Call to the Wild

04/30/2018

Leigh and J.T. Bolin serve mental health clients in Alaska’s wilderness.

If the wilds and beauty of Alaska call you, and you are a mental health clinician, you’re in luck. Professionals are needed, the work is satisfying, and you’ll likely be paid to relocate.

Leigh and J.T. Bolin, both graduates of the Master of Social Work program at Saint Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice, have found their place in Bristol Bay. They serve clients, who live in remote villages, by traveling in small planes through the mountains.

J.T. started his career in St. Louis at BJC HealthCare, a large nonprofit health care organization, and said he learned much.“We were just looking for a change from the heat and humidity of St. Louis and happened to have a friend working as a clinical social worker in Alaska,” he says.

When they learned that his wife was also a mental health clinician, they were heavily recruited.

After the couple arrived, Leigh became the manager of a child advocacy center as her passion has been focused on community work.

J.T. is the clinical director at Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation, which began as a resource to help native populations, but now serves everyone.

“We are the sole provider of these community mental health services and, really, any psychotherapy services,” he says. “Psychiatry services are provided intermittently by traveling psychiatrists who fly in several times a year.”

Leigh's work is a collaboration with multiple agencies, including state law enforcement and district attorneys, to help with the children’s cases.

The demanding work and isolated communities can create a high turnover rate. However, clinicians wanting a position in an ever-changing work and wilderness setting could find their place north of the 48 (states), J.T. says.

“The Saint Louis University mission is the Jesuit mission of what you can do to help people,” he says. “If you are looking to learn trauma therapy with a blend of community health and private practice, Alaska is a great way to get your start and experience that mission.”

About the College for Public Health and Social Justice

The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities.

It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States. Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the College offers nationally recognized programs in public health, social work, health administration, applied behavior analysis, and criminology and criminal justice.