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Maniilaq Counseling Services

Behavorial Health Services provides a broad range of mental health services to residents of the Northwest Arctic Borough, including psychotherapy and counseling for adults and adolescents, play therapy for children, marital and family therapy, anger management group therapy, a sexual offender program, and 24-hour on-call service for mental health crisis intervention, hospital assessments, and court screenings.

Developmental Disabilities

Developmental Disabilities provides care for developmentally disabled clients by maintaining the Lake Street House facility in Kotzebue. Specific services include respite care, case management, and residential services. This program also works extensively in case management and advocacy for developmentally disabled clients living in their home communities across the Maniilaq Association service area.

Clinical Services

Assessment: Assessment is the first step in receiving treatment services at MRC. The assessment includes questions in the areas of physical health, emotional concerns, family history, alcohol and other drug use, criminal history, and spirituality. It takes approximately two hours to complete the assessment. The completed assessment includes a diagnosis and recommended level of treatment.

Community Based Services

Outreach: This component is sometimes referred to as aftercare or continuing care services. It is the final level of the recovery process for individuals who have completed a Residential or Outpatient program. The outreach program works with individuals and family members to assist with the transition from treatment to community. Much of the focus is on life skills, family relationships, relapse prevention, and community support resources.

Maniilaq Alcohol Safety Action Program (MASAP): This program works with the Alaska Court System and screens DUI and other alcohol related misdemeanor offenders. Referrals are made for individuals to complete a correspondence course or a substance abuse/dependency assessment based on the screening results.

Juvenile Alcohol Safety Action Program (JSAP): This program works with the Alaska Court System to provide screening, assessments, educational classes, and outpatient services to individuals under the age of 21 who receive citations for Minor Consuming Alcohol.

FASD Diagnostic Team: This team has been in the development stage for the past year. The team consists of a coordinator, physician, psychologist, physical therapist, public health nurse, and parent navigator. The team is ready to accept referrals and schedule appointments to begin the diagnostic process.

Mavsigvik Recovery Program

Established through a grant from the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Mavsigviq program, located at the old Spud Farm, is a Family Recovery Camp. Individuals and families struggling with the disease of addiction go to the camp and begin the healing process while living a traditional native, subsistence, lifestyle.

Rural Human Services

The Rural Human Services (RHS) program is responsible for the provision of a counselor in every village. Village counselors provide an array of services including prevention activities, service coordination, community support activities and, in some villages, outpatient treatment.

RHS classes are held in Kotzebue through Chukchi University. These classes assist to further the education and skill levels of village counselors and other interested community members.

Treatment Related Services

Social Model Detoxification: Social Model Detoxification is maintained 24 hours a day and provides individuals a safe place while they withdraw from the effects of alcohol or other drugs. Because MRC does not have medical staff on the premise, individuals must receive a medical clearance from the hospital prior to admission into detox services.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Maniilaq Association Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation (MATVR) Program provides vocational rehabilitation services to American Indians/Alaska Native individuals with disabilities who reside within the Maniilaq Service Area, consistent with their individual strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, so that they may prepare for and engage in gainful employment including self-employment and return to traditional subsistence activities.
The American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program (AIVRS Program) is authorized by Title I, Part B, section 110 (c) and Part C, section 121 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the Act). Under the AIVRS Program, discretionary grants are awarded on a competitive basis to governing bodies of Indian tribes located on Federal and State reservations and to consortia of such governing bodies. These grants pay 90 percent of the costs of providing vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for American Indians who are individuals with disabilities residing on or near such reservations. The legislative foundation for this program came about in 1978 with reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act. The AIVRS Program has grown from one grantee in 1981 to 70 grantees in 2004. This growth is primarily a result of increases in the statutorily mandated minimum reserve of funds appropriated to the State VR services program, under section 100(b)(1) of the Act. In Alaska, there are 11 tribal vocational rehabilitation programs serving tribal members with disabilities.
For more information about how the MATVR Program works, please contact: Maniilaq Association Vocational Rehabilitation Program P O Box 325 Point Hope AK 99766. In Alaska, please call 1 800 504 2268 or 907 368-2067.