General Sessions
Wednesday, May 16
9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Plenary 1: Alaska Health Workforce Coalition: Committed to
Action Panel
William Hogan (moderator) UAA College of Health;
Valerie Gifford (University of Alaska Fairbanks); Jim Lynch (Fairbanks
Memorial Hospital); Delisa Culpepper (AMHTA); and Karen Perdue (ASHNHA)
Through the steps outlined in the AHWC Action Agenda 2012-2015, the
Coalition advances its vision of ensuring that Alaska has an adequate and
well qualified workforce to meet the current and future health care needs of
its residents. The Alaska Health Workforce Coalition is a
public-private partnership created to develop, implement and support a
statewide approach to ensure a robust workforce to address Alaska’s growing
health care needs. Formed in the summer of 2009, the partners collaborated
to prepare Alaska’s first statewide plan that was later adopted by key
leadership entities in 2010. With the support from the Coalition partners
and a HRSA planning grant, the Coalition has since developed a three-year
implementation strategy for addressing high-priority occupations, advocacy
priorities and strategic initiatives focusing on systems change and capacity
building. Underlying this effort is a strong focus on the available data and
identifying what’s needed to more accurately determine workforce demands for
the future. The Coalition will be presenting the lessons learned from an
ongoing collaborative effort in addition to sharing some key findings.
The ensuing discussion will focus on opportunities to collectively advance
the actions needed to generate an adequate and qualified workforce to meet
Alaska’s needs. This panel and discussion is geared to advocates and
stakeholders that are interested in the complex and dynamic environment of
health workforce.
Bill Hogan
Bill Hogan is currently the Interim Dean of the College of Health at the
University of Alaska, Anchorage. Previously he was a Senior Fellow with the
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority working on a substance abuse
prevention, treatment and recovery initiative. Prior to these positions,
Bill was the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social
Services and also the first Director of the Division of Behavioral Health in
that same department. As director of that division they began the
integration of mental health and substance abuse services and planned and
implemented the “Bring the Kids Home” project designed to develop in state
services for kids and families in order to prevent children and adolescents
from being sent to out of state residential psychiatric treatment centers.
He has over 35 years of experience as a clinician, supervisor and
administrator. Bill has a MSW from West Virginia University where he
attended on a scholarship from NIMH.
Valerie Gifford
Valerie Gifford earned her Ph.D. from the University of Alaska’s Joint
Program in Clinical and Community Psychology with an Emphasis in Rural and
Indigenous Psychology. She is an APA Minority Fellow researching
issues related to ethnic minority mental health. Her training and
research endeavors focus on the development of a highly qualified and
culturally attuned behavioral healthcare service delivery system for
residents of rural Alaska. Valerie completed her pre-doctoral
internship at Montana State University’s Counseling and Psychological
Services in Bozeman, MT. She earned her master of social work degree
from Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work prior to moving
to rural Alaska where she provided school-based counseling and therapeutic
services to students and their families.
Jim Lynch
Jim Lynch is the Chief Finance Officer for Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
and Denali Center (FMH/DC) where he has overall accountability for providing
leadership, direction, and administration of financial activities, including
accounting, financial systems and control, financial analysis, budgeting,
and reporting at assigned facility or campus, while maintaining a high level
of visibility at the facility, region and system levels. He oversees
financial decision-making and serves as a financial and strategic thought
partner to the facility CEO. Jim also serves as a member of the
executive leadership team at the facility and system levels, building and
supporting effective collegial relationships with applicable internal and
external constituents and stakeholders and ensuring optimal operating
effectiveness and strategic positioning. Jim currently serves as the
Chair of the Alaska Workforce Investment Board. The Alaska Workforce
Investment Board is focused on developing a workforce system that is useful,
accessible and understandable to all of the system’s customers. The board
provides policy oversight of state and federally funded job training and
vocational education programs. Board members look at employment trends and
emerging occupations to ensure training is customized and Alaskans are
prepared for high demand, good wage jobs. Because of their oversight, public
and private educators and training providers connect with employers to
ensure the right people are being trained for the right jobs.
Delisa Culpepper
Delisa Culpepper is the Chief Operating Officer of the Alaska Mental
Health Trust Authority (The Trust). The Trust is a state corporation that
administers the Alaska Mental Health Trust, a perpetual endowment with a
combination of cash and non-cash assets, including one million acres of
land. These assets are invested on behalf of Trust beneficiaries, who
include people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, chronic
alcoholism, and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The Trust
operates much like a private foundation, using its resources to ensure that
Alaska has a comprehensive mental health program to serve its beneficiaries.
Annually The Trust spends about $26 million to fund programs and services
that support Trust beneficiaries. Delisa joined The Trust in 2001 as Chief
Operating Officer, overseeing the strategic planning, budgeting, grants
administration, IT, communications and administrative functions. She
also oversees the Trust Workforce Development Focus Area, a statewide
partnership aimed at increasing the number and competency of the workforce
that serves Trust beneficiaries.
