Nominations for the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame

The Board of Directors for the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame encourages all Alaskans to nominate a woman to the 2024 Class of the Hall of Fame who has made a significant contribution to our great state. She must be 65 years old by June 1, 2024 or deceased.

Nominations are accepted only through our website. The easy-to-follow instructions will explain how to fill out and submit the electronic form. Go to alaskawomenshalloffame.org and click the Nominate button.

Please nominate one or more outstanding women by the June 1st deadline!

Thank you,

Pat Jarrett, Vice President

Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame Board of Directors

Black Mental Health Matters

This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking this opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made in connecting more people to care, and the challenges that remain.

We are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Unfortunately, the burden is not shared equally. Black and Latino communities do not have the same access to quality, equitable and culturally sensitive mental health services and supports as compared to other communities. The rates of suicide in both Black and Latino communities are high. Improving mental health outcomes in these communities is a deeply nuanced issue that requires urgent attention.

The Biden-Harris Administration is working to ensure everyone who needs help can access it. Just last month, the Administration released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and its accompanying Federal Action Plan. The Federal Action Plan outlines more than 200 actions federal partners have committed to accomplishing to provide supports to families affected by suicide and to identify promising community-based suicide prevention strategies.

The National Strategy and Federal Action Plan build on the transformational work this Administration has spearheaded to improve suicide prevention, crisis care, and response efforts around suicide.

One example of this work is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – one of the most effective programs to help people who feel alone and out of options. The service is available 24/7, free, and can be accessed through phone, text, and chat. HHS also created a Black Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative to provide targeted suicide prevention programing for Black youth and young adults. Additionally, HHS announced awards of nearly $130 million to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) across the Country.

Closing equity gaps in mental health outcomes means addressing the driving forces of the disparities in our health care system – including enduring legacies of slavery and segregation, and mistrust of the medical system resulting from historical abuse and ongoing disproportionate outcomes. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but there is hope. HHS is creating solutions to decrease racial and ethnic disparities in our health care system by addressing the root causes of the mental health crisis and the disparities in mental health outcomes for Black Americans.

Mackenzie Komeshak

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Region 10