Are you looking for a meaningful and rewarding career that allows you to make a real difference in your community? Behavioral health is the connection between behavior and well-being, encompassing a wide range of emotional, psychological and social issues that affect a person's mental and physical health and well-being.
By pursuing a career in behavioral health, you have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of those in your community. Whether you choose to become a therapist, counselor, social worker, psychiatrist or psychologist, you will be providing critical support and guidance to individuals and families who need it most. By helping to address the root causes of mental health disorders and substance abuse, you can also help to build stronger, healthier communities. You can help to break the cycle of addiction and trauma, and promote a brighter future for all, as we build a better Alaska.
Discover the demand for behavioral health professionals in Alaska through this series of videos sponsored by Premera, featuring the inspiring stories of our UAA alumni who are actively contributing to our communities.
UAA would like to thank Premera Blue Cross for their generous support to inspire students to consider careers in behavioral health.
"A very simple explanation of human services is people that want to help people. What I learned in the human services program corresponds directly to what I do now...
I don't think I ever had a kid who didn't have some kind of trauma in their lives. So to work in probation and have an opportunity to help a kid or to help their family process some of that, it really does help the rest of the community."
Vicha Puwasurintra
Probation Officer
UAA Human Services Alumni
"What I do is find the essence of a person. My message and my mantra is, 'never take away a person's hope because it might be all they have.'
UAA prepared me for working in the behavior health field by offering a variety of classes that basically teach you the fundamentals."
Holly Scott
Care Coordinator
UAA Human Services Alumni
The prevalence of domestic violence, economic instability, unemployment, and substance abuse in households across Alaska underscores the critical need for behavioral health services.
Over 100,000 adults in Alaska have a mental health condition, and 28,000 adults have a serious mental illness. Over 40% of incarcerated Alaskans experience a serious mental illness.
Nearly 25% of Alaskans face serious challenges from substance use and there are not enough treatment options to respond to this need.
The demand for behavioral health care professionals is on the rise in Alaska, with an anticipated workforce growth of over 10% over the next 10 years.
Here are just a few of the ever-growing behavioral health jobs available in Alaska and across the country:
Healthcare providers from across the state of Alaska recently completed specialized training through the Comprehensive Advanced Life Support (CALS) program, thanks to the Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce (ACRH-HW) at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Sand Point high school students participated in a variety of didactic and hands-on activities that introduced them to different types of careers in behavioral health, therapeutic modalities and self-care skills.
Students at the statewide HOSA - Future Health Professionals Leadership Conference participated in competitions showcasing their instructional knowledge in physical therapy, dental science, nurse assistant, sports medicine, forensics, vet science, and phlebotomy.
Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska is supporting a new video campaign with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) to encourage people to pursue careers in behavioral health, which includes care for mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
In a recent analysis of the state’s healthcare workforce, the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association found that job vacancies are increasing, and not enough people are entering the workforce to make up for it. Leaders in Alaska discussed the pressing healthcare workforce crisis in the state and ways to support and retain providers at the 2023 Alaska State of Reform Conference last month.
