Alaska Crossings gearing up for new season

Alaska Crossings has been a part of the Wrangell community since its inception in the early 2000s. The behavioral health program is designed to help troubled teens from all over the state. From April to December, according to Program Manager Jerrie Dee Harvey, Crossings attempts to help rehabilitate the teens via outdoor expeditions. By taking them on camping expeditions in the great outdoors, she said, they are attempting to teach them confidence, social skills, teamwork, stress management, and conflict resolution, among other important skills.

"A lot of these kids have struggles at home or at school, in their communities, same as any kids in our town struggle," Harvey said. "The purpose of it is to work on life skills. We're a rehabilitative program, so we work on life skills that will help them do better in those areas. We just happen to be able to do it in an amazing, beautiful environment, and put them in situations that they are practicing those skills."

The teens get to practice these life skills in a number of ways, she said. Simply putting two kids in a canoe and getting them to paddle in the same direction is a lesson all by itself, she gave as an example. Of course, they are not sent out alone into the wilderness. Crossings hires numerous guides to lead the expeditions. Groups are usually divided into nine kids and three Crossings staff. The guides, who first arrived in Wrangell at the beginning of the month, come from all over the country, and even from Canada. These are people who love the outdoors, and also love to help kids in need, Harvey said. This program allows them to combine these two passions.

"This is the highest return rate we've historically had," Harvey said. "We have about 52 guides, 32 of them are returns. Of the 19 new staff, or 20 new staff, that we hired, we had over 100 applicants for."

Much of the month of March is spent training the guides before the kids show up in April. The training covers practical things for a camping trip, like how to steer a canoe or bear safety, to more complex things like first aid, conflict prevention, behavioral management, and even training on cultural differences and the types of backgrounds the kids will be coming from. The point of all the training is really aimed at making sure the guides are as prepared as they can be to help the kids they are leading on these trips.

"We know we can keep them safe in the woods, but what are we doing here?" Harvey said. "The whole purpose is we have kids who are struggling, how do we get something out of the activities? We're not getting paid to canoe, but the life skills and activities provide an opportunity to build skills that are going to help them long-term when they return home."

The first trip will begin in early April, and the program will wrap up by mid-December. Harvey said that Crossings could not do its job without the tremendous support it receives from the Wrangell community. They are fortunate, she said, that they can continue to grow and help Alaskan youths in need.