that!one’s!culture!is!as!diverse!as!it!is!shared!and!is!as!contextual!as!it!is!constant.!Culture!goes!beyond!race!and!ethnicity!alone!and!encompasses!identity,!gender,!and!sexuality.!Two!such!clubs!dedicated!to!gender!and!sexuality!diversity!are!The)Family!at!UAA!and!the!Gender)&)Sexuality)Alliance!at!UAF.!!

UAAKUAF!Campus!Clubs!


Mission:!“The!Gender!&!Sexuality!Alliance!was!established!at!the!University!of!Alaska!Fairbanks!to!provide!an!opportunity!for!lesbian,!gay,!bisexual,!transgender,!queer,!and!ally!students!to!come!together!in!an!accepting!environment.!We!strive!for!positive!self9image,!tight9knit!friendships,!and!enlightenment!of!the!community!through!outreach.!We!have!since!renamed!ourselves!the!Gender!&!Sexuality!Alliance,!in!order!to!better!reflect!the!diversity!of!our!members.”!!

Start!date:!January!21,!1993!!Meetings:!Every!Friday!3:3095pm!in!the!Alumni!Lounge!(Same!building!as!bookstore/post!office)!Address:!GRUE!413,!UA!Fairbanks!Campus,!Fairbanks,!AK!E9mail:[email protected]!!Information!retrieved!from!the!GSA!Facebook!page:!https://www.facebook.com/gsa.uaf!!

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! The!Family,!the!LGBT!club!at!UAA,!is!currently!in!the!process!of!rebranding.!They!not!only!want!to!sound!like!a!club!that!is!an!inclusive!place!for!LGBTQ!students,!they!also!want!to!be!a!safe,!inviting,!and!relaxing!environment!where!people!can!be!who!they!are.!This!goal!is!on!the!forefront!of!the!agenda!of!the!club’s!current!president,!Paige!Cordell.!Paige!is!a!senior!at!UAA!majoring!in!Psychology!and!minoring!in!History.!She!is!poised!to!graduate!next!semester.!Her!support!of!LGBT!clubs!has!been!evident!since!she!was!young.!Pulling!from!her!own!experiences!as!an!adolescent,!she!has!developed!a!passion!for!community!outreach!and!education!of!youth.!Paige’s!interest!in!the!presence,!quality,!and!sustainability!of!LGBT!clubs!within!education!includes!middle!and!high!schools.!She!feels!that!it!is!important!to!provide!opportunities!for!LGBT!people!to!form!community!and!connection!throughout!their!educational!experience,!and!in!doing!so,!it!ultimately!allows!for!people!to!know!that!they!are!not!alone.!!

The!Family’s!meetings!are!every!other!Sunday!from!4K5!pm!in!the!Lyla!Richards!room!in!the!Student!Union!at!UAA.!The!next!meeting!will!be!held!on!November!1st.!!https://www.facebook.com/groups/UAAthefamily/!

What!are!The!Family’s!plans!for!the!future?!“We!have!worked!on!if!we!want!to!be!a!part!of!Identity!and!an!offshoot!of!them…or!an!offshoot!of!Safe!Zone…and!right!now!we!are!mostly!operating!under!the!idea!that!we!are!our!own!entity!and!we!collaborate!with!those!other!two!groups…We!are!working!a!lot!on!events,!because!what!we!are!trying!to!be!and!what!we!want!to!be!is!the!LGBT!social!group!on!campus.!You!have!Safe!Zone!that!does!the!trainings!for![LGBT]!allies!and!how!to!be!more!responsive!and!understanding!of!people!of!different!sexualities!and!different!gender!identities!and!that’s!great,!but!it!doesn’t!give!people!who!are!of!different!sexual!identities!and!gender!identities!a!place!to!go!and!hangout!with!people!who!are!like!them.!We!want!to!be!that!place.!We!want!to!have!fun,!low!stress!events!that!people!can!come!to…we!are!trying!to!have…events!that!people!can!come!to,!both!from!the!UAA!community!and!the!community!at!large,!to!come!and!hang!out,!chill,!eat!pizza,!watch!movies.”!

What!has!the!process!of!reinvigorating!this!club!been!like?!“One!of!the!hardest!parts!is!coming!back!from!not!being!a!club!at!all.!Getting!people!to!attend!the!meetings,!getting!people!to!be!interested!in!coming,!because!it’s!a!lot!of!marketing,!it’s!a!lot!of!getting!membership!retention…This!is!something!important!to!have!on!campus.!They!have!a!lot!of!other!minority!groups!on!campus,!and!those!are!great,!because!they!provide!an!opportunity!for!people!to!get!together!on!campus!and!share!their!experiences.!That’s!what!we!want.!We!want!to!be!inclusive!and!fun…and!if!we!do!want!to!stretch!into!advocacy!at!one!point,!that!would!be!great…right!now!we!are!trying!to!be!a!place!for!people!to!go…We!are!trying!to!put!this!club!back!together.!We!have!been!working!on!what!we!want!to!do,!where!we!want!to!go,!and!we!are!doing!it!all!at!once.!We’re!trying!to!be!a!club!again…We!are!trying!to!nail!down!and!make!this!a!club,!so!it!is!a!presence!on!campus,!so!there!is!a!desire!by!the!campus!to!continue!this!club,!because!it!should!exist.!It!needs!to!exist.”!

