AWARDS AND SOCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(1) Awards Luncheon – Howery Award, Going to Bat Award and Ann
Schumacher Award
Wednesday, May 16,
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The Victor I. Howery Memorial Award is given each year to an
individual who has made significant contributions to the rural mental health
field. The award this year will be given to Karen Perdue. Karen has
been a champion of health and behavioral health in Alaska for many years and
in many roles and capacities. Before her time as Alaska's Commissioner of
the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) (1994-2001), she served
for ten years as the Director of the Division of Community Development at
Community and Regional Affairs. After leaving the DHSS Karen served as
Associate Vice President for Health at the University of Alaska statewide
network before assuming her present position as President/CEO of the Alaska
State Hospital and Nursing Association. In each of her roles and positions,
Karen has demonstrated that "courage of conviction" to lead and act on
behalf of all Alaskans.
The Going to Bat Award is given to an individual who has been a
strong voice and advocate for rural mental health. This year, the
award will be given to Jeff Jessee. In 1985 during his tenure as a an
attorney for the Disability Law Center and after 15 years representing
hundreds of individuals with mental disabilities, Jeff represented a
subclass in the litigation involving the state's mismanagement of the Alaska
Mental Health Land Trust. With this litigation, Jeff worked to forge a
coalition of interested parties to construct a settlement that ultimately
resulted in the present day Trust Authority. The Trust is a state
corporation that administers the Mental Health Trust, a perpetual trust
managed on behalf of people with mental illness, developmental disabilities,
chronic alcoholism and other related disorders to affect long-term change
and improvements in the systems that serve Trust beneficiaries. Upon
approval of this settlement by the State Supreme Court in 1995, Jeff became
the Chief Executive Officer of The Trust, a position he continues to hold at
this time. From his time as a young lawyer for the Disability Law Center
when he stood up for the beneficiaries of the Mental Health Trust to this
day, Jeff has stood for all that the Going to Bat Award was
created...tenacious advocacy to improve services for rural people in need.
The Ann Schumacher Rural Clinical Practice Award
recognizes and memorializes the significant contribution of Ann
Schumacher, LSCSW, past President-Elect to the National Association of Rural
Mental Health. The award is presented to an experienced practitioner
who has demonstrated excellence, innovation, professional development and
who has worked with domestic violence. This year the award will be
given to Russel Hunt. Russel is a man of many talents and interests
and is passionate about all he does. Russ broke ground in teaching and
practice methods, becoming one of the first in the nation to utilize
distance education and telehealth to reach those in remote and rural areas
of eastern Oregon. Currently he divides his time between the VA Clinic and
his private practice. Never one to accept the "status quo", Russ
constantly looks for ways people across the lifespan can improve the quality
of their physical, emotional and spiritual health. Branching out from
traditional psychopharmacology and psychotherapy, he has incorporated
alternative methods of treatment - always founded in science and after much
research - into his private practice. Retiring as a U.S. Navy Lt
Commander after 23 years of military service, he understandably has a
passion for helping veterans.
(2) Alaska Native Heritage Center Dessert Reception
Wednesday, May 16, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Cost: $30 per person (includes entrance to the
cultural center and museum, bus transportation, and desserts)
Join us for a dessert reception and an evening of culture
and entertainment at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a renowned cultural
center and museum in Anchorage. This is an exciting place to expand
your understanding of Alaska's first people and Native traditions and
customs of both the past and present. Share in the rich heritage of
Alaska's eleven cultural groups drawing upon the life ways of long ago, the
wisdom of the elders, and the traditions that endure. Tour the Hall of
Cultures, listen to storytelling and enjoy a dance performance. Mini
desserts, coffee and punch will be served. Bus transportation to and
from the Hilton Anchorage will be provided. Website:
http://www.alaskanative.net
(3) NARMH Membership Meeting Luncheon and Rural Arts Award
Thursday, May 17, 11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Non-members as well as members are encouraged to join us for our annual
membership meeting luncheon. This year, our membership meeting will
highlight some of NARMH’s advocacy work as well as a few of the projects.
The Rural Arts Award is given annually to honor the life long
contributions of Peter G. (Pete) Beeson to both rural mental health and the
rural arts that Pete has shared over the past thirty plus years. This
year the award will be given to the Two Spirits Gallery. The Two
Spirits Gallery is dedicated to artists who have been affected by mental
illness, substance abuse, homelessness or other disabilities. The
gallery was formerly owned by Cook Inlet Tribal Council. Karen Tocktoo
purchased the Gallery in November 2010. The gallery carries artwork
from the rural villages to help them become self-sustaining by selling their
artwork which sometimes is the only means of income for their families with
the high cost of living in the villages. She helps promote their artwork on
display for sale under consignment and assists them with marketing their
wares by showing them that they can make an income, support themselves and
be successful. Karen is an Inupiaq (Eskimo) originally from
Shishmaref, Alaska and has lived there her entire life until she moved to
Anchorage in 2006. She used to manage a store in the village and would
buy and trade native artwork to help the community support their families so
they can keep their traditional life style. Visit the website at
www.twospiritsgallery.com to
see artwork from local artists.
(4) Closing Session: Next Steps and Door Prizes
Friday, May 18,
12:05 to 12:35 p.m.
We will ask our conference participants to review the high points of the
meeting, identify the areas of strongest interest and importance, and take
these suggestions to lay the path for NARMH's 39th annual meeting.