A Description of Anchorage Subsidized Human Services

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Lived Experiences and Coping Styles of Alaskan Women with Opioid Use Disorders

Death caused by opioid abuse has increased in recent years, and women in the state of Alaska have been significantly impacted by this opioid crisis. Previous researchers have indicated a possible connection between opioid use and sub-clinical PTSD criteria. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a theory regarding the presence of PTSD diagnostic criteria in this population, to identify patterns in past traumas and other life stressors, and to investigate coping strategies in 43 Alaskan women who sought treatment for opioid use. Archived data in the form of therapy notes were analyzed using grounded theory techniques such as coding information, categorizing the codes, and comparing patterns that were discovered to previous research. Hyperarousal was the most commonly reported criterion of PTSD, becoming the basis of the theory that it plays an important role connecting lived experiences and coping in these women. The most commonly reported experiences included substance use by parents, parental divorce, domestic violence, employment issues, mental health issues, partner substance use, and legal issues. Coping strategies included medicating, seeking support from nonprofessionals, and compliance. Recommendations for applying findings included using trauma-informed care, and implementing therapeutic workplaces, to reinforce abstinence with the ability to work as part of treatment. This data can be used for social change by improving assessment and treatment through addressing what might not have previously been considered trauma in these clients. Thus, providers may provide more effective treatment for opioid use disorders, and implement strategies to help prepare clients for longer term success and reduced prevalence of relapse

Foundations of Behavioral Health

Even in the twenty-first century, the public health community continues to face formidable challenges. There is a need for more integrative and collaborative approaches in public health initiatives, considering the complex relationships among the social determinants of health within natural and built environments, population health and health-care systems, and economic, education, and social and community contexts. The continuing changes in the landscape of public health challenge our ability to reconceptualize our approach to how health-care professionals can contribute to health promotion, health education, and disease prevention efforts in communities constantly facing the globalization of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and environmental threats due to man-made and natural disasters

HOPE AND RESILIENCE - Suicide Prevention in the Arctic

Planned and implemented in collaboration with Inuit Circumpolar Council (Greenland) and the Government of Greenland, the "Hope and Resilience in Suicide Prevention" seminar was held in Nuuk, Greenland on November 7-8, 2009. This first activity under the auspices of the SDWG Arctic Human Health Expert Group (AHHEG) brought together social workers and health practitioners, researchers, policy makers and politicians to exchange best practices aimed at reducing the number of suicides in the Arctic countries, particularly among youth. The seminar participants produced recommendations for future actions, a DVD including a video produced by the youth participants and a seminar report. This item contains the Seminar Report

Advocacy of the Establishment of Mental Health Specialty Courts in the Provision of Therapeutic Justice for Mentally Ill Offenders

This Article explores the establishment of mental health courts as a partial solution to the perplexing societal problem that relegates mentally ill offenders to a revolving door existence in and out of prisons and jails.This inescapable situation results from a paucity ofeffective humanitarian policies, laws, and procedures for treating such medically disordered defendants. The establishment of mental health specialty courts is investigated as a potential means of addressing the complex legal issues and psycho-sociological problems faced by the judicial system in dealing with mentally ill offenders

Treatment, Diagnostic, Demographic, and Historical Factors Affecting Mental Health Diversion Outcomes

