Q&A with Opioid Task Force founder Michael Carson discussing upcoming Community Roundtable

WASILLA — The Mat-Su Opioid Task Force is hosting a Community Roundtable with local providers to inform Valley residents about the status of services for those struggling with addiction amid the pandemic.

Presenters include Shawn O’Brien with Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Karl Soderstrom with True North Recovery, Kristin Hull with Therapeutic Courts, Norman Lingley with Akeela, Kerri Pittman with YMCA, Mat-Su, and Philip Licht with Set Free Alaska.

Below is a question and answer interview with Mat-Su Opioid Task Force founder and chair Michael Carson discussing the upcoming meeting.

Q: So what’s the ultimate goal for this Community Roundtable?

“The ultimate goal for this meeting is to, first and foremost, let everyone know that services are still being provided, even with COVID. Those services though, could very well be modified, and we’re trying to get out that information, how they’re being modified. So, it’s important for the community to know we have providers in the Mat-Su that are still in the good fight… the best they can do under the conditions of COVID.”

Q: What’s the Task Force doing to support those with substance misuse disorders?

“We’re just trying to be the conduit. We’re just trying to connect the community with the providers. We’re just trying to be the bridge… It’s important for the providers to have a venue, to have a forum… We’re the venue. We’re the forum. We’re providing them with the microphone.”

Q: Which presentations are you looking forward to hearing?

“I’m interested in all the presentations, but I think the one I’m looking forward to mostly is Kristin Hull with therapeutic courts… That means drug courts. So, we would really like an update on how drug courts are working… We would have probably had it on Tuesday because it would follow our regular Tuesday meetings, but we wanted to make sure we had it on a Wednesday so she could present. So, then in January we’ll go back to the first Tuesday of the month… I’m also really grateful that James Savage with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council stepped up and his interest in being co-chair.”

Q: So James Savage is now the co-chair of the Task Force?

“Yes… He’s been a great help… That’s gonna let me really focus on some things that I’m interested in doing. That is upstream, primary prevention.”

Q: Will the meeting be available to watch after Wednesday?

“James is gonna be able to record the Zoom meeting and we’ll get a link. Then, we’ll shoot that out for people who didn’t have the opportunity to see it.”

Q: So it looks like you’ll be having another roundtable in January?

“It might even go into February. There seems to be quite a bit of interest. We are going to try to accommodate as many community members as we can… This would include any peer-to-peer and harm reduction specialists, pharmacists, counselors or social workers and their work.”

The Community Roundtable runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16. It’s all being held over Zoom with a 30 minute question and answer portion.

For more information, email carsons@mtaonline.net or jmsavage@citic.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com