Right now, the behavioral health department has only one inpatient bed for youth. The new facility will have 8 beds that can be used for adults or children. Currently, behavioral health patients who need to stay in a hospital must travel to Anchorage.
Claire Stremple
"I support KTOO reporters and guide coverage that informs our community and reflects its diverse perspectives."
When she's not editing stories or coaching reporters, you can find Claire outside with her dog Maya.
Alaska patients have reduced access to out-of-state telehealth appointments as emergency declarations end
Doctors are usually required by the state to have a license to provide telehealth services to a patient located in Alaska. But when COVID-19 hit, the Alaska Legislature passed a bill that waived that requirement.
At home in an avalanche path: Why Juneauites buy and keep homes in a hazard zone
Decades of studies have pointed to the very real possibility of a big, destructive slide in this Juneau neighborhood’s future. But a mix of personal choices and policy decisions keeps people in at-risk areas.
A pandemic rule change could make it easier to get treatment for opioid addiction in Alaska
Buprenorphine typically requires an in-person visit for a prescription because it is categorized as a controlled substance. It works to block withdrawal symptoms but doesn’t get users high like heroin or fentanyl do.
Tiny insects ate the needles off a half million acres of Tongass hemlocks. Most of the trees will be fine.
Scientists are tracking the damage. They want to know the extent of the forest affected and how many trees don’t pull through.
‘We need to be doing this work’: Tlingit and Haida takes on mental health and wellness with new division
The new division will offer programs aimed at prevention, treatment and recovery, as well as providing regular mental health care to tribal citizens.