Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media

Young people who are homeless in Alaska are at high risk for human trafficking, but there are ways to prevent the problem. Listen now

Community in Unity went off the road system in April for a conversation about immigration and community building in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. Nearly half the residents of the small Aleutian fishing town are immigrants. Community members and students came together for two different events to talk about how immigration has shaped Unalaska, what makes it such an accepting place to live, and how that could change because of national rhetoric and shifting immigration policy. Community in Unity – Unalaska is a co-production of Alaska Public Media and Unalaska Community Broadcasting.

A new community partnership is freeing up hospital resources by proving people without homes a place to heal. Brother Francis Shelter in Anchorage is working with the area’s three main hospitals to provide respite care for sick or injured people who are homeless. Listen now

Buprenorphine is one of the medications used to treat opioid addictions. A speaker at a recent medical conference in Anchorage says getting the medication to heroin users thru their primary care providers is an essential way to reduce overdose deaths. But some addiction treatment professionals in Alaska say not so fast. Listen now

Methadone, suboxone, vivitrol -- - they're all different types of drugs used to treat opioid addictions. But what do those medications actually do? How effective are they? Are they a solution for solving Alaska's addiction crisis? Listen Now

A three-year-long legal argument about committing foster children to North Star Behavioral Health Hospital is one step closer to resolution. A judge ruled in late March that the Office of Children’s Services can legally commit foster kids to the psychiatric hospital without getting a judge’s approval. Listen now

About 2,000 people participated in the March for Science in Anchorage on Saturday. Participants carried signs talking about scientific contributions to medicine, such as “Got the Plague?! Ya, me neither! Thank a scientist!” Other signs addressed the impacts of climate change saying “There is no Planet B” and “The oceans are rising and so are we.” Listen now

The Statewide Trails Conference opens Thursday in Anchorage and will focus on issues such as making trails sustainable and active transportation. It brings together land managers, trail users, and trail builders for a three-day event.

The state's Department of Corrections is trying a new tactic to stop the opioid epidemic: offering Vivitrol shots. It’s a monthly injection that curbs cravings for heroin and other drugs and stops people from getting high. Inmates receive their first shots right before re-entering the community.

The state’s Department of Health and Social Services is starting to distribute Narcan kits around Alaska. The nasal spray stops opioid overdoses. For one woman at the Covenant House, helping build the kits is personal. The drug has saved her life. Listen now

For the past 50 years, Alaska Legal Services Corporation has offered free legal help to low-income Alaskans. Cases have ranged from private matters, like guardianship designations and protective orders, to statewide issues such as building high schools in rural Alaska. President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint eliminates federal funding for legal services programs nationwide, which would have a direct impact on Alaskans. Listen now

A new culinary school that teaches more than the difference between saute and simmer opened in Anchorage last fall to provide classes for people who are homeless or are leaving prison. Instructors at Feed Me Hope go beyond teaching cooking skills to teach life skills. Listen now

This week we're hearing from Tsolmon Damba in Anchorage. Demba is a nursing student from Mongolia who arrived in Alaska nearly seven years ago to attend UAA. She says the city is not what she expected. Listen now

What's it like to live with a mental illness and to go through recovery? How do people react to you? What assumptions do they make? Learn more about mental health and how it shapes our communities during the next Community in Unity.

An Alaska family struggles with the new interpretations of federal immigration laws and what it means for their future. Listen now

The Anchorage Police Department announced its new targeted crime plan Thursday. It focuses on getting into the community and developing relationships. APD will expand its foot patrols beyond downtown and into Mountain View, Fairview, and Spenard.

The Portland Cello Project, a multi-genre cello ensemble, recently visited the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center, a women's prison located in Eagle River, to work with Hiland's orchestra. Listen now

Law enforcement officers in Alaska can legally have sexual contact with people they are investigating for crimes. Proposed legislation seeks to change that. A new survey shows that most Alaskans didn't know the practice was legal and do not support it. Listen now

Some foster kids are eligible to receive Social Security benefits, but the kids and their families don’t always know the money is available. Instead, the state applies for the benefits and puts the funds toward paying for foster care services. Now a lawsuit is asking if the state needs to notify families and guardians before it starts taking the money. A judge heard oral arguments last month. Listen now

The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority is trying to change the laws that govern how it uses its principal funds. Some board members hope the legislation will pass soon enough that the organization does not have to undergo a special legislative audit. Listen now