Welcome to another episode of Impact Unfiltered, where we dive deep into honest conversations with leaders creating real change in healthcare and beyond. In this session, host Stewart sits down on the floor of a tribal health conference at Wild Horse Pass with Jessica Schneider, an Alaska Native leader from a remote Arctic Circle village of roughly 670 people. Jessica serves on her tribal council as secretary and as the at-large chair for behavioral health social services on the Maniilaq Association Health Board.
Jessica Schneider shares the urgent behavioral health crisis facing Alaska Native youth — the nation’s highest suicide rates, particularly among young males during the dark-to-light seasonal transition. She also opens up about losing her own son at 17 to a traumatic brain injury, and how that loss fuels her advocacy today. Together, they explore the realities of life in a fly-in-only village 549 miles from Anchorage, the new fiber optic cable that will finally unlock telehealth, and the intergenerational programs that could close the isolation gap.
With moving personal moments and a closing reflection on Joshua 1:9 — the verse that has carried Jessica through her hardest years — this episode is a window into the resilience and faith of Alaska Native leadership.
Tune in for a conversation about youth suicide prevention, sovereignty in rural Alaska, and the call to step into the role you’ve been given.
1. Introduction to Impact Unfiltered and Episode Overview
- The podcast’s mission: real conversations with leaders driving change in healthcare, business, and community
- Setting the scene at the tribal health conference at Wild Horse Pass / Gila Resort
- Introduction of guest: Jessica Schneider of the Maniilaq Association Health Board
2. Background and Role of Guest (Jessica Schneider)
- Representative for her community on her tribal board; serves as secretary
- At-large chair for behavioral health social services on the Maniilaq regional health board
- Lives in a remote Arctic Circle village of approximately 670 people
- Fourth year attending this conference
3. Why Congress and Federal Funding Matter
- Many existing grants are too narrowly compacted — only fund one item (e.g., transportation)
- Rural Alaska’s cost of living and logistics make standard grant amounts insufficient
- Jessica Schneider’s call: more congressional advocacy so Alaska’s unique rural realities are funded
- Quote: “The more we fight for it from Congress, the more voices we can have for our people.”
4, The Youth Behavioral Health Crisis
- Alaska Native youth experience the highest suicide rates in the nation
- Completed suicides fall disproportionately on young males
- The dark-to-light seasonal transition (spring/summer onset) is the most dangerous window
- Attempts span both genders; completed suicides among girls are rarer (one or two per decade)
- Youth need guidance, leadership, and trusted adults to survive these pressures
5. A Personal Loss That Shapes the Mission
- Jessica Schneider’s son was injured at 16 by a traumatic brain injury
- He passed away after his 17th birthday in 2016
- Quote: “He had his final birthday… and he was never the same.”
- The loss fuels her advocacy and commitment to youth wellbeing
6. Isolation and the Reality of Rural Alaska
- Her village has roughly 670 residents; tribe has about 5,000 enrolled members overall
- No road system — travel is by plane year-round, or snow machine to neighboring villages in winter
- Hub community is Kotzebue; Anchorage is 549 miles away
- In a village this small, trust and anonymity become real barriers to seeking help
- New fiber optic cable installation begins this spring, unlocking reliable telehealth
7. Telehealth Post-COVID: A Working Model That Needs Fuel
- Remote work and telemedicine adopted during COVID have been retained and expanded
- Clients can call in and choose how and whether to speak
- Positive outcomes are visible, but every expansion requires funding a real position
- Pair fiber rollout with parallel telehealth staffing investment
8. Intergenerational and Community-Driven Programming
- Historic summer solstice softball tournament under the 24-hour sun
- Elder involvement closes the cultural and generational gap
- Noatak (the neighboring community) runs a model multipurpose tribal facility with year-round volunteer-led youth programming
- Existing bible camps and church/Bible camps happen in summer — Jessica Schneider sees need for winter and spring camps
- Recent church conference in her community drew youth in beautifully
- Quote: “They’re our next leaders. We have to walk with them.”
9. Subsistence, Culture Camp, and Traditional Food Systems
- Culture camp centers on harvesting and subsistence
- Fishing for whitefish, pike, sheefish, char, and grayling — including year-round ice fishing
- Western Arctic Caribou Herd is in decline; tribal members now need licenses to fish where they previously did not
- Members navigate state, federal, and tribal laws simultaneously
- Quote: “Times are getting tough.”
10. Capacity and Administration Challenges
- Tribal administration requires educated staff for finance, management, and grant compliance
- Small tribes often rely on third-party consultants for audits — a real cost and capacity drain
- “It just comes down to who’s in the office.”
11. Faith, Calling, and Joshua 1:9
- Jessica Schneider shares Joshua 1:9 — “Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- The verse carried her through her hardest years as a young single parent
- Acknowledges she hasn’t yet fully stepped into her leadership role
- Host gently challenges her that today may be the day to do so
12. Closing Remarks and Gratitude
- Host recognition of Jessica Schneider’s heart for youth and her tribe
- Appreciation for her vulnerability around personal loss and faith
- Encouragement to continue advocating for Alaska Native youth at the federal level
