Anne Hillman, special to Alaska Public Media
Anne Hillman is the engagement editor for a special elections-focused project at Alaska Public Media. She also runs Mental Health Mosaics, a project of Out North that uses art, podcasts, poetry, and creativity to explore mental health and foster deeper conversations around the topic. Reach her at ahillman@alaskapublic.org.
Talk of Alaska: Breaking Down Alaska’s Constitution
This year, Alaskans are deciding whether or not to hold another constitutional convention, but how do you decide if you want to change the constitution if you don’t understand the current one? On this week’s Talk of Alaska, ask questions of constitutional experts about Alaska’s constitution and the foundational laws of the state.
How, where and when you can cast your ballot in Alaska’s November election
It's not enough to know who or what you want to vote for, you also need to know how and where to cast your ballot.
Voter Listening Sessions in Kotzebue and Kodiak
Talk of Alaska is hitting the road with an in-person conversation in Juneau on June 7.
Why Alaska uses ranked choice voting and what we know about how it affects elections
Ballot Measure 2 created the non-partisan pick one primary and the four-candidate ranked choice voting general election. It also included provisions related to campaign finance transparency. It required groups who are campaigning on behalf of or against candidates, but not ballot measures, to disclose if most of their funding came from a source outside of Alaska.
We’re listening to you, Alaska voters
We want to ensure that coverage of this year’s election is voter-centered and voter-driven. Why? Because voters' needs matter most.
What to know about Alaska’s ballot measure on whether to hold another constitutional convention
Join Alaska Public Media, the UAA Seawolf Debate and Commonwealth North for a debate about the ballot measure on Sept. 29.
What to know about ranked choice voting
The best way to understand the method is to see it in action.
Line One: Mental Health Mosaics — Deepening conversations around suicide and mental health
Suicide has scarred families and communities across the state, but it is possible to heal. It’s also possible to talk about mental health in a way that prevents people from considering suicide in the first place.
What to know about the upcoming Alaska election (and how to practice ranked voting)
Also, you can practice ranked choice voting in a mock election.
Line One: Mental Health Mosaics — Breaking the silence
Breaking the silence around mental health concerns can be hard. On this a special presentation of Mental Health Mosaics, a production of Out North, Anchorage residents open up about their experiences.
We’re working to improve our elections coverage. Here’s how you can help.
At Alaska Public Media, we’re collaborating with other media organizations to make our elections coverage more voter-centered and voter-driven. This is how you can get involved.
For 13 years she’s cared for her husband who has memory loss. Now she’s looking for help.
The number of Alaskans with memory loss is set to nearly double by 2030. Resources to help are limited, but navigators help caregivers find them.
Asking the right questions can stop eating disorders from progressing, experts say
“One of the most important things is to identify an eating disorder early before you get the complications,” said Dr. Rachel Lescher.
New facility aims to improve options for Alaskans with memory loss
https://youtu.be/bqE1Xk6h7e4
Caring for someone with memory loss can be exhausting both physically and emotionally. The number of people with Alzheimer’s or dementia in Alaska is set to almost double by 2030.
Given the growing need,...
An alternative high school in Anchorage is focusing on mental health to help students graduate
Karen Hobart said her main goal as a school counselor is to help kids graduate, and that means looking at a lot more than just their grades or the number of credits they’ve earned. She also connects them to resources like food, safe transportation, or different types of mental health care.
Recovering out loud: How one Alaskan created a podcast to support his sobriety and help others too
Through podcasting, music and story sharing, Ralph Sara is working to make people see that recovery from addiction is possible.
How to help people understand the complexity of mental health
An Anchorage teenager made major shifts in his approach to life and is about to graduate high school. He never saw a therapist, never thought about mental health. But mental health is tied to all of it.
People harm themselves to cope with big emotions. You can help them heal.
Self-harm is a coping mechanism and a call for help. It can also be extremely hard to talk about.
At this mental health drop-in center in Fairbanks, members say ‘you can just be you’
The Northern Hope Center is a free, member-driven drop-in center for adults with serious mental illnesses that gives people a social safety net free from judgment.
A new crisis team in Fairbanks is responding to mental health calls and freeing up other emergency resources
The city’s Mobile Crisis Team started two months ago and is bringing mental health services directly to people in crisis.