DAVID C. MAAS
University of Alaska Anchorage
Study evaluates the plausibility of building a mental health and substance program in a village that would offer both care and preventive services. The work is divided in three sections. The first chapter looks at the dimensions of substance abuse and mental illness in Alaska and documents the range of pathological drinking and drug use and their connection to personal and family tragedies, illness, and criminal behavior. The second part describes the mental health programs that are available in Alaska and evaluates the care that is offered to individuals and families in rural and urban communities. The final section summarizes what was learned from extended visits to three villages to learn more about the patterns of alcohol and drug use and related problems (abuse, domestic violence, mental illness); local opinions about existing mental health and other counseling services; and, community recommendations for the development of a family and residential treatment center.
Special Equipment: Overhead Projector
Outcomes and Transferability: Presentation will provide latest information on population changes in rural Alaska, alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse rates (for Alaskans, Alaska Natives, and American Indians), drug use, treatment needs, problems related to alcohol use (suicide, ill health, accidents, FAS, crime), evaluation of existing substance abuse and mental health programs, and perspectives of individuals from three villages about living with drugs and alcohol, treatment, and alternative solutions to substance abuse.
Relation to Conference Theme: The core of the study is a summary of what people in three Native communities think about alcohol and drug abuse, treatment programs, and the role they should play in responding to pathological drinking and drug use.