The deinstitutionalization movement, which began in the 1950s and culminated in the closure of most psychological institutions by the 1980s, promised to usher in a new era of community mental health (Torrey et al., 2010). While the movement, which began largely due to advances in psychological treatment and the exposure of widespread abuses in asylums, was well-intentioned, it ultimately created new problems for people experiencing mental illness. Many of the programs designed to handle the influx of newly-released patients were never fully funded or well-received (Human Rights Watch, 2003). The criminal justice landscape also changed dramatically around the same time, including new tough on crime policies and the war on drugs (Human Rights Watch, 2003; Primeau et al., 2013). With no clinical alternatives to arrest, people experiencing mental illness were more likely to be processed through the criminal justice system (Seltzer, 2005). Currently, people with mental illness are disproportionately represented in jails and prisons. One in seven state and federal prisoners and one in four people in jail meet criteria for having severe psychological distress (Bronson & Berzofsky, 2017). In order to counter the unintended consequences of deinstitutionalization, mental health diversion courts have been developed. The courts are designed to provide targeted intervention for the special needs of people who are both justice-involved and experiencing mental illness. The goal of diversion programs is to link participants with mental health treatment and other community-based services in order to both increase the quality of life of participants and decrease their impact on overall public safety in the community (DeMatteo et al., 2013). Prior research has identified benefits to diversion participation, most notably a reduction in recidivism (Alarid & Rubin, 2018; Case et al., 2009; Dirks-Linhorst & Linhorst, 2012; Han & Redlich, 2015; Hiday & Ray, 2010; Hiday et al., 2015; Hiday et al., 2013; Moore & Hiday, 2006; Steadman et al., 2011). The current study sought to examine factors that might affect mental health diversion outcomes, including program completion and recidivism. Specifically, this study evaluated the effect of treatment type, demographic factors, diagnosis type, presence of substance use, and symptom severity on program outcomes. Participants who were assigned to receive residential treatment based on the typical evaluative process of the diversion program were less likely to complete the program. The presence of a substance use disorder and unstable housing appeared to contribute to the decision to assign a participant to residential treatment; those factors also predicted failure to complete the program. Ultimately, more research is needed to determine which aspects of the diversion intervention are most beneficial and appropriate

Sustained Education Access for Homeless Youth: Case Study of U.S. Transitional Living Programs

Without interventions to address homelessness among youth, the risk of homelessness for future generations is great. As a result, the federal government has invested in funding Transitional Living Programs (TLPs), though it is not clear whether these programs have achieved the intended outcomes of helping youth transition from homelessness to being able to sustain employment and avoid poverty through access to educational and workforce programs. Using the broad conceptualization of democratic governance as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to assess whether access to educational programs through TLPs benefitted homeless youth in terms of program success. Data for this study were collected through interviews with 9 administrators of TLP service providers and publicly available documents for the years 2008-2014. Interview data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis, and data from public sources were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis revealed that long term, post-TLP outcomes were difficult to track as individual TLPs tended to lose contact with youth, though self-advocacy for participants, coupled with the ability to sustain long term independence, were keys to success for program participants. Participants also noted their perception that education through TLPs provide opportunity for stable social and economic connections. Positive social change resulting from this study may be attained if TLP long-term outcomes are evaluated using metrics that are realistic for the target population, and organizational goals are refocused on improving opportunities for youth to make meaningful contributions to their communities, and thereby build the social equity necessary for long-term success

Advocacy of the Establishment of Mental Health Specialty Courts in the Provision of Therapeutic Justice for Mentally Ill Offenders

This Article explores the establishment of mental health courts as a partial solution to the perplexing societal problem that relegates mentally ill offenders to a revolving door existence in and out of prisons and jails.This inescapable situation results from a paucity ofeffective humanitarian policies, laws, and procedures for treating such medically disordered defendants. The establishment of mental health specialty courts is investigated as a potential means of addressing the complex legal issues and psycho-sociological problems faced by the judicial system in dealing with mentally ill offenders

The Correlation between Trait Emotional Intelligence and Feelings of Social Isolation in Alaskan Homeschool Students

This study examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and feelings of social isolation in children that homeschool in rural and remote areas of Alaska. The topic of social isolation has continued to be prominent in the homeschool research. Tenuous claims resulting from studies that lack methodological rigor and representative sample sizes have perpetuated the debate by producing disparate conclusions with inherent limitations. This study acknowledged, that given a particular set of circumstances, the likelihood that an individual will experience feelings of social isolation increases. The compounding of conditions such as geographic isolation, time spent without access to a peer group, and extremes in seasonal conditions, contribute to a reasonable concern about the susceptibility to feelings of social isolation for homeschoolers in rural and remote areas of the state. The purpose of this study was to add to the homeschooling research by investigating the relationship between TEI, as measured by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Children’s Short Form (TEIQue-CSF), and feelings of social isolation, as measured by the Children’s Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale, in a distinct population with practical application. This study found a statistically significant relationship between the variables, which should compel a change of focus from the unproductive social isolation debate, toward a more useful exploration of potential measures to prevent, mitigate, or alleviate feelings of social isolation and the associated harmful effects