U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  HHS.gov  Secretary Mike Leavitt's Blog

Mental Health

Alaska Blog III- Mental Health Treatment in Remote Alaska

Imagine you are a woman with two small children living in a remote Alaskan village of 300 people. Winters are harsh, long and dark. You love your husband, but he is often abusive physically and psychologically.

The combination of hardships and some personal tendencies have caused you to turn to alcohol. You are beginning to suffer bouts of depression. Talking with others about the feelings of suicide has become frequent in your head, but you dare not say anything to those around you. Where do you turn? Getting to a doctor requires an hour by plane or eight hours by ferry.

While I was in Juneau, Alaska this week, I took a short walk from the offices of Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) to a small mental health annex for a private conversation with a patient whose personal circumstances were not identical to what I just posed, but close enough. We talked alone for 20 minutes. She was candid about her situation, and I will honor her privacy by not changing the facts and not mentioning anything about where she lives.

Our conversation took place over a new videoconferencing system that is being extended into villages across Alaska. I have used videoconferencing equipment many times before. This was arranged in a way that made the interaction seem quite natural. The video was close up and we could see one another’s eyes and facial expressions. I finished the encounter feeling like I knew her personally. Granted, it is less than ideal but it is a huge step forward.

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SEARHC behavioral health providers Rand West, Clinic II Director, and Carolyn Lemmon, Acting Director of Community Family Services Program, talk with Secretary Leavitt over a videoconferencing system.

This patient told me one thing that I think is particularly significant. She said, “In a small village like where I live, it is impossible to talk with anybody without others knowing your problems. Being able to do that this way, gives me the comfort I need to feel safe.”

The mental health problems of remote communities are unique and intense. The videoconferencing system is a great tool. We can find ways of using this technology to provide assistance in underserved areas.