For the second year, Anchorage resident Billy Stapleton is using his love of Halloween to support youth in transition through the POWER Center. Billy himself experienced homelessness as a young person, and that has driven him to find ways to support other youth. [learn more - add links] In 2019, he collected lots of food and clothing for the POWER Center at his Camp Crystal Halloween yard display (see photo). This year, he hopes to make the event bigger: Billy plans to host a block party with a "Running of the Zombies" on October 31!

You can drop donations of self-stable food, un-opened toiletry items (travel sizes are great!), or gently-used warm winter clothing at Billy's house any time between now and Halloween: 6701 E 16th Ave

Cash donations go to directly to the POWER Center to keep it stocked with supplies and pay our staff. Within the next few months, the POWER Center will be moving to a bigger space and adding additional staff and programming - and donations support those efforts.

Fairbanks Clinician Gabby Frook uses her life experiences (and love of Harry Potter) in her work with clients.

Gabby Frook is a Master’s level clinician working toward her LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), a military spouse, and maybe most of all, a Harry Potter fan. Gabby moved to Alaska from South Carolina. She has embraced the beauty and the outdoors, 4-wheeling and camping with the family dogs. “When I found out we were coming to Alaska I was excited about this being a completely new environment and experience for me."  

Gabby provides services at our Child & Family Clinic in Fairbanks, as well as on Fort Wainwright at Arctic Light Elementary School through our AK RISES partnership.  She grew up as a military kid: “I know how hard that life can be so I was really excited when I was asked if I would be interested in the AK Rises position. My hope is to be able to provide support for the kiddos living a unique experience that not many people can understand.“

Meet our staff and learn about Child & Family Services at Alaska Behavioral Health.

Alaska Behavioral Health has recently begun work under two new federal grants designed to improve access to high-quality behavioral health care.

The Alaska Child Trauma Center at AKBH received funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). The Category III service delivery grant will expand access to mental health services through a concentrated outreach effort to reach children and families in Alaska impacted by trauma. The outreach program will work with schools, the POWER Center youth drop-in program, and the All-Alaska Pediatric Partnership to identify and engage families needing trauma-focused services. Alaska Behavioral Health will provide a variety of evidence-based services to a diverse population, including a high proportion of children involved with the child protection system. Child & Family Clinic Director Kristin Mortenson says, “Alaska has high rates of child abuse and neglect, and we know that we can make a real difference in children’s lives by identifying those who need support and giving them the space and skills to heal.”

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of adults with anxiety and depressive disorders has increased during the pandemic, as ahs the number seeking services but unable to find them. The federal funding is designed to increase capacity and access to outpatient care to meet this growth in need for behavioral healthcare services.

Learn more about our services for children and for adults.