Legislature(2011 - 2012)BARNES 124
02/10/2011 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Overview: Statewide Suicide Prevention Council | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 52 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
February 10, 2011
8:10 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Cathy Engstrom Munoz, Chair
Representative Neal Foster, Vice Chair
Representative Alan Dick
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative Sharon Cissna
Representative Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Alan Austerman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: STATEWIDE SUICIDE PREVENTION COUNCIL
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
KATE BURKHART, Executive Director
Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the Statewide
Suicide Prevention Council.
WILLIAM MARTIN, Chair
Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
Department of Health and Social Services
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During overview of the Statewide Suicide
Prevention Council, provided comments.
DR. STACY RASMUS, Project Director
Qungasvik Project
Center for Alaska Native Health Research
Institute of Arctic Biology
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the Qungasvik
Project.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:10:52 AM
CHAIR CATHY ENGSTROM MUNOZ called the House Community and
Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:10
a.m. Representatives Munoz, Foster, Dick, Saddler, and Gardner
were present at the call to order. Representative Cissna
arrived as the meeting was in progress.
^Overview: Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
Overview: Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
8:11:10 AM
CHAIR MUNOZ announced that the only order of business would be
an overview from the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council.
8:12:07 AM
KATE BURKHART, Executive Director, Statewide Suicide Prevention
Council, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS),
referring to the presentation entitled "Statewide Suicide
Prevention Council: An Overview," began by informing the
committee that the role of the Statewide Suicide Prevention
Council ("Council"), which was created as an advisory board, is
established in AS 44.29.350, as follows:
The Council shall serve in an advisory capacity to the
legislature and the governor with respect to what
actions can and should be taken to
(1) improve health and wellness throughout the
state by reducing suicide and its effect on
individuals, families, and communities;
(2) broaden the public's awareness of suicide and
the risk factors related to suicide;
(3) enhance suicide prevention services and
programs throughout the state;
(4) develop healthy communities through
comprehensive, collaborative, community-based and
faith-based approaches;
(5) develop and implement a statewide suicide
prevention plan;
(6) strengthen existing and build new
partnerships between public and private entities that
will advance suicide prevention efforts in the state.
MS. BURKHART related that often the Council forgets the advisory
aspect of the Council and focuses on the duties listed in
paragraphs (1)-(6), which is an impossible task for a Council.
Therefore, the Council is trying to focus on its role. She
clarified that it's not the Council's role to develop healthy
communities, rather the Council's role is to advise the
governor, the legislature, and other stakeholders regarding how
to work together to create healthy communities and achieve the
other goals. She then turned the committee's attention to the
slide entitled "Organizational Chart," which illustrates that
the Council falls under the Department of Health and Social
Services. Although the Council's administrative support and
budget lives under DHSS, since the Statewide Suicide Prevention
Council is an advisory board there is an element of autonomy.
Without that semi-autonomous aspect of the Council, it wouldn't
be able to provide good advice to the governor or credible
advice to the legislature. Although the Council is housed in
the executive branch under DHSS, the Council has the ability to
respectfully disagree and to make suggestions, recommendations,
and advice based on public input, data, and research to help
guide public policy. The other interesting part of the Council
is that the governor appoints its members, save the legislative
members, and thus there's some accountability. Since July 2010,
the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council is co-located with the
Alaska Mental Health Board and the Advisory Board on Alcoholism
and Drug Abuse.
8:18:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA inquired as to the terms of the board
members.
MS. BURKHART specified that each Council member serves a four-
year staggered term. In further response to Representative
Cissna, Ms. Burkhart said that it hasn't been her experience
that a new governor performs a complete overhaul of the boards
with which she has worked.
8:19:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER inquired as to the legislative members on
the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council.
MS. BURKHART answered that Representatives Gardner and
Fairclough and Senators Dyson and Ellis sit on the Council.
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER requested a list of all the Council
members. He then inquired as to how often the executive
committee of the Council or the full Council interacts with the
governor.
