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Alaska, like every other state, has problems. But it also has solutions. Some are new and innovative, and some are centuries old. Each week Alaska Public Media's Solutions Desk will highlight what's happening around the state that's making our communities stronger.
63 Episodes
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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.
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.
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.
When a young person commits a minor offense for the first time, they sometimes have a choice. They can either be charged by the standard juvenile justice system and potentially get an offense on their criminal record, or they can go to youth court. Which option is better?
Sometimes when young people are in rough situations, they don’t want to ask for help. Especially not from adults. That’s where peer outreach workers step in. Alaska Youth Advocates have been connecting with youth on the streets of Anchorage and helping them find resources for 25 years.
Cook Inlet Housing has developments across Anchorage, including a new 33-unit building in Spenard. In an area of town often better known for its colorful past, the developer is trying to use state-of-the-art modern housing to help promote the neighborhood's future. And it's working.
Anchorage has a plan to end homelessness, but its implementation is just beginning. As community leaders dig into the details of solving one of the city's toughest problems, getting everyone on the same page is bound to complicated. So they're starting with a conversation. But what do people who are homeless say?
What's life like behind prison walls? How are people there trying to turn it into a place for positive change and restoration? In September, Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska opened its doors for a community conversation with inmates, staff, and the public. All of the participants sat together in a circle for an open conversation. For many Seward community members, it was their first time at the prison. The event was part of Community in Unity, Alaska Public Media's community dialogue series. In this short segment, we hear from three inmates about how life in the prison is changing and what the institution's superintendent thinks needs to happen to help them succeed. The full conversation will be released on Oct. 17.
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