Youth Services VISTA Program Coordinator | Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc.

Since 1965, over 220,000 AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program have joined the fight against poverty by helping local organizations expand their capacity to make change. The VISTA program serves in each of the 50 U.S. states and in all U.S. territories.

Through capacity building activities such as fundraising, grant writing, research, and volunteer recruitment AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program serve in an office setting and gain experience and leadership skills. This opportunity prepares members for a life of service in the public, private, or nonprofit sector.

The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. is a federally recognized tribal organization of the Unangan (Aleut) people in Alaska whose mission is to provide self-sufficiency an independence of the communities served by advocacy, training, technical assistance and economic enhancement.

The AmeriCorps VISTA member will increase capacity of the organization by the meeting the following objectives: (1) Coordinating regional high school activities designed to introduce students to a wide variety of health and behavioral health careers; (2) Coordinating and supporting behavioral health and health care related trainings throughout the region (i.e. Youth Mental Health First Aid, teenMHFA, Adult Mental Health First Aid, QPR Suicide Prevention, Basic Life Support, Overdose Recognition and Prevention, etc.) (3) Increase presence and maintain regional partnership with school districts, health care facilities, university faculty and staff, Alaska Native organizations, etc. (4) Expand the placing of AHEC Scholars (Alaskan enrolled in Alaskan health-care programs) in rural placements.