Alaska Native Cultural and Relationship-Building Training, BHCE

Southcentral Foundation (SCF), an Alaska Native customer-owned healthcare system that has been nationally and internationally recognized for high-quality healthcare, is offering a cultural and relationship-building training based on the values of the Alaska Native community. SCF’s Nuka System of Care is focused on strong relationships between patients (who are called “customer-owners” at SCF) and providers, and SCF makes use of the unique strengths of Alaska Native culture to improve care offerings. Participants in this training will learn about many different aspects of how SCF provides care, including:

• A brief history of SCF and how the relationship-based Nuka System of Care was developed in partnership with the Alaska Native community
• How SCF supports providers in offering relationship-based care
• How SCF uses Learning Circles based on the Alaska Native value of sharing story and listening to others share theirs, to support customer-owners
• How SCF provides behavioral healthcare in rural/remote areas with the use of Behavioral Health Aides and Clinicians

Presenters
K. J. WORBEY, MS, LPA, MAC
Clinical Director of Employee and Community Assistance.
K. J. Worbey is Clinical Director of Employee and Community Assistance. K. J. joined SCF in 1996; prior to her current role, she worked as a behavioral health clinician, Clinical Supervisor, Clinical Director of Quality Assurance in BSD, and then Clinical Director of Learning Circles. In her current role, she provides crisis support to SCF staff and the community during times of need. She is a resource for SCF program leadership and Human Resources related to staff wellness, and provides mentoring, training and oversight for Core Concepts and Beauty for Ashes conferences. She holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, Alaska, a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and a bachelor’s degree of science in psychology from the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta.

Amber Latham, MSW
Rural Clinician
Amber Latham is Yupik originally from Akiachak, Alaska. She is a Rural Clinician for SCF Rural Behavioral Health Team. She joined SCF in 2004. Prior to her current role, she worked as a Behavioral Health Case Manager Supervisor at SCF Denaa Yeets’ Suicide Prevention Program until she received her Master of Social Work Degree in 2018. In her current role, she provides brief solution focused interventions to customer-owners as part of customer-owner integrated health care and traditional behavioral health services. Amber received Living Our Value award in 2012. She is passionate about using Alaska Native values and culture to facilitate healing and raise resiliency among Alaska Native people. She loves to read, participate in subsistence activities such as berry picking and fish camp, and spend quality time with her family.

KYLE NEWMAN,,M.Ed., CDC l
Supervisor of Behavioral Health Aides
Kyle Newman has a Master’s degree in counseling and currently works for Southcentral Foundation’s (SCF) Behavioral Service Division supervising Behavioral Health Aides. He believes that people heal in relationship- by sharing their story in a safe place, free of judgement. He previously worked for Southcentral Foundation’s Family Wellness Warriors Initiative (FWWI) Program as a Wellness Specialist. Kyle joined SCF in 2009. He is an SCF customer-owner of Yup’ik Eskimo and Norwegian descent from Bethel, Alaska. Kyle likes to spend his free time hiking, camping, rock-climbing, biking and skiing with his son and daughter.