Mat-Su’s first Recovery Summit set Aug. 25

PALMER — The Mat-Su’s first Recovery Summit is planned for Aug. 25 at the Glenn Massay Theater in Palmer.

Michael Carson, moderator of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force, said the event ties into September being National Recovery Month and features both speakers and panel discussions in addition to a general sharing of ideas on combatting the national opioid epidemic. He said people in recovery will join efforts to use both voice and personal experiences with a goal of educating and eliminating stigmas associated opioid addiction. Additionally, the summit hopes to increase access to service and fill gaps throughout the continuum of care.

Carson said the all-day event will focus on topics designed to strengthen the community’s collective voice and expand recovery opportunities. He said scheduled speakers include U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, Michelle Overstreet of MyHouse, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Emergency Services Director Dr. Michael Alter and possibly Alaska Chief Medical Officer Jay Butler.

Carson said he is quite pleased that Sullivan will be one of the featured speakers at the event.

“In September of 2015, eight ladies from Alaska attended a National Recovery Month rally in Washington D.C. and had an audience with Senator Sullivan. He was moved by some of the personal stories he cleared his calendar and spent a day with them,” Carson said. Carson said Sullivan facilitated a similar state summit last year. “He is really motivated to get involved.”

Carson said summit organizers are pleased the senator was able to set aside time for the coming up Friday Mat-Su summit.

“We’re very excited to have Senator Sullivan back. He believes in a bi-partisan effort is needed to solve this problem that affects every Alaskan either directly or indirectly. He’s very involved with the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force,” Carson said.

Karl Soderstrom and Kerby Kraus, founders of Fiend2Clean, played a vital role in getting the event organized, said Carson, who also credited the work of Terria Walters, Kara Lee Nelson, Anthony Bieler, Phillip Lict and Tiffany Hall. Walters founded Fallen Up Ministries of Wasilla; Nelson is the director of Haven House in Juneau, and Bieler is a peer support specialist for Cook Inlet Tribal Council. Lict is the CEO of Set Free Alaska, and Hall serves as executive director of Recover Alaska in Anchorage.

Soderstrom said panelists will be discussing advocacy versus anonymity, and the marriage between clinical supports and recovery supports.

“In essence, we have successfully integrated recovery support services with conventional treatment, meaning people in long-term recovery are now integrated into treatment team collaborative efforts which have led to wrap-around services. We can now do peer support outside of treatment facilities,” Soderstrom said. “We identify an addict’s needs, like housing, employment, and transportation and fill those gaps. This has led to increased retention and graduation rates and we are seeing people succeeding in reentering the community clean and sober.”

The schedule for the summit kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with a morning networking session following by speaker and panelist introductions. A two-part presentation on anonymous people follows but will be split by a lunch-networking session. After lunch, the summit continues with panel discussion, testimonials, a question-and-answer session and additional networking opportunities. The event is scheduled to wrap up at 4 p.m.

“I would personally like to talk about alternative use of opioids for pain,” said Carson, who is moderating the day’s events. “I would like to see insurance companies cover things like acupuncture, massage, and physical therapy as an option.”

Carson said he also has a planned meeting with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski later this month. Murkowski sits on the Senate’s Health and Social Services Committee.

“I’m going to advocate to both that federal money be put aside for treatment and especially prevention,” Carson said. “I think we’re really focusing on youth prevention this year. The Mat-Su is fortunate to have our Senators meet with us, but more importantly asking us at the ground level what we need to be successful. I’m really excited about (the summit).”

The Massay Theatre is located at on the Mat-Su College campus at 8295 College Dr. in Palmer. For more information on the event, visit the Fiend2Clean or MyHouse Facebook pages or call 982-HOPE.

Contact reporter Chris Ford at 352-2270 or chris.ford@frontiersman.com