MS. BURKHART responded that there have been informal
opportunities such as the round-table in Bethel, which Governor
Parnell attended. The Council interacts most often and directly
with the governor's office through the rural adviser, John
Moller. While the Council doesn't have direct face-to-face
conversations with the governor, the communication with the
governor's office is greater than with other boards.
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER opined that the administration has been
very attentive to the issue of suicide and John Moller, Senior
Rural Affairs Advisor, Office of the Governor, is a great
contact within the administration.
MS. BURKHART then returned to the Council's current membership,
as follows:
DHSS Seat - Melissa Stone, Director, Division of
Behavioral Health, DHSS
EED Seat - Phyllis Carlson, Rural Education Director,
Department of Education and Early Development (EED)
Member of the Advisory Board on Alcoholism & Drug
Abuse - Bernard Gatewood, Superintendent, Fairbanks
Youth Facility, Division of Juvenile Justice, DHSS
Member of the Alaska Mental Health Board - Brenda
Moore, Founder, Christian Health; Past Chair,
Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
Alaska Federation of Natives - William Martin, Current
Chair, Statewide Prevention Council
Secondary Education - Meghan Crow, Social Work
Department, Lower Kuskokwim School District
Youth Organization - Alana Humphrey, Boys & Girls Club
Survivor of Loss of Suicide - Barbara Franks, Suicide
Prevention, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Rural Community Member Off Road System (including
Alaska Marine Highway System) - Christine Moses
Clergy - Pastor Lowell Sage, Jr.
Youth (limited to 9th-12th grade) - vacant
Public - Sharon Norton, MSN, RN
MS. BURKHART pointed out that although many members fill a
specific seat, they wear many hats. Furthermore, more than a
few of the Council's members have been touched by suicide. With
regard to the youth seat, Ms. Burkhart related that it's
difficult to fill that seat because the youth is appointed while
in their junior or senior year of high school and upon
graduation they are no longer eligible to fill the seat. There
is legislation pending to address the aforementioned by
eliminating the grade definition and specifying that the age of
the individual has to be 16-24.
8:26:19 AM
MS. BURKHART told the committee that the Council is co-located
with the Alaska Mental Health Board and the Advisory Board on
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse because of the interrelationship
between the issues of mental health, alcoholism, and drug abuse
to suicide. Of the small sample of suicide decedents who went
to the medical examiner's office and received toxicology
testing, 46 percent had alcohol in their system and 44 percent
had some other drug in their system. The other issue is that by
co-locating with the other two boards, the Council and those
boards are able to share a director at no cost to the Council.
Therefore, the Council can dedicate its limited personal
services budget to hiring full-time staff, which they haven't
had for many years. She opined that difference between having
full-time staff and not is evident in the Council's ability to
fulfill its duties. She characterized the co-location situation
as a good relationship for all three entities and it's made
possible by Bernard Gatewood and Brenda Moore's advocacy on
behalf of the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council.
