Healthy Healers Course

Elvina Turner from Unalakleet and Violet Burhnam from Kaltag have several decades of experience as health providers. We asked Elvina and Violet what helped them be successful and stay in their jobs for so many years.  Below are excerpts from those interviews (the full interview may be found in the Resource section).

Elvina Turner has been a Village Based Counselor and Behavioral Health Aide in the Norton Sound Region for 32 years. When asked “what has helped you get through the hard parts (of your job) and keep working and what makes a healthy work environment” she replied, “Talk with co-workers, like debriefing, people supporting your job. Working as a team.” 

	Violet Burnham of Kaltag worked as a village counselor, substance abuse counselor and prevention worker for 21 years, getting a B.A. in social work, Rural Human Services Certificate, and Masters in Community Psychology along the way. She was instrumental in developing the Kaltag Wellness Team to, “provide support, therapeutic services, debriefing services, and training for team members.”

Violet recognized that, “the issues the community was facing were difficult and that created so much unresolved trauma to community members, the team had to take care of themselves as well to create sustainability.”