Native Connections looks to traditional ways for suicide prevention

Behavioral Health at Norton Sound Health Corporation is administering a program designed to address the needs of local young people with an emphasis on suicide prevention.

Sherry Anderson runs the program. “Our focus is on youth ages 14 through 24,” she said. “We collaborate with the various programs within our community.” The schools were partners until COVID-19 intervened. Kawerak Inc. is also a partner and has a similar program. The stated goal of Native Connections is “to decrease the incidence of suicide and reduce the impact of complex trauma in Native Alaskan youth living in the Norton Sound region.”

The grant comes from the federal agency SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It leads the federal government’s efforts to advance behavioral health across the nation. They provide leadership and resources to promote the knowledge that behavioral health is essential to health, that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can recover.

“Before COVID we were pretty active with the school system,” said Anderson. “After school we’d lead talking circles to groups of youth. We would encourage youth to come visit our office and let us know what’s on their mind.” They’d try to find out what the young people would like to be doing with their free time. Beading, crocheting, and learning to knit were ideas that came out of that. “And as for the young men, they’re still pretty hush hush and quiet about what they are wanting or needing. They haven’t opened up or shared what they would like. I find that similar in our older men.

They’re pretty quiet as well. They’re not really wanting to be a part of talking circles or be involved with something until they know there’s a positive atmosphere.”

The program was going to host a fish camp this summer but that plan was derailed by COVID-19. “Instead with small groups of young men, we built fish cutting tables at the Norton Sound fish camp, which is at mile 20,” said Anderson. “We had fish cutting tables there and provided two of them at the mouth of the Nome River. The youth were really inspired to build them, they were able to use power tools, they cleaned up the area they utilized. We had a group discussion after each session, sort of a talking circle, just to debrief about the day.” They would also plan for the week and for the next few days. “An elder from our advisory team was constantly with us the whole time just because he is on the Sitnasuak Elders committee and wanted to make sure we’re utilizing the grant properly.”

The young women had expressed a desire to sew fur so Anderson, who is originally from Shishmaref, found a source for sealskins and sea otter pelts and ordered some. “I received those and am waiting for the young people to stop by and let me know what they’re interested in so we can cut out the patterns.”

SAMHSA has been one of the agencies coming forth with COVID19 funds, according to Behavioral Health’s Lance Johnson. “They have different programs, including research grant opportunities for substance abuse and mental health,” he said.