Bernice Hetherington is the Itinerant Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) II responsible for providing itinerant mental health services to Rampart, Evansville, and Stevens Village. She was born and raised in Kalskag, a small village along the Kuskokwim River. Fredrick Carl Holmberg Sr. and Dunia (Kameroff) Holmberg, her parents, raised their children in a subsistence lifestyle. She remembers being taught traditional values and survival skills and, above all, to honor and respect the land, animals, and each other, especially the elders. Bernice’s parents and grandparents, uncles and aunties were her first teachers; their teachings and guidance shaped who she is today.
Her parents’ home was a safe home in the village, a place where victims of domestic violence could turn when they needed shelter for the night, or where children were welcomed. Bernice recalls that “My mom always had something to give anyone who came by, no one left empty handed.”
Bernice began her higher education adventures in 2006, when she was accepted into the Rural Human Services certification program. The courses focused on developing the counseling and case management skills needed to address issues such as interpersonal violence, mental illness, substance abuse and recovery, grief and family systems. Alaska Native values and culture were integrated throughout the curriculum. She then entered the Human Services program, which led to the Bachelor of Social Work degree program through the University of Alaska’s Kuskokwim and Fairbanks campuses.In 2008, while also studying for her certifications and social work degree, Bernice became the Behavioral Health Aide at the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, a position she held for eight years. With her husband’s help, she also ran a small grocery store called the Airport Trading Post, in her garage.
In 2017, Bernice and her husband moved to Fairbanks to be close to their children, who had decided to pursue higher education at UAF. This was not an easy move, but it was a family decision grounded in the belief of the importance of keeping the family together. Being there for each other, because life is too short and can be very hard, is one of the guiding principles of their family.
At the time, there were no Behavioral Health positions available at Tanana Chiefs, so in 2017, she became TCC’s Wellness Coordinator for Suicide Prevention. Two years later, in 2019, the position for Itinerant BHA IIat Tanana Chiefs Conference was posted. Bernice eagerly applied even though she knew taking a position like that would be a huge risk. She would have to devote herself to more intense and extensive training. And it was more than her own commitment. Her family would have to take over some of her chores in order for Bernice to have time to study and attend classes.
Bernice is now going on her third year as a full time Itinerant BHA II. In addition to the ongoing training TCC provides, Bernice is working on a Masters in Social Work through the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Originally designed as a combination of long distance learning with periodic visits to the campus for intense in-person classes, during the Covid pandemic all classes are being conducted via the internet. She hopes to complete her degree by May 2022.
In July of 2021, Bernice was injured in a five vehicle accident. Whiplash and a concussion made it difficult for her to work or attend classes, and she still receives physical therapy to deal with the long term problems the accident caused. She is back working at her job, which like her education, has gone almost completely to video conferencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Covid has not just changed her education and profession. As Bernice observes, “Covid has worn everyone down. I see a lot more depression, anxiety, and isolation. There has been an increase in substance abuse and suicidal ideation. And the grief over relatives, friends and neighbors dying is enormous.” While she and her co-workers continue to provide a broad range of mental health and addiction services via phone and computer programs such as Zoom, the inability to meet with individuals and groups has made the job harder.
Asked how she cares for herself when she is immersed in the problems of others every single day, Bernice says that she has learned “not to take it home with me. I leave them at the office. At the end of the day, I turn back into a wife, a mom to five adult kids and a grandma to ten, with one more on the way.” It also helps that she has learned not to take things personally, to remember that it is a huge challenge for a client to make significant life changes. “I expect people to work at their own pace, they are in charge of the change they want. I can help them, but they make it happen when they are ready.”
When not involved in family activities, Bernice enjoys spending her free time beading, skin sewing and crafting, and listening to gospel music. She makes what she calls “danglies,” small chandeliers of ribbon and beads that are about a foot and half long and are meant to hang in windows so that they “bling from the sun light.”
Although her parents have been gone for several years, Bernice continues to feel their guidance and encouragement. “Before he passed, my father told me I needed to go out and help people. It made me feel good to be able to tell him that I was doing exactly that. He and my mother are always in my thoughts, this gives me peace.” The others who have helped her along this journey include her two older sisters. “And my husband, because I would not have come this far without his support. He encourages me and has taken on a lot of my responsibilities so I could be free to do this work and to continue my education. I also feel a debt of gratitude to all who helped me, the Kuskokwim campus of the University of Alaska, the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), and Tanana Chiefs, for taking me in and encouraging me to continue growing in this career Quyana/Annabase.”
By Linden Stacioka