MS. BURKHART, referring to the slide entitled "History,"
explained that the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council was
established in 2001 after some "suicide clusters." She related
her understanding that the Council got off to a rocky start and
was moved to the Office of the Commissioner in DHSS some time in
2007. Between 2007 and the end of fiscal year 2010, the Council
was located in the Prevention & Early Intervention Section
within the Division of Behavioral Health, DHSS. The [section]
worked very hard to help the Council achieve its duties, but
without dedicated staff it was very difficult. The Council
members were frustrated. During the legislative audit the need
for more organization around meetings came up, which ultimately
led to the co-location. With regard to the Council's members,
Ms. Burkhart pointed out that the 12 public members are voting
members while the four legislative members are non voting
members, which was a change that resulted because of quorum
issues the Council was experiencing. When that change was
made, legislators began to attend meetings in full force and
provide leadership. In fact, at every meeting since November
2009 three of the four legislators have been present. She then
moved on to the slide entitled "Activities in FY10." In
partnership with the Alaska Mental Health Board, the Advisory
Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, DHSS, the Alaska Mental
Health Trust, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium,
the Council held a statewide summit in January 2010. That
summit was the first time in which the state and tribal suicide
prevention systems came together deliberately and publicly to
work together. Another exciting aspect of this summit is that
the usual cast of mental health clinicians and policy wonks
weren't invited, rather groups not heard from before were
invited. The group included law enforcement, village police
safety officers, clergy members, traditional healers, elders,
high school and college students, legislators, some mental
health professionals and prevention specialists, teachers, and
businesses owners. The point of this summit was to hear new
ideas and understand where the problems are. The theme of the
summit, as well as the annual report, was "mending the net,"
which illustrated the need to find the holes and knit them back
together. In addition to the summit, the Council held meetings
in Dillingham and Toksook Bay. The Council is very proud that
much of the meeting in Toksook Bay was conducted in Yup'ik with
English translation, which will ensure that the work the Council
does in the future is relevant. She noted that since November
2009, the Council has achieved a quorum at all its meetings. In
partnership with the Alaska Mental Health Board and the Advisory
Board of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, a group of dedicated and
tireless folks worked to create the www.stopsuicide.org web
portal. The web portal was made possible with a one-time
increment, $75,000, of Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
receipts. She emphasized that it's not a website, it's a web
portal where people can come together to communicate, share
ideas, and support each other in prevention efforts. The
Council is in the process of developing community pages on the
portal for campuses. Ms. Burkhart expressed pride that folks
who have energy to apply to this issue are being brought in and
their efforts are being supported.
8:35:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA asked if the Council tracks research that
is being done regarding suicide.
MS. BURKHART said that the Council attempts to track research
regarding suicide. She noted that the Institute of Medicine's
stakeholders presented to the Council a proposal to conduct
research in Alaska on issues related to mental health, substance
abuse, and suicide. The Council felt that the proposal hadn't
yet garnered the support necessary from all the stakeholders.
There was also concern that Alaska would be researched rather
than participate in research. Ms. Burkhart stated that the
Council does support good efforts at research and is a possible
place of focus for the future.
8:38:33 AM
MS. BURKHART, returning to her overview, related that from the
summit the Council found that the strengths in Alaska are
numerable. Alaska has strong training programs on prevention
and intervention models, including the Applied Suicide
Intervention Skills Training that's coordinated through the
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Gatekeeper
Program that's coordinated by DHSS and others. The state,
however, is unique in that Alaska has behavioral health aides in
villages, which were identified as an asset. Furthermore,
Alaska has some peer support groups in schools and colleges to
help young people deal with the ups and downs of adolescent
life. Other strengths in Alaska are listed on the slide
entitled "Summit Findings - Strengths." One of the largest
weaknesses is stigma, which brings along fear. As mentioned in
the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council's annual report, one of
the Council's biggest achievements is that more people are
discussing suicide in various arenas of the state. Still, much
stigma remains for those who access mental health services and
survivors of a suicide loss. Often, the stigma makes it
difficult for survivors of a suicide loss to access the
necessary services because they're afraid of being judged.
Other weaknesses identified by the summit include lack of
services in some communities and lack of financial security in
some communities. Although at this time there's not enough
information to show a causal link between unemployment and
financial troubles with suicide, it's known that loss of hope or
anything with a strong negative effect on an individual's self-
esteem creates a risk factor. Therefore, more research in this
area is necessary. She also highlighted the weakness of a lack
of culturally relevant prevention programs as well as a lack of
cross-training and multi-disciplinary approaches to suicide
prevention, which can be addressed with training to teachers,
ministers, home health aides, and others in the first contact
role.
