Behavioral Health Wellness Clinic: offering compassionate care and behavioral health services from the comfort of your own home
April 6, 2022
Recognizing behavioral health services can be difficult to access in Alaska, ANTHC’s Behavioral Health Wellness Clinic (BHWC) offers patients video telehealth appointments for easy connection to compassionate care in communities across the state from the privacy of their own homes
The clinic’s goal is to promote Alaska Native wellness by offering immediate access to culturally attuned and evidence-based behavioral health care. With this telehealth clinic, staff are specifically focused on serving people living in rural and remote areas of the state where access to behavioral health care is limited.
The BHWC provides individual and group counseling, mental health and substance use assessments, health behavior coaching, and referral support. Behavioral health providers and case managers are key members of the care team delivering these services. The clinic’s top priority is to increase access to behavioral health care in partnership with our Tribal health providers across the state. communities across the state.
The BHWC serves Alaska Native and Native American individuals and families throughout Alaska. All services are provided exclusively through telehealth, which can be done from the privacy of a patient’s home using a phone or computer to connect to their appointment. Those interested in receiving services are able to begin care quickly and with minimal paperwork. In many cases, people will be able to make same-day telehealth appointments.
In partnership with Tribal health organizations across the state, the BHWC directly supports communities needing additional behavioral health provider resources, extending resources needed by individuals and families, as well as providing support and encouragement for people waiting to access other treatment services. More behavioral health services will be added over the coming months to continue promoting Alaska Native and American Indian wellness through compassionate and easy-to-connect to behavioral health services.
Alaska Native and American Indian individuals and families can access services three ways:
- Fill out an intake form online at: www.anthc.org/bhwc
- Call 1-833-642-BHWC (2492) or (907)-729-BHWC (2492)
- Talk to your provider about a referral
In addition to individual services, the BHWC offers a variety of group sessions to learn life skills to help individuals learn skills to cope with anxiety, depression, grief/loss, stress, trauma, and substance use. In group counseling, a provider works with a group of individuals who are experiencing similar concerns. Group members discuss their experiences and learn skills to help address their concerns and symptoms. Group sessions are a great way to connect with and learn from others who understand what you are going through.
Groups include:
- Balanced Living Group (offered daily)
- This group focuses on early recovery skills and relapse prevention skills such as skills for cravings, refusal skills, social skills, coping skills for co-occurring mental health concerns, and strategies for engaging a meaningful life without alcohol and drugs, among others.
- Mindfulness Group (offered weekly)
- In this group, participants engage in a mindfulness meditation exercise at each session. These mindfulness exercises include meditation, guided imagery, breathing methods and other practices to help relax the body and mind to reduce symptoms and stress. Participants learn how to focus on what they are sensing at the moment without judgment as well as techniques to bring relief to symptoms they are experiencing.
- Seeking Safety (offered weekly)
- This group helps participants work toward safety in their life, let go of dangerous relationships, feel control of their trauma and substance use symptoms and discontinue their substance use. Participants are not required to recount specific traumas. The emphasis of this group is on teaching and practicing skills one can use right away to address symptoms of trauma and substance use.
- Anxiety, Depression and Stress Group (offered daily)
- This group provides practical skills and techniques for addressing symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress. Participants learn how to work on their thoughts and behaviors to find relief as well as to engage in meaningful ways in their life to increase their wellbeing.
- Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) (offered weekly)
- This group provides participants with skills to help motivate their loved ones to reduce their substance use and motivate their loved ones to enter treatment. Family members and friends can use this group to learn new skills to help their loved ones, to have a place to share about the stressors their loved one’s substance use places on their life and concentrate on their personal well-being.
- Healthy Relationship Skill Group (offered weekly)
- This group provides participants with the skills to have a healthy romantic relationship. Clients work on exercises and skills related to their values and responsibilities, social skills, decision-making abilities, refusal skills, setting and attaining goals, hygiene, self-care and sexual health.
For more info on our services and group offerings or to complete an online intake to become a client, please visit www.anthc.org/bhwc