Carolyn Barcus
Recruiting
and Supporting American Indian
Psychologists
Carolyn
Barcus, EdD, is a member of the Blackfeet Tribe of
Northern Montana. Her Blackfeet name is Bear Woman.
Barcus has dedicated her career to improving the
mental health and well being of indigenous people in
North America. She has been doing this by recruiting
American Indians into psychology and supporting them
so they can successfully complete their education. She
has also played a major role in bringing together
American Indian psychologists, American Indian
psychology students and others who are dedicated to
enhancing the health of Native people. In addition,
Barcus provides direct care through her own part-time
practice.
Barcus is a
clinical assistant professor in the department of
psychology at Utah State University. In 1985 she was
invited to go to Utah State to help create the
American Indian Support
Project (AISP).
Initially she was assistant director of the program.
Since 1991, she has been the program director. Barcus
writes grants and recruits and supports American Indian
students. She also teaches undergraduate and graduate
psychology classes on multicultural issues. Barcus is
proud of the work that the 34 graduates of AISP are
doing in communities in the United States and Canada.
She is also encouraged by the growing numbers of bright
Indian people who are seeking careers in psychology.
“Most Native people who are applying to our program are
interested in making things better for Native people,”
she says.
Bring
Leaders in Psychology Together
Every
year, since 1987, Barcus and her AISP students have hosted
the annual Convention of American Indian Psychologists and
Psychology Graduate Students at Utah State. In addition to
making presentations on general topics in practice and
research, the psychologists focus on the developing science
of American Indian psychology. Prior to the convention
there is a weekend retreat that includes ceremonies and
talks by a medicine person.
Barcus was President of the Society of Indian
Psychologists (SIP) from
1999-2001. Even when she has not been an officer, she
has played a leadership role. For the past 10 years SIP
has held its annual meeting at Utah State University.
Barcus plays a key role in making sure this meeting goes
well. In 1997, SIP began co-hosting the convention with
Utah State.
Barcus has had her own private practice working primarily
with women who were sexually abused as children. Her
interest in sexual abuse developed while working with
perpetrators and survivors of sexual abuse at the
Intermountain Sexual Abuse Treatment Center. “Sexual abuse
is a world of pain,” she says.
From
Physical Education to Psychology
Raised on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, Barcus
earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education at
Montana State University. She taught junior and senior high
school for 7 years and then earned her masters’ degree in
physical education at Utah State. While in the masters’
program, Barcus coached the women’s tennis team and the
women’s bowling team. As she traveled around the country
with these teams, she was able to help team members with
their sport-related problems, such as how to hit a stronger
overhead shot in tennis. However, she didn’t feel equipped
to help the young women with the problems they brought to
her regarding their emotional lives, for example,
depression and relational problems. Consequently, Barcus
started taking courses in counseling and ended up earning
the last EdD in psychology granted at Utah State.
Rich
Background
Barcus’
first part-time private practice work was with the
Department of Corrections, State of Utah. For 9 years she
counseled inmates and provided other services. In 1978,
while continuing with her private practice, she served
first as a mental health specialist and then as the service
unit director for the Indian Health Service Intermountain
Tribal School in Brigham City, Utah. Her work over the
years included administering Indian Health Service Health
Center Programs, doing in-service training, developing
school-wide treatment teams, supervising social workers,
and doing crisis intervention.
In 1985 when Barcus joined Utah State she continued to work
for IHS, now as a consultant. She also supervised USU
psychology department practicum students at Intermountain
Sexual Abuse Treatment Center where she worked from
1987-1992.
A
Love of Horses
Barcus has a
passion for horses. In fact, she admits that she is “horse
poor”. For 7 years in a row, she and friends have riden in
increments from Logan, Utah to Yellowstone National. (Each
year they started their ride from where they left off the
previous year.) Bracus' goal is to reach her home on the
Blackfeet Reservation. In her retirement she wants to raise
Tennessee Walking Horses.