8:43:08 AM
MS. BURKHART pointed out that in addition to strengths and
weaknesses, those at the summit also identified strategies,
which the Council is taking very seriously. The strategies
include building community readiness, which means fostering the
environment and conversation around suicide. One has to be able
to talk about suicide before doing anything about it. Another
strategy identified was maximizing existing resources. The
summit made it clear that although money is important, it
doesn't solve all the problems. Another strategy was to employ
evidence-based and other effective practices. The summit also
identified the strategies of support for survivors of suicide
and support and training for first responders, which includes
those who have to clean up after a suicide. Tailoring efforts
to specific populations, not just on the basis of ethnicity, was
also identified as a strategy. She clarified that the
population can be based on age, geography, culture, and
orientation. People are unique and the responses to suicide
need to most closely match. The summit also identified the
strategy of adequately funding the prevention system and
continuum of care. She then returned to the strategy of
maximizing resources and related that a summit attendee took the
Council's public awareness movie to her local GCI affiliate to
run on the scanner channel. The local GCI affiliate agreed to
do so and offered to work with GCI to show the movie statewide
at no cost. Those are the kinds of ideas the Council wants to
support. In order for the Council to provide that support, it
needs to create a strategic plan. To that end, Council members
spent a day together in a facilitated strategic planning process
that resulted in the structure of a plan. The work of the
Council will fall into four strategic areas. The strategic area
of coordination of efforts is to improve communication such that
research can be tracked and communities can connect. For
example, when Ketchikan wanted to establish a suicide prevention
coalition, the Council was able to connect them with the
existing Juneau task force to help Ketchikan evolve into an
active coalition faster. The strategic areas of education,
awareness, and media relate to the need to address stigma. The
strategic area of training ensures that the necessary resources
and training to effectively identify risk factors and know how
to handle them is available. The last strategic area is
prevention programs. The Council will update Alaska's statewide
suicide prevention plan as it's one of the Council's duties.
She explained that the current plan was carefully designed as a
resource for communities and was designed such that any
community could use it. However, the plan, she emphasized, was
not designed to guide statewide policy. Therefore, during the
update, the Council will provide recommendations for
improvements to the suicide prevention system at the state,
community, and individual level. She informed the committee
that the Council is prioritizing input from Alaskans and the
expertise available in the state, including from elders,
survivors of a loss of suicide, and young people. The goal is to
use the information from those folks in order to ensure the
updated statewide suicide prevention plan is relevant and
includes meaningful information for those being served.
8:49:52 AM
MS. BURKHART stressed that in its conversations the Council is
trying to highlight that suicide is more than just the suicide
rate, numbers are involved. She pointed out that looking at
suicide in Alaska simply by the rate results in not realizing
that although some communities in Alaska have low suicide rates,
the suicide numbers are high. Furthermore, it's more difficult
to see the people when reviewing the suicide rate. She informed
the committee that Alaska has lost 1,369 people in the last 10
years which can't be derived from the rate. Therefore, the
Council's conversations include rates as well as numbers. The
suicide rate in 2009 was 20.2 per 100,000 people, which means
that 140 people died by suicide. Alaska's suicide rate was very
similar to that in 2001. She related that there hasn't been a
significant change in the number of people dying [by suicide]
and the suicide rate; 176 communities in Alaska have experienced
at least one suicide in the last 10 years. With regard to
funding, Ms. Burkhart pointed out that the state has had the
ability to increase funding for suicide prevention. The chart
on the slide entitled "Funding" only includes funding that flows
through the state. However, she noted that there is suicide
prevention funding that comes from the methamphetamine and
suicide prevention initiative from the Indian Health Service.
She further noted that some tribal organizations have received
federal grants similar to those the state has received.
Although the Council doesn't always know what's going on with
funding in communities, the Council's goal is to know so that it
can support and connect people. To encourage some thought, Ms.
Burkhart directed attention to the map on the slide entitled
"Funding," which illustrates where the funds from the state have
gone. The map shows that the funds aren't distributed based on
rates and isn't even. She attributed the funding disparity to
the fact that not every community applies for a grant and to the
fact that it's a competitive process for a limited pool of funds
and thus not every applicant receives funds. She noted that
some communities have sought federal funds and thus aren't
represented on the map.
