Juneau police have cleared a downtown encampment on Alaska Mental Health Trust land. The Juneau Assembly’s task force is mulling strategies for dealing with the community’s homelessness crisis.
Mental Health
Potential initiatives would enshrine Medicaid expansion, ACA provisions in state law
One initiative would require insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions. It also would allow parents to cover their children until they turn 26.
Mental Health Trust leaders resign while organization undergoes special audit
In the past month, the top three leaders at the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority have submitted letters of resignation. The shake up comes at a time when the organization, which manages funds for mental health and substance abuse programming across the state, is undergoing a special legislative audit over concerns about financial mismanagement.
Walker signs SB 88, Mental Health Trust land exchange
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker was joined in Ketchikan on Thursday by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, state Sen. Bert Stedman and state Rep. Dan Ortiz to sign a bill accepting a land trade between the U.S. Forest Service and Alaska Mental Health Trust.
Gov. Bill Walker visits Ketchikan for Blueberry Arts Festival
Gov. Bill Walker came to Alaska’s First City on Saturday to experience this year’s sun-filled Blueberry Arts Festival. He is attending fairs and festivals around Alaska in place of scheduling the governor’s picnics that have been traditional for the past few years.
Bartlett hires former Juneau nonprofit director
Bartlett Regional Hospital’s newest senior administrator was — until very recently — executive director of a youth nonprofit. Neither the former director nor Juneau Youth Services will say why they parted ways.
Female athletes are closing the gender gap when it comes to concussions
Gina “Danger” Mazany is a professional mixed martial arts athlete, and she’s helping researchers learn more about head injuries and the female brain.
Brain injury survivors use mask-making to shed light on hidden trauma
On a recent afternoon, seven people are using colorful paints, feathers, strings and beads to decorate masks inside Access Alaska, a support center for people with disabilities.
Social worker receives national award for suicide prevention efforts in Y-K Delta
James Biela is an itinerant Social Worker for LKSD, frequently traveling out to Newtok, Tununak, Toksook Bay, Nightmute, Mekoryuk, and Nunapitchuk to hold trainings and lectures on suicide prevention.
A Pulse Nightclub responder confronts a new crisis: PTSD
The Pulse Nightclub shootings in Orlando a year ago killed 49 people. It was a horrific scene for first responders, and some are still struggling to cope with what they saw that night.