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!Cultural!Committee!Newsletter!

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Volume!2:!October!2015!

Why!did!you!choose!a!rural!internship!site!over!an!urban!one?!!

“The!same!thing!that!attracted!me!to!our!PhD!program;!personally,!I!come!from!a!rural!area,!so!I!prefer!rural!areas!to!urban!areas.!I!had!a!lot!of!research!and!clinical!experience!working!in!rural!areas!before!coming!to!Alaska,!both!in!New!Mexico!and!I!got!my!Masters!in!Hawaii.!Some!of!the!challenges!that!people!face!in!rural!areas!make!mental!healthcare!unique.!One!of!those!challenges!being!similar!in!Alaska,!Hawaii,!and!New!Mexico!too,!is!there!is!one!central,!urban!hub!that!houses!all!the!hospitals!and!all!the!healthcare,!and!people!in!rural!communities!have!to!travel!to!that!hub!in!order!to!receive!the!highest!level!of!services.!I!think!those!unique!challenges!also!interested!me.”!

What!challenges!have!you!encountered!working!in!a!rural!setting?!!

“I!think!some!of!the!other!challenges!in!rural!areas,!and!particularly!in!rural!Alaska!are!that!everyone!in!the!community!is!in!some!way!or!another!related!to!one!another,!and!everybody!knows!everybody!else’s!business.!It!challenges!confidentiality,!because!it’s!hard!to!keep!secrets…people!see!someone!coming!into!the!clinic!and!they!know!why!they!are!going!there,!there!is!no!other!reason!why!they!would!be!going!there.!That’s!somewhat!of!a!challenge!and!navigating!the!politics!of!all!those!relationships…and!I!think!too,!in!rural!Alaska!people!have!other!complicated!issues!like!economics!problems.!It’s!the!same!thing!in!rural!Hawa’ii.![For!example]!if!someone!is!in!a!house!being!abused,!they!cant!necessarily!just!moved!out!of!that!household,!because!there!might!not!be!other!housing!or!the!person!who’s!doing!the!abusing!might!be!the!person!who!has!the!income!or!who!has!the!capability!to!hunt!and!provide!food!for!the!family.!It!makes!for!navigating!through!those!relationships,!rather!than!just!ending!those!relationships!or!getting!away.”!

!

Danielle!is!an!advanced!doctoral!student!with!clinical!and!research!interests!in!Alaska!Native!Mental!Health.!She!is!currently!on!internship!in!Nome,!Alaska.!

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20!

! What!have!been!the!rewards!of!working!in!a!rural!setting?! !!

“I!think!some!of!the!things!that!are!resilient!or!rewarding!about!it!is!that!because!everybody!is!related!to!everybody…it!creates!a!wider!network!of!support,!and!more!people!care!and!have!the!ability!to!support!one!another!than!in!an!urban!setting.!I!feel!like!something!I!learned!early!on!participating!in!talking!circles!through![Alaska!Native!Tribal!Health!Consortium]!ANTHC!in!rural!communities!is!that!you!are!a!person.!A!practitioner!is!a!person!first!and!then!a!practitioner!second.!So,!you!have!to!work!through!your!own!things!as!a!human!being.!It’s!not!like!in!Anchorage!or!another!urban!setting!where!you!can!sit!in!your!office!or!where!people!can!come!to!your!office!and!they!see!you!and!you!do!your!prescriptive!therapeutic!approach.![In!a!rural!area]!it’s!not!like!that,!you!have!to!be!a!person!and!integrate!yourself!into!a!community!that!way…you!share!your!struggles!too…and!then![the!community]!will!trust!you.”!

Why!is!this!work!important!to!you?!!

“It’s!important!to!me!because!some!of!the!communities!I!choose!to!work!in!or!seek!to!work!in!have!the!greatest!need.!It’s!no!secret!that!Alaska!has!really!high!rates!of!suicide!and!sexual!violence,!and!I!think!that’s!a!huge!area!of!need.!I!also!find![this!work]!interesting!and!engaging.”!

What!is!important!to!keep!in!mind!when!working!with!Alaska!Native!populations?!!

“Well,!I!definitely!think!it’s!important!to!keep!in!mind!that!you!are!not!an!expert.!There’s!traditional!knowledge!and!there’s!traditional!ways!of!healing!that!you!probably!don’t!know!anything!about,!and!you!have!to!be!patient!before!people!are!going!to!tell!you!about!them.!There’s!a!great!amount!of!resiliency!in!those!communities.!There’s!a!huge!amount!of!resiliency.!When!you!talk!about!people!that!have!survived!colonization!and!came!back!from!it!and!still!managed!to!have!caring!loving!relationships!with!one!another!despite!all!of!the!other!issues!that!might!be!going!on.!I!think!it!can!be!easy!to!victim!blame!a!lot,!especially!when!practitioners!feel!hopeless.!I!think!being!aware!of!your!own!feelings!about!it!is!important.”!!

