Alaska's AHEC: Behavioral Health Education in Sand Point

by Jessica Degnan  |   

  • students holding up their paper mache masks they made
    High school students show off their paper mache masks at Sand Point School on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Jessica Degnan/UAA Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce) 
  • students making paper mache masks
    Two high school students discuss what they might add to their vision boards during an art therapy activity at Sand Point School on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Jessica Degnan/UAA Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce) 
  • students painting
    One high school student smiles at the camera while painting her paper mache mask during an art therapy activity at Sand Point School on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Jessica Degnan/UAA Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce) 
  • students crafting
    Two high school students get creative during an art therapy activity at Sand Point School on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Jessica Degnan/UAA Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce) 
  • masks made by students
      High school students carefully design paper mache masks during an art therapy activity at Sand Point School on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Jessica Degnan/UAA Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce) 
  • students crafting in a large classroom
    One high school student waves at the camera while his classmates craft during an art therapy activity at Sand Point School on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Jessica Degnan/UAA Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce) 
  • students painting
    Students happily chat while they paint paper mache masks at Sand Point School on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Jessica Degnan/UAA Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce) 

scenic photo of sand point beachExcited chatter echoed through the music classroom as 30 high school students applied acrylic paint and mixed media to paper mache masks. Each unique in design, whether it be an eagle painted in honor of the school mascot or an Alaskan sunset incorporating deep hues of orange and yellow portrays emotion and tells a student’s story. At Sand Point School in Sand Point, a beautiful coastal community located off the Alaska Peninsula, Southwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in conjunction with its host organization, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA) hosted different activities throughout the week to introduce students to art therapy techniques and other behavioral health topics.

Southwest AHEC Director, Olivia Bridges said “Partnering with Sand Point School has allowed Southwest AHEC to engage with high school students who are interested in learning more about behavioral health. It’s amazing to hear that so many of these students want to work as medical and behavioral health providers in the future for their community, in other parts of Alaska, and other states. Facilitating these programs with such active youth inspires me and I always learn something new I can apply to future programming around health workforce development.”

scenic photo of sand point beach

Bridges and Jessica Degnan, Communications Coordinator for the AHEC Program Office at the Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce (ACRH-HW) with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA),  co-instructed a one-week dual credit class in early April. Alaska’s AHEC hosts a variety of classes such as these to increase the health workforce by engaging youth in healthcare related education initiatives. Throughout the week, 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. 

 

Precious Kaminanga, a freshman at Sand Point School, offered her insight on how communities can better support the mental health needs of teenagers. “By encouraging and normalizing them to talk about how they feel and what they’re dealing with; by teaching them some ways to cope.”

scenic photo of sand point beachTeen Mental Health First Aid was an important component of the class. The evidence-based curriculum empowers teens aged 15-17 to support peers experiencing mental health challenges by identifying warning signs and bringing a responsible, trusted adult into the situation. In addition to designing paper mache masks, students enjoyed a diverse range of therapeutic activities such as creating vision boards, participating in music therapy sessions and gardening. Upon completing the class, students earned a certification in teen Mental Health First Aid and took home valuable coping strategies to help manage stress and foster emotional well-being. Twenty-five of the thirty students earned two college credits from University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Bristol Bay for their participation in this program with the majority of students providing positive feedback about the curriculum. 

 

This class was made possible through partnerships between Sand Point School, Southwest AHEC paired with its host organization APIA Inc., ACRH-HW at the UAA, and the UAF Bristol Bay. 

 

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