Karen Perdue
Karen Perdue is the President/CEO of the Alaska State
Hospital and Nursing Home Association. In her recent position as Associate Vice President for
Health at the University of Alaska, she led the University’s commemoration
of the 50th Anniversary of the writing of the State’s Constitution,
including the production of an Emmy-award winning documentary for public
television - the 49th Star. From 1994 to 2001, Karen served as the State's
Commissioner of Health and Social Services, overseeing 2,200 employees and a
budget of $1.2 billion. She was the longest serving DHSS Commissioner since
statehood. During her tenure, she led the state's efforts in welfare reform,
the development of Denali Kidcare and Smart Start, comprehensive initiatives
in primary care and fetal alcohol syndrome and many other initiatives. As
Commissioner, she also directed the state's public health, child welfare,
Medicaid and public assistance programs, juvenile corrections, substance
abuse and mental health departments. Karen is the recipient of
numerous awards including the Alaska Public Health Association Award, the
Dot Truran Advocate Award for Persons with Disabilities, the YWCA Woman of
Distinction, the Friend of EMS award, the National Association of Social
Workers Award and many others. She is an honorary public health nurse, and
in 2000 was named by the Alaska Journal of Commerce as one of 25 most
powerful Alaskans.
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Plenary 2: Session Title: Having Our Say: Alaska Native Elders
Talk About Behavioral Healthcare Past and Present
Larry Roberts (moderator), University of Alaska Fairbanks; Elders –
Sam Smith, Frank Haldane and Elizabeth Fleagle
Hearing from Elders and other seniors is much better than talking about
Elders and other seniors especially when it comes to their own behavioral
health care needs and issues. This panel session will benefit from the
individual and collective experience of three Alaska Native Elders who share
their experiences and understandings about mental health and substance abuse
issues and needs for rural Alaska. Issues like the importance of good
communication, the role and missteps of well-intended family members, health
literacy, and attending to the whole human being in the context of community
and with purposeful attention to culture attunement* will be
discussed. This moderated session will begin with opening statements from
each Elder followed audience participation and discussion.
Larry Roberts
Quote: “Sometimes writing about Elders can be a difficult process. While
their accomplishments are many and ongoing, their loving reputations widely
known, and their admirers are numerous, their want of attention and
recognition is humbly pale in comparison. In respect for the wishes of our
Elders, we have offered but a brief glimpse of each person’s biographical
sketch to introduce them to our conference participants. However, the real
“knowing” of our Elders will only evolve from reflective time spent with
each. We invite you to take this conference time to get to “know” each of
our Elders. While this knowing will likewise be but a brief sampling, it
will nevertheless be well worth your time.”
Elder 1: Sam Smith
Quote – “We live in two worlds. We eat different foods…we wear different
clothes…and sometimes we even pray differently. I have been living in two
worlds as an Alaska Cu’pik man. It is important that we live our lives as
good human beings. We must live our lives in balance and never leave our own
ways behind.” Sam is a Cu’pik Elder who is recently “retired” from his
25 years working for the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Center substance abuse
treatment and wellness programs. As with each and every Elder that honors
our programs, he has a diverse and extensive personal and professional and
educational history. Formally, Sam holds an associate’s degree in Radio & TV
technology, a UAF certificate in Rural Human Services, and is certified by
the State of Alaska as a Lifetime Traditional Counselor. He lives in
his home community of Mekoryuk on Nunavik Island off the coast of western
Alaska and remains active with subsistence activities, supporting his
community wellness activities, and serving in a variety of Elder roles in
programs throughout out state.
Elder 2: Frank Haldane
Quote- “We are best when we are in harmony with our world and living our
lives in balance. I am humbled every day of my life with what I learn from
others in this regard. Living our own lives in balance allows us the energy,
patience, and understanding to help others.” Frank is Tsimshian and
was born and raised in Metlakatla in Southeast, Alaska where he attended
high school at Sheldon Jackson before joining the military in 1942
specializing in aeronautical communications. This led to his 20 years
employment as an FAA air traffic controller. In recent years, he has also
retired from the South Central Foundation as a substance abuse counselor
before immersing himself into the honorable work as an Elder throughout out
state.
Elder 3: Elizabeth Fleagle
Quote: “We are all connected mentally and spiritually and everybody…all
people…are included in our healing and wellness. It takes all of us to get
us to where we are going.” Bio: Elizabeth “Kaviaq” Nictune Fleagle, is
an Inupiat Elder who is originally from Atlana, a tributary community off of
the Yukon River near Allakaket. She has lived and worked in Fairbanks for
over 50 years and in a number of jobs prior to her official retirement from
the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1997. For Elizabeth, real retirement
is neither an option nor a wanted state of affairs as her job as an Elder
keeps her busier than most full-time working people today. Since
“retirement” Elizabeth has spent numerous hours over many days and in many
locations with a host of youth and adult programs and events.