8:53:56 AM
MS. BURKHART informed the committee that one of the [ideas] from
the summit was a systems change, such as the Alaska State
Troopers working with the Alaska Children's Homes to provide
Gatekeeper training to the troopers. She noted that no one
asked for funding to accomplish the training. Therefore, the
Council wants to create an environment in which people are
willing and able to discuss new ideas and determine how to
incorporate them to improve the system. Those improvements will
include coordination of effort such that communication among
stakeholders is supported and there is collaboration between
traditional and non-traditional prevention stakeholders. Most
wouldn't consider care coordinators to be a traditional suicide
prevention stakeholder, but they are due to their almost daily
contact with folks. This coordination of effort includes
focusing on community-based ideas and efforts, which ties in to
supporting individual, community, and statewide efforts. Ms.
Burkhart opined that there's a lot the state could do that it's
not. The Council also needs to continue to work with regard to
awareness in terms of addressing the stigma and fear, educating
people about warning signs and how to help. The Council also
wants to provide a voice for survivors of suicide and promote
responsible reporting and discussions of suicide. The Council
wants to ensure those who want or need training on suicide
prevention and intervention receive it. In fact, there has been
much discussion regarding how the Council can support clergy-
focused training. Ms. Burkhart concluded her overview by
relating that the Council wants to identify and support
prevention models that work, particularly in light of the
Council's limited resources, such that those funding
opportunities that are available are accessible. The Council
also wants to increase access to funding, appropriate funding.
The Council also seeks to focus on protective factors and
resilience as well as risk factors; evaluating programs to
determine what works; and promoting culturally relevant models.
8:58:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER informed the committee that the
legislation changing the parameters for the youth member of the
Council adds a member who is knowledgeable or has some expertise
with the problem of suicide with the military. Representative
Gardner then pointed out that the Statewide Suicide Prevention
Council's meetings throughout the state are important in terms
of the reduction of the stigma related to suicide, which may
manifest in discussions after the Council's visit.
9:00:34 AM
WILLIAM MARTIN, Chair, Statewide Suicide Prevention Council,
Department of Health and Social Services, related his
appreciation for Chair Munoz's efforts with suicide prevention
as well as Representative Gardner's participation on the
Council. He opined that suicide is multi-faceted. The Alaska
Native suicide numbers are high in comparison to the nation
whereas the non-Native suicide numbers are similar to the
national numbers. In trying to find the common denominator of
why Alaska Natives have higher suicide numbers, Mr. Martin
offered his belief [that it's related] to the Alaska Native's
gift of sensitivity. He remarked that this sensitivity can
sometimes lead to depression, which is almost always associated
with Alaska Native suicides. Adding alcohol, he charged,
compounds the situation. He highlighted that alcohol remains
the number one problem among Alaska Natives. Furthermore,
alcohol has long lasting effects and one's emotions can work on
that.
MR. MARTIN then discussed the uncle/auntie influence in the
Alaska Native culture, which is unfortunately almost nonexistent
now. He told the committee that suicide was nonexistent for
Alaska Natives 200 years ago when alcohol wasn't around. He
stressed his belief that alcohol is a large part of the [suicide
problem for Alaska Natives]. Although Mr. Martin didn't believe
the problem of suicide will be solved entirely in his lifetime,
he opined that there's the ability to turn it around as today's
Native leaders and tribal organizations are willing to discuss
suicide and family wellness. He further opined that the Native
community spends much time worrying about tribal sovereignty and
entitlement, but without concern for Native kids there won't be
anything to worry about. He expressed the need for folks to
step up and be the uncles, grandparents, and parents to Alaska
Native children as well as getting back to the basics.
MR. MARTIN highlighted the change in lifestyle and foods Alaska
Natives follow and eat. When subsistence was a way of life,
children felt they were an important part of the family
structure. However, that's not the case now. Therefore, there
needs to be outreach to today's youth, which is what Council
members are doing.
