Josie Heyano, LMSW

Josie Heyano, LMSW is a Deg Xinag Athabascan woman, her family is from Tanana and Ekuk, Alaska. Josie has several years of experience providing clinical mental health services, systems navigation and advocacy for youth experiencing homelessness, exploitation, and human trafficking in Alaska. She received her undergraduate degree in Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and her Masters in Social Work at the University of Kentucky.  

Josie is passionate about serving her community and believes in the power of human connection. Her therapeutic approach is humanistic, and person centered, which means she values her client's autonomy, potential and journey to self-discovery. Josie is also a believer in the importance of culture, ceremony and community in the therapeutic processes and aims to help clients on not only their own healing journey, but in their relationships with the world around them. As a licensed Social Worker Josie looks at her work through a person within their environment lens, which means examining not only our internal factors but promoting social change, development and cohesion within systems and communities as well. Josie enjoys working with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities and has had extensive experience and training in the themes of generational and historical trauma and healing. In recognition that trauma can lead to a disconnection from between the mind and the body, Josie has experience in providing Somatic Experiencing therapy and helping clients increase awareness of their internal experiences and release trauma stored in the body.  

Josie is a Presidentially appointed member of the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, a formal platform to advise and make recommendations on federal anti-trafficking policies to the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF). She also serves on the advisory board of the National Center on Child Trafficking and provides Training and Technical Assistance to the Office for Victims of Crimes Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center. In 2023 she was awarded the Federal Bureau of Investigations Director's Community Leadership Award for her service to the community of Alaska and her collective stakeholder approach to Human Trafficking prevention and intervention. In June of 2023 she will begin her Doctorial studies at the University of Kentucky.  

In her free time Josie enjoys hanging out with her dog Charlie and set-netting on the beaches of Bristol Bay with her family.  

"People need people, what I intended to offer is a space where people can be seen and valued, we all need that".