Larry Roberts
*In working in the health professions, cultural attunement represents the
dynamic nature of understanding diversity and cultures. Whereas cultural
competence has historically recognized a set of “competencies”, they are
many times examined at some point in time and for specific cultural settings
or application. Cultural attunement involves the active “tuning in” on an
on-going mindfulness. Cultural attunement is the active and vigilance
practice of maintaining cultural humility” Larry Roberts
Thursday, May 17
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Plenary 3: Moving Toward Whole Health: Alaskan
Perspectives on the Integration of Behavioral and Primary Healthcare
Karen Perdue (moderator), Executive Director, Alaska State
Hospital and Nursing Home Association; Panelists: Jeff Jessee,
Director, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and William Hogan, Interim
Dean, UAA College of Health
The speakers will discuss the evolution of Whole Health, the
integration of behavioral and primary health care, in Alaska. They
will share their perspectives as policy leaders in the State of Alaska, and
what this shift from specialty driven care and systems will mean to
healthcare education, policy, organization and delivery for Alaska.
Jeff Jessee
Jeff Jessee currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Alaska
Mental Health Trust Authority (The Trust). The Trust is a state-owned
corporation with assets of more than $300 million and one million acres of
land. The Trust was established as a perpetual trust and operates much like
a private foundation, using its resources to ensure that Alaska has a
comprehensive integrated mental health program. The beneficiaries of the
Trust include people with mental illness, developmental disabilities,
chronic alcoholism, and Alzheimer’s and related disorders. As a leader and
advocate for Trust beneficiaries, Jeff is responsible for leveraging Trust
income and developing partnerships to enhance mental health services
throughout the state. Jeff is active on several non-profit and philanthropic
boards, including Philanthropy Northwest, the Alaska Funders Group, the
Operations Board for The Foraker Group, and the Behavioral Health Sub
Committee of the Denali Commission’s Health Facilities Committee. He is also
a tireless advocate for the homeless and currently serves on the Governor’s
Council on the Homeless and chairs the Alaska Housing Trust Steering
Committee, which advocates creation of a housing trust to support Alaska’s
homeless. A native of California, Jeff earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
criminal justice from California State University, Sacramento, and a law
degree (J.D.) from the University of California, Davis School of Law.
Bill Hogan
Bill Hogan is currently the Interim Dean of the College of Health at the
University of Alaska, Anchorage. Previously he was a Senior Fellow with the
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority working on a substance abuse
prevention, treatment and recovery initiative. Prior to these positions,
Bill was the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social
Services and also the first Director of the Division of Behavioral Health in
that same department. As director of that division they began the
integration of mental health and substance abuse services and planned and
implemented the “Bring the Kids Home” project designed to develop in state
services for kids and families in order to prevent children and adolescents
from being sent to out of state residential psychiatric treatment centers.
He has over 35 years of experience as a clinician, supervisor and
administrator. Bill has a MSW from West Virginia University where he
attended on a scholarship from NIMH.
Friday, May 18
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Plenary 4: Community Providers and Military Cultural Competence:
Findings from a Web-Based Survey of Provider Needs
Harold Kudler, MD, Associate Director, VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness
Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham NC
Serving Those Who Have Served: Educational Needs of Health Care Providers
Working with Military Members, Veterans, and their Families is a web-based
survey of rural and urban mental health and primary care community providers
which was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Rural
Health and carried out in partnership with the VISN 6 Mental Illness
Research, Education and Clinical Center and the Medical University of South
Carolina. Its key findings are: (1) 56% of community providers do not ask
their patients about military service; (2) Most providers have no military
or VA experience to inform them in recognizing, assessing or treating
Service Members (including Reservists), Veterans or their family members;
(3) Community providers lack knowledge and confidence in treating
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and
substance abuse/dependence, and; (4) Rural providers are significantly less
knowledgeable and confident in this work than are urban providers. This
session will review survey findings and present strategies designed apply
them in building new and better ways to serve Service Members, Veterans and
their families through partnerships with community providers at the
DoD/VA/State and Community levels.
Harold Kudler trained at Yale and is Associate Clinical Professor at
Duke. He has received teaching awards from the Duke Department of
Psychiatry, the American Psychiatric Association and the American
Psychoanalytic Association. From 2002 to 2010, Harold coordinated
mental health services for a three state region of the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) and from 2000 through 2005 co-chaired VA’s Special
Committee on PTSD which reports to Congress. He founded the
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies’ (ISTSS) PTSD Practice
Guidelines taskforce and serves on the ISTSS Board of Directors. He co-led
development of the joint VA/Department of Defense guideline for the
management of posttraumatic stress and serves as advisor to Sesame Street’s
Talk Listen Connect series for military families. Since 2006, he has
co-led the North Carolina Governor’s Focus on Returning Military Members and
their Families. Harold is Associate Director of the VA's Mid-Atlantic Mental
Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Deployment
Mental Health and Medical Lead for the VISN 6 Rural Health Initiative.