9:14:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA recalled working in the legislature in
1971 and observing an Alaska Native community that was extremely
active with families and the legislature. However, that doesn't
seem to be the case now. She then related her discussion with a
Prince of Wales resident regarding the loss of the fishing
industry.
MR. MARTIN agreed with Representative Cissna that now the
atmosphere [between Alaska Natives and Alaskans] is an "us and
them" situation. He also agreed that the loss of the fishing
industry was detrimental as it was a loss of culture and way of
life, which he indicated resulted in many not doing anything.
9:19:41 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER remarked that although he is sorry that
the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council is necessary, he's glad
to have it available. The Council seems to be well positioned
with the Alaska Mental Health Board and the Advisory Board on
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Representative Saddler characterized
the Council as having a band-aid approach that's necessary, but
the underlying causes of loss of healthy culture, communities,
families, and economies need to be addressed. He inquired as to
things outside the purview of the Council that would address the
aforementioned underlying causes of suicide.
MR. MARTIN answered that addressing alcohol and child abuse
would be helpful in the suicide prevention effort.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there's an existing society with
a low suicide rate; if so, what are the characteristics of it?
MS. BURKHART responded that she can provide specifics at a later
date. However, she informed the committee that Scandinavian
countries often have lower rates. Scandinavian countries have
different social norms and often seem to be more accepting of
differences. Furthermore, Scandinavian countries have a wider
array of publicly funded social services, such as education
after secondary education and health care. One of the most
intriguing, yet sad, examples is Greenland. Greenland used to
have the lowest suicide rate in the world, but in 30 years has
come to have the highest rate. Greenland, like Alaska, is a
cold climate with an indigenous population. The former
commissioner of DHSS and a former Council member along with many
others traveled to Greenland to discuss the change. Those in
Greenland seemed to attribute the rapid increase in their
suicide rate to many of the underlying causes mentioned by Mr.
Martin, including the loss of culture. She offered to provide
data from the World Health Organization regarding the suicide
rates across the world.
9:26:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER questioned whether there is any data from
the Scandinavian countries regarding the Lapland population. He
then expressed interest in trends with the suicide numbers and
found Mr. Martin's comment that it was only in his lifetime that
he's observed the suicide numbers increase so much as a powerful
perspective. Representative Foster stated that although suicide
is a statewide issue, it reaches parts of the state where the
help isn't readily available. Therefore, he said he was
appreciative of the involvement of the Alaska Federation of
Natives (AFN). He also noted his appreciation for Mr. Martin
and Ms. Burkhart's efforts.
9:28:50 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:28 a.m. to 9:34 a.m.
9:34:39 AM
CHAIR MUNOZ announced that the committee would now hear an
overview of the Qungasvik Project.
9:34:52 AM
DR. STACY RASMUS, Project Director, Qungasvik Project, Center
for Alaska Native Health Research, Institute of Arctic Biology,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, related her background. She
then noted that she was inspired by Ms. Burkhart and Mr.
Martin's presentation. Since the video the youth of the
Qungasvik Project put together was unable to be shown, she
offered to leave it with members to watch. She explained that
the video shows the faces of youth who are succeeding and living
in the community of Alakanuk.
9:38:32 AM
DR. RASMUS heard in today's testimony the need to focus on
what's working and the youth who are surviving. She told the
committee that most of the Qungasvik Projects are based on the
Lower Yukon and the projects are funded through a National
Institute of Health National Center for Minority Health and
Health Disparities grant. This was an 11-year grant, with no
competing renewals along the way, to conduct community based,
participatory health research to assess primary needs/healthy
disparities in the communities in the first year. The next
three years of the grant was to develop a culturally- and
locally-based, integrated, and comprehensive prevention project
to address the identified health disparities. For the first
part of the project, the partnership was only with Alakanuk.