Is!there!anything!else!you!feel!is!important!to!mention?!!

“I!think…that!maybe!saying!to!be!a!person!first!and!to!do!good!self9care.!Because!you!are!personally!invested!in!other!people!and!you!get!to!know!other!people,!you!can!build!a!dynamic!maybe!more!than!you!would!in!an!urban!setting.!You!might!be!personally!invested!in!people’s!outcomes!in!a!way!that!you!aren’t!necessarily!in!another!setting.!Self9care!is!essential!if!you!are!going!to!do!that!kind!of!work,!because!it!is!emotional!for!you!as!a!clinician,!beyond!working!in!an!urban!setting.”!!

What!advice!do!you!have!for!someone!that!might!want!to!work!in!rural!areas?!!

“I!definitely!think!that!one!of!the!things!that!is![both]!a!strength!and!weakness!of!our!PhD!program!is!that!you!have!the!ability!to!shape!and!tailor!your!experiences!through!external!practicums.!So,!in!that!regard!I!think!my!experience!with!ANTHC!was!invaluable!in!leading!me!to!this!direction.!If!a!student!were!interested!in!practicing!in!rural!Alaska!then!I!would!encourage!them!to!link!up!with!external!practicum!opportunities!that!will!feed!them!experiences!that!will!help!them!build!their!skill!set.!Talking!to!the!elders!is!also!invaluable!too.!The!elders,!they!know.!We!have!them!as!advisors!for!our!program,!and!if!people!would!access!them!that!would!be!good!too.”!

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!21!

!Cultural!Committee!Newsletter!

!

Volume!2:!October!2015!

! Being!a!member!of!the!first!year!cohort!who!is!now!involved!in!the!program!as!a!professor,!what!is!your!perspective!on!the!evolution!of!the!PhD!program!in!ClinicalKCommunity!Psychology?!What!are!your!goals!for!the!future!of!the!program?!“Like!any!system,!I!believe!this!program!is!a!microcosm!of!much!larger!systems!operating!in!our!communities,!state,!and!healthcare!systems.!!We!face!many!challenges,!which!are!opportunities!for!growth!and!change.!Being!part!of!this!program!as!a!student!and!now!as!a!faculty!member,!I!continue!to!be!given!opportunities!to!work!with!talented!colleagues,!students,!clients,!and!community!members.!!My)heart)for)rural)work)continues)to)

strengthen)as)I)am)consistently)challenged)with)finding)creative)solutions)reliant)upon)

the)people)and)systems)around)me.!!A!love!for!rural!work!continues!to!push!my!own!growing!edges.!!I!am!required!to!develop!skill!sets!quickly,!yet!thoroughly,!in!order!to!fill!the!roles!requested!of!me.!!In!rural,!it!is!not!an!option!to!wait!for!someone!else!to!do!it.!!When!I!find!myself!thinking,!"Whose!job!is!this!anyway"!I!find!my!answer!when!I!happen!to!glance!into!a!mirror!!!!My!personal!evolution!as!a!rural!psychologists!means!that!I!will!continue!to!seek!out!ways!to!hone!expertise!as!a!clinical!and!community!psychologist;!I!will!find!trusted!colleagues!and!mentors!for!guidance!and!support;!I!will!invest!in!the!vision!of!others!so!they!will!invest!in!mine!and!something!unexpectedly!stronger!than!one!person's!vision!can!be!co9created.!!My)hope)for)this)PhD)program)is)for)its)faculty)and)

graduates)will)coJcreate)a)vision)for)mental)health)and)well)being)that)is)inclusive,)

creative,)and)interdependent)on)multiple)perspectives.!!My!vision!is!for!our!program!to!find!novel!ways!to!model!jointness!between!campuses!and!communities!in!a!single!program.!!In!doing!so,!I!hope!for!a!venue!to!be!created!that!facilitates!faculty!and!students!embracing!a!professional!spirit!of!integration!of!culture,!community,!and!clinical!expertise;!openness!to!various!cultures,!professions,!and!ideas;!innovation!of!state!of!the!art!culturally!ground!research,!prevention!and!intervention!efforts;!and!partnerships!that!span!across!Alaska!as!well!as!rural!and!indigenous!communities!in!the!United!States,!circumpolar!north,!and!internationally.!!As!a!student!coming!into!this!program,!I!brought!these!aspirations!with!me.!!As!a!faculty!member,!I!strive!to!find!ways!to!promote!the!vision,!mission,!and!aspirations!of!this!program.”!!

!

Valerie!Gifford,!PhD,!LCSW,!graduate!from!the!first!cohort!of!the!joint!program!in!Clinical9Community!Psychology!with!a!Rural!and!Indigenous!Emphasis!at!UAA9UAF.!

2015 cultural retreat newsletterpsyphd.uaa.alaska.edu/fall15newsletter.pdf ·...

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