Dear Alliance Members,

I am pleased to introduce you to our three newest Co-Chairs Christiana Smith from Seward Prevention Coalition, Michelle Kavouras from Sitka Counseling, and Mary Jane Kasayulie from Bristol Bay Native Association. They are joining Isha Twitchell, Johon Atkinson, and Aaron Osterback in serving as Co-Chairs for the Alliance. Their bios and contact information are below, please join me in welcoming them to the role!

Over the past two months, our Co-Chairs have responded to feedback from The Alliance membership to clarify the Co-Chair roles and increase communication on the responsibilities and activities of our cohort. We have developed the Job Description and invite all members to review. In short, the main role of a co-chair is to serve as an advisor to The Alliance and provide input utilizing lived experience and regional knowledge on how emerging strategies and objectives of the network might affect community members on a local level.

Each Co-Chair can choose the level and type of involvement in The Alliance in accordance with their capacity, interest and expertise. To ensure state-wide representation, we are seeking 2 representatives per region as categorized by our Alliance Regional Map. We need your help in filling positions in the Arctic, Interior, and Southwest. If you know of anyone in those regions interested in community wellness and/or prevention and able to contribute 3-6 hours per month to Alliance activities, please share this Co-Chair Application and/or link us via email (tbobrycki@recoveralaska.org).

I wish you all a connected, cozy, and vibrant winter solstice, holiday and new year. Thank you for the work you do in fostering wellness, connection and care in your communities. 

Warm regards,

Tesia

Michelle Kavouras:

Michelle is a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (CADC) and a National Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (NCPRS) with a deep-rooted commitment to addressing the impacts of substance use on individuals and communities. Drawing on her lived experiences, Michelle brings a compassionate and nuanced perspective to her work, recognizing the importance of harm reduction and evidence-based care.

As a Recovery Doula in Chicago, Michelle supported pregnant individuals navigating substance use, offering guidance rooted in harm reduction principles through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Her work prioritized creating safe, judgment-free spaces where people could seek help without the fear of family separation. Now based in Alaska, Michelle has transitioned into the role of Prevention Program Manager at Sitka Counseling, where she’s focused on expanding her efforts to reduce harms associated with substance use and support community resilience. She is dedicated to enhancing protective factors and shifting social norms.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Michelle is an active advocate for fair treatment and access to compassionate care for individuals and families affected by substance use. In her downtime, she enjoys hiking Alaska’s mountains and immersing herself in the region’s natural beauty.

About The Alliance

The Alliance is a collaborative effort of multiple and diverse partners across Alaska who recognize the impacts of alcohol misuse on individuals and communities. We are personally and professionally committed to working together to address this complex problem in our state.

Our primary goal is to connect and engage communities as partners — increasing protective factors, reducing risk factors, and changing social norms — to prevent underage alcohol use and eliminate adult misuse in Alaska.

Alliance Materials

• The Alliance's common agenda
• The Alliance's grounding document
• The Alliance's Resource Page
• The Alliance's network member portal
• Materials for new network members

Get Involved

Between starting new work and sustaining our progress, there are many opportunities to participate in The Alliance! All current workgroups are open to any member who would like to join. You can always read more about our workgroups and their purpose on the Get Involved page of our website. Our network practices an emergent strategy, and we update information based on our network's needs.

• The Communications/Social Norms Workgroup will be supporting the social norms campaign and The Alliance's various other internal and external communications needs. The Comms Workgroup meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 1-2 pm.
• The Data and Learning Workgroup will be supporting data equity conversations and practices.
• The Evaluation and Learning Workgroup is where members can participate in developing and overseeing the process of reflecting on the work of the network to identify what is working well and where more attention may be needed so we can continue to develop and grow.
• The Strategy and Design Workgroup builds structures and processes for the network to work in alignment with our values and theory of change.

You are welcome to ask questions about those workgroups or to ask to join any of them.

If you would like to submit content for The Alliance newsletter, please email Tesia at tbobrycki@recoveralaska.org and Blaze Bell at bbell@recoveralaska.org.