Solutions Desk

Natasha Gamache tried a lot of different things to find recovery from substance misuse. Finally, after listening to one woman's story, she found the solution she needed. Here's her story. She hopes it might be the one that will help others find their answers, too. 

Natasha grew up surrounded by alcohol and abuse. By 11, she was drinking to help manage her anxiety and depression. Now, 26 years later, she’s in recovery and in college. Her journey was long and filled with partial solutions, but the final 12-steps helped her begin to heal.

Traumatic childhood experiences can lead to problems later in life, like addiction. But these problems don't define a person, and stories that start with trauma can end with hope. A new set of murals illustrates the transformation of seven Alaskans, and the process of creating them transformed the artists themselves.

A new coffee house is teaching at-risk youth life and work skills. This story was produced by residents of Covenant House, a youth shelter in Anchorage.

Substance use disorders are diseases caused by many factors. Preventing and treating them requires input from everyone, not just law enforcement and health professionals. Those are some of the key messages in the state’s new opioid action plan. On Talk of Alaska, we’ll discuss the plan and the ways you can be part of the solutions.

Karen Mitchell is the Behavioral Health Aide in Noatak, a small village in the Northwest Arctic. Twenty-five years ago that would have seemed impossible. She shares her story of recovery.

Alexandria Niksik was only out of prison for 16 days before being sent back. But that brief trip home taught her what she needed to remain sober long into the future.

Being incarcerated is hard. So is being released. How are people from rural Alaska connecting with their communities and their cultures while in prison, and preparing for what’s next? What’s happening outside of prisons to help make the transition more successful for everyone in the community? Join us for a conversation inside Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome, Alaska to hear from inmates, staff and other community members.

Chickaloon is just a little tribe with a little reach, but through the power of collaboration, they're trying to make a big difference for the people of Sutton.

Fifty years ago, Alaska had a really big problem: it was hard to get medical care in small, rural communities that could only be reached by snow machine or airplane. To solve it, the Indian Health Service worked with local governments and Congress to create the Community Health Aide Program. And it's still making communities healthier.

A few years ago, residents of the Mat-Su Borough identified child abuse and neglect as one of the area’s major problems. In response community organizations teamed up with government agencies, schools and judges to develop a comprehensive solution and build connections throughout the region. And it's working. Find out how they did it.

The U.S. Surgeon General spoke in Alaska recently about the opioid epidemic. He says the way to solve the problem is to build partnerships across sectors because solving the opioid epidemic means solving larger issues, too.

One way to make money in a slow economy is to fill a gap in the market. But a local spice blend company is doing more than building bank accounts--it's also connecting people with Native dishes in a new way.

Over the past few centuries in the United States, laws and policies have favored some racial and ethnic groups over others. It's led to racial inequity in Alaska and beyond. Now different groups are working together to educate people about these problems and develop solutions.

Inmates at Spring Creek Correctional Center are producing beautiful art, like silver bracelets and intricate paintings. But like prisoners across the country, they have few places to sell it. 

The world inside Spring Creek Correctional Center is in many ways just like the world outside. Prison clubs function as nonprofits, filling service gaps and trying to build healthier communities. 

Prison commissaries around the country make millions each year, and most of the profits go to private companies. But not at Spring Creek Correctional Center, where the prisoners own and operate the store and use the profits to benefit the communities inside and outside the prison walls.

Seward, Alaska used to host a lot of bake sales. It was the only way to raise money for small organizations. Now, instead of buying cupcakes, people can donate little bits of money that are invested and help the whole community go a long way. 

Let’s say you want to start a business or buy a house. You’ll probably need a loan from a bank. That means you need a good credit history or collateral – something to prove that you’ll pay it back. But if that’s not an option… then what? Welcome to a Community Development Financial Institution – or CDFI.

Many crimes are fueled by drug and alcohol addictions. So what can prevent some criminal activity? Helping people receive treatment. During Community in Unity: Recovery Behind Bars, inmates, staff, and other community members gathered inside Goose Creek Correctional Center near Wasilla, Alaska to share stories about treatment, crime, and recovery.

The path to recovery from drug or alcohol addiction can be long, arduous, and isolating. But guides who have been through it all can help people navigate the challenges along the way.

Alcohol abuse is an issue throughout the country, even in areas where it's illegal. Banning alcohol doesn't always solve the problem, so should communities try swinging the other way and make it more available? Could opening a liquor store help a community, not harm it? The village of Kiana in northwest Alaska is finding out – and reviews are mixed.

Life at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission isn't bad -- the beds are warm, the people are supportive, and it's safe. But for some, the emergency homeless shelter was too comfortable. People wouldn't leave. So staff developed a new way to send people out the door quickly while helping them stand on their own two feet.

