Chugachmiut
Iguillrrapet Lumacerpet “Our Kids, Our Culture”
Project Abstract
Chugachmiut’s Native Connections Project, Iguillrrapet, Lumacerpet “Our Kids, Our Culture,” is intended to reduce the impact of mental and substance use disorders, foster culturally responsive models that reduce and respond to the impact of trauma in our communities, and allow Chugachmiut, through the Chugach Region communities to facilitate collaboration and develop long-term partnerships among region-wide agencies to support youth as they transition into adulthood.
We seek to pair nationally recognized evidence-based best practices from the Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) within the homes with parents and siblings with community and school-based activities to promote acceptance of healing, to remove stigmas, and to educate on the many paths out of family troubles such as depression, suicidality, alcohol experimentation (including necessary detoxification and interventions), and substance use disorders. Our itinerating Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) clinician will travel out to each of the four village communities, as possible, throughout the Chugachmiut catchment region (Tatitlek, Chenega, Nanwalek, and Port Graham) on a constant and rotating basis. This position performs behavioral health and addictions assessments and works with other counselors to ensure continuity of services.
In efforts to reach the youth, we provide services in the homes, the schools, and within the community (Tier 1 Universal Prevention Strategies). We engage our regional youth with entire family involvement (to the greatest extent possible and allowable). We help to remove existing problems such as home-based substance addictions and familial depression (Tier 3 Indicated Prevention Strategies) within siblings and parents in order to (1) show “problem-solving in action” and (2) to remove the basis for home-based unhealthy modeling. During village visits, our Brief Strategic Family Therapy clinician and other clinical providers will provide community psycho-educational presentations on communications, fending off depression and suicidality, breaking the cycle of addictions, promoting positive parenting skills, and other topics with heart-connected stories, humor, and real approaches to the matters that affect them most (Tier 2 Selective and Targeted Prevention Strategies). And we work within the schools (again, as possible), giving presentations, gaining familiarity, hearing from the teachers as to whom they have greatest concerns for, and reaching out to the broadest swath of youth possible.
Also, once per year and as possible, Chugachmiut hosts a regional Tribal Retreat addressing primarily men’s issues of family connectedness, healthy parenting, substance uses, and how to support upcoming generations of future tribal leaders (our youth) through strengthening tribal culture and reaffirming our healthy tribal values.