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.