She acknowledged that research is of concern, particularly to
indigenous populations, due to the history of misuse of research
and research participants. However, the vision of the Center
for Alaska Native Health Research is to perform research with
direct service application. In fact, if the research is
conducted in a participatory manner, it's found to be an impact
in terms of prevention. Getting people involved in trying to
determine the problem is healing and [individuals experience]
improvements by being active in collecting data. Upon
determining the major problems and developing ways in which to
address them in one community, the Elluam Tungiinum Project in
Alakanuk took three years to develop the Qungasvik Project. The
Qungasvik [manual] has 36 activities and describes how they are
going about the work with the communities and the youth. She
informed the committee that the project started with Alakanuk in
2005 and on April 23 it will mark four years during which
Alakanuk has had no suicides, which is in sharp contrast to
2001-2003 when Alakanuk experienced over 20 suicides. She noted
that the Qungasvik speak of a ritual to excise the spirit of
suicide from the community.
9:44:58 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DICK requested that Dr. Rasmus elaborate on the
spirit of suicide.
DR. RASMUS related, as she has been told, that three elders came
together and discussed how back when they were young, their
fathers dealt with things such as epidemics differently. One
elder recalled that during an epidemic his father was helping
carry a body to place it on to the pile in the sod house, when
the body was dropped and it rolled down the hill. The men
stopped and then they all began laughing. The men then picked
up the body and placed it in the sod house. Afterward the men
noticed that the death stopped, which they thought about. The
men decided that the spirit of death was shamed and left.
Therefore, the elders decided to shame the spirit of suicide.
At this gathering in Alakanuk in the community, the youth were
placed in the center of the hall and the elders and the adults
circled the youth just as the musk ox do to protect their young
from a threat. The adults and the elders stomped to get the
attention of the spirits and then they began to laugh and make
the youth laugh by tickling them. Upon the conclusion of that,
the [elders] told the spirit of suicide to leave and that it no
longer had power over the youth in Alakanuk. The people of
Alakanuk stopped crying and started laughing.
9:48:19 AM
DR. RASMUS related that the Qungasvik Project carries the
aforementioned to other communities. The project is being
utilized in two other communities and will move to a third. She
noted that there are other communities that are requesting the
project. Dr. Rasmus mentioned the care the project is taking
with the communities in regard to this sensitive issue.
9:48:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER stated that this is a permanent priority
for him. He related that this summer there was a rash of
suicides in Western Alaska, which resulted in a meeting that he
and a number of commissioners attended in Mountain Village to
discuss suicide. At the meeting it was apparent that the
residents realize that addressing suicide is something that
starts at the local level, but at the same time they requested
any state support available. He related that a few weeks later
during visits to Western Alaska, he was twice faced with suicide
and what it does to communities. Those experiences were
incredibly powerful. Programs such as Qungasvik that are
culturally relevant are an important tool in working toward
reversing suicides. With regard to the cause of suicide,
Representative Foster agreed that it's a multi-faceted issue
that will take numerous programs. In conclusion, Representative
Foster stated his appreciation for all the efforts to address
suicide and requested a summary sheet regarding what the
legislature can do to help.
9:55:26 AM
CHAIR MUNOZ echoed Representative Foster's comment that the
legislature is here to work with the Council and other efforts
to address suicide.
9:55:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DICK related the devastation of [suicide] in
Tanana, where half of a graduating class was gone at age 22.
9:56:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA informed the committee of a team of
instructors who taught [local village youth] to do films focused
on the issues that bring suicide, such as abuse. A film was
submitted to the Alaska film festival and it won an honor. The
films spotlighted those in the community who were succeeding in
the face of various issues, such as suicide and alcoholism. The
films also included the elders telling their cultural stories.
The film was powerful, she commented.
CHAIR MUNOZ encouraged the Council and Dr. Rasmus to contact the
committee with regard to strengthening the Council and the work
it and Dr. Rasmus conduct.
9:58:51 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 9:58 a.m.
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