Community members attend an advocacy training sponsored by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority for the Nome Reentry Coalition and Norton Sound Health Corporation Behavioral Health.
The Nome Reentry Coalition’s mission is identifying and advocating for effective resources to create pathways to wellness and opportunity for returning citizens so they may safely live and remain in the communities of their choice. The coalition was established in 2017 and remains composed of members representing DOC, City of Nome, Behavioral Health, and Adult Probation personnel, as well as other community members. The coalition undertook an effort to assess regional needs through focus groups, targeted surveys, and interviews, and to ascertain what reentrants need most to remain out of correctional facilities. After the results of the assessment, a reentry coordinator was hired to work directly with inmates inside Anvil Mountain Correctional Center (AMCC) to prepare and resource them prior to and after their release. Because reentrants from Kotzebue make-up 60% of the population at Anvil Mountain Correctional Center (AMCC) in Nome, the Nome Reentry Coalition also works with stakeholders in Kotzebue to collect and share information. The coalition meets regularly to track progress, collaborate with partners, and develop resources to reduce recidivism.
CONTACT: Kimberly Ayek, Norton Sound Health Corporation Reentry Case Manager, kayek@nshcorp.org, 907-443-3289; or Sara Lizak, Coalition Chair and Kawerak, Inc. Vocational Rehabilitation & Welfare Services Director, slizak@kawerak.org, 907-443-4362