ANCAP receives $50,000 grant from Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

UAA's Alaska Native Community Advancement in Psychology (ANCAP) program was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority this month.

With the help of the UAA Office of Health Programs Development, ANCAP, seeks to improve the mental and behavioral health legacy of Alaska's indigenous communities.

ANCAP director and assistant professor of psychology, E.J. David, says, "This [grant] is a great help to ANCAP, as it will help us continue to recruit Alaska Native students into the field of psychology and provide them with services that not only facilitate their success, but also encourage them to give back to their home communities."

About 20 percent of Alaskans claim Alaska Native heritage, but just 4 percent of UAA psychology graduates and 8 percent of psychology majors are Alaska Native.

ANCAP exists to grow these numbers, increasing the number of Alaska Natives that graduate with a degree in psychology, work in the behavioral health field or pursue graduate degrees in psychology or a behavioral health-related field. It also seeks to improve levels of collective self-esteem among Alaska Natives; change society's perceptions and regard of Alaska Natives and their communities; increase the number of Alaska Natives conducting behavioral health research in collaboration with Alaska Native communities; and grow the number of Alaska Natives providing behavioral health services to Alaska Native communities.

"We are very thankful to AMHTA and the other ANCAP community supporters such as the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Arctic Slope Community Foundation, and Doyon, Limited. ANCAP hopes that our partnership with these community organizations will get stronger and continue for many years," David says.