Alaska's foster care system has problems. Caseworkers don't stick around for long. It can take years for young people to find permanent homes or be reunited with their families. But new legislation could provide solutions that will help everyone involved with the system.

Rural Alaska often makes the headlines for what isn't working -- high suicide rates, high alcohol usage. But one program in southwest Alaska is drawing from Yup'ik culture to flip that narrative on its head and focusing on the region's strengths. And the research shows, it's making a positive difference in the lives of the young people. 

Some people stay at the Fairbanks Correctional Center for a few days. Others are at the pre-trial facility for years. Most of the inmates are living their lives in limbo — awaiting their trials, their sentencing, and their futures. During "Community in Unity: Life in Limbo" about 70 people, including inmates, correctional center staff, and other community members, gathered for an hour-long conversation inside the prison. They shared stories about life behind that walls and what's happening outside the facility to help the people in yellow rejoin the wider community.

Young people make all of the decisions to put together a multi-day conference in Kiana. Though some of the meetings for OPT In Kiana may not seem fun, they have lifelong effects on the young people and their abilities to face challenges.

About six years ago community members in Hooper Bay, Alaska worked together to revive a Yup’ik dance group for young people. The idea was to help connect kids to their culture, teach about the effects of alcohol and drugs, and prevent suicide. And it has worked --but not with every kid. Here's why this program matters despite its imperfections.

BJ Sherman was having a rough time, and he started seriously thinking about suicide. Then his family stepped in and their little words made a big impact. What they told him might surprise you.

What makes a healthy community? What makes young people in a Alaska village thrive? Here's the formula that's working well for Noatak, a community in the northwest Arctic.

For most healthcare systems, mental health and physical health are two separate issues. Not at one of the largest healthcare providers in Alaska, where doctors and behavioral health consultants work together with a new mindset.

Andi Riley needed medical help, but even though she was working, she couldn't afford it. Until there was Medicaid expansion. It was her solution for wellness. 

Suicide rates for Alaska Native youth are still high — but groups are actively working to change that. Community members and researchers are focusing on the strengths of Alaska Native peoples and cultures to reduce the risk and promote wellness. During Talk of Alaska, Alaska Public Media's statewide call-in program, guests talked about what’s working and what’s not.

We know what to do if someone breaks their leg -- brace it and ask for help. But what if it's a mental health crisis? Some are learning the skills to be mental health first aiders. 

The traditional foods movement in Alaska is growing. Moose and caribou are appearing on menus at healthcare facilities across the state. But there's an important food that still needs approval -- seal oil. A solution is in the works.

Most people in northwest Alaska grew up eating traditional foods, like caribou, seal, and different kinds of fish. But as they aged and moved into long-term care facilities, those foods were no longer regularly available to them because of federal food safety regulations. A team in Kotzebue is changing that.

Anchorage resident Dion Wynne is now back to work and trying to catch up on his bills. He didn't lose his house, which is good not only for him but also for the entire community. Preventing homelessness costs much less than helping people who are already living on the streets on in shelters. Now, Alaska and other states are developing coordinated systems to make accessing help easier and more focused. 

Families on the verge of homelessness often don't have many options for paying their rent. Sometimes the solution requires a little faith.

Dion can’t work, and he can’t pay his rent. There are resources to help him, but how does he find them? Someone helps him navigate the system.

Dion Wynne was working full-time and preparing to open a therapeutic foster home. He's worked with people with disabilities his entire life. Then he fell ill and was hospitalized for over a month. Join him as he tries to save his home -- and his dreams.

What happens when you combine a preschool with a senior home? Magic. And healthier people from both generations.

The Clements raised their grandchildren in their cozy Alaska home, but Shirley's health problems were making it difficult to keep living there. Until now. 

What's it like to be young in Alaska? What are young people accomplishing? What are their challenges? Listen to a panel of young people from Anchorage and Wasilla answer questions from the audience and discuss their stresses and joys. Some have experienced homelessness and worked as nurses aides and artists. Others are making movies and teaching about democracy. This Community in Unity conversation was recorded in partnership with Out North Radio and Anchorage Downtown Partnership.  

Many parts of Alaska lack enough accessible care for older people. It's a problem without a solution. But there are ways to prevent the problem in the first place. Exercise for elders.

In the 1970s and early 80s people flooded Alaska looking for work in the oil industry. Now, 40 years later, many are still here. Instead of fleeing to warmer weather, Alaskans are aging in Alaska. For the past seven years, we’ve had the fastest growing senior population in the country. But with age comes a different set of needs. Can our state handle it?

Confronting racism and discrimination can be hard. The solution? Start learning techniques when you are young. In parts of Anchorage, some of the teachers of these difficult lessons are other young people. They start with the basics.