Lindsay Coffey, MS, LPC-S is a Clinician at Alaska Behavioral Health. Lindsay provides mental health services to children and families affected by trauma and trains people throughout the state of Alaska on trauma and its impacts.  Lindsay is certified in several evidence-based treatments for trauma including Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).

Elizabeth King is the Senior Director for Behavioral Health with the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association (AHHA). She has worked in the fields of behavioral health, research, and evaluation in a variety of roles since 2001. Her current work focuses on identifying and improving the policies and systems that govern behavioral health care in Alaska. Elizabeth holds a Master’s degree in Public Health Practice from the University of Alaska Anchorage. The motivation for her work stems from her desire to make a positive difference in the health of Alaskans, and she values working together with organizations and communities to help advocate for enhancing treatment and prevention opportunities. 

When she is not working, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their schnoodle. Her favorite things about living in Alaska include cross-country skiing, biking, fishing, and being outdoors as much as possible.

Patrick Sidmore, MSW, a Public Health Specialist with a focus on school health, works for the Alaska Division of Public Health.  He holds degrees in social work and economics and studied elementary education.  His focus of work over the last decade has been on exploring and telling the story of Alaskan resilience and trauma across multiple disciplines and communities.  He is one of the co-authors of the Transforming Schools: A Framework for Trauma Engaged Practice in Alaska and planned and led the Alaska Mental Health Board’s “Overcoming ACEs in Alaska initiative”.  He lives in Juneau where he and his wife have raised two children. 

In her role, Suzette is a Senior Member of the clinical team at the Anchorage Cohen Clinic and champion of targeted, measurement-based care. In addition to providing direct clinical care. She strives to ensure that our clients receive high-quality, client-centered care that adheres to the fidelity of proven evidence-based practices best suited for the military and veteran community. She is a provider of CBT, CBT-I, CPT, EMDR, Compassion Focused Therapy, and enjoys speaking to audiences of wide variety about building and maintaining mental/behavioral health and well-being, boosting resiliency, building helpful coping strategies, and creating space for Trauma-Informed supportive services and interpersonal interactions.

Melissa is an Air Force veteran, a Registered Nurse, a
Program Instructor with Paws for Purple Hearts, a Certified
NATIONAL Crisis Response Team with her canine, Reagan,
and a NOVA Provisional Advocate. These roles have fortified
a passion for connecting individuals and responders to
support for recovery and resilience building before, during
and after critical times. She aims to strengthen her
community by sharing resources and empowering others to
help themselves and those they serve.
Her activities Include:

• Service dog training & canine assisted therapeutic program for our nation’s
  warriors.
• Relationship building with Alaska organizations to support Veteran & Military health.
• Engagement with trauma support agencies and first responders to facilitate crisis
  intervention and the development of healthy coping mechanisms.
• Support survivors of abuse as they navigate the legal system.
  Professional Affiliations:
• Paws for Purple Hearts
• American Red Cross
• Registered Nurse AK, OK & MI
• Alaska Responds, volunteer emergency medical professional
• NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, certified response team
• International Critical Stress Foundation (ICISF)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC)
• JBER Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPRO)
• Hospice of Anchorage Grief Support
• Anchorage Police Citizen Academy
• FBI Citizen Academy
• APD Crisis Intervention Training
• American Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care

Meghan Louk has held various positions in different organizations, including Wounded Warrior Project, United States Air Force, Behavior Change Institute, and US Army. In these roles, Meghan has focused on providing support to wounded warriors, organizing community events, working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and leading recreation activities for diverse populations. Meghan holds a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Recreation, Sport Leadership, and Tourism Management from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Ava Weiss is the Senior Training Manager at Cohen Veterans Network, a nonprofit network of behavioral health clinics that serve veterans, active duty service members, and military family members. In this role, Ava supports the planning and implantation of the network-wide clinical training program.  Ava was previously a CVN Fellow at the Cohen Clinic at Easterseals in Silver Spring, MD, and prior to that completed her clinical internship at the Cohen Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania.  Ava received her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania and her BA in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago.  In addition to her role as CVN’s Senior Training Manager, Ava also sees a small caseload of private practice clients.  Ava is passionate about treating trauma and is dedicated to serving the veteran and military family population.   

Jenn Hurtig, LMSW, is a Clinician at the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in Wasilla for Alaska Behavioral Health. She graduated from USC School of Social Work in 2016 and worked in preventative mental health as a Community Support Coordinator before moving to mental health therapy. Jenn began her clinical journey with Intensive Case Management where she worked with those who experienced high service needs before transitioning to an outpatient clinic. Specializing in CBT techniques, Jenn utilizes solution-focused, person-centered, trauma-informed modalities to help individuals and families build lives they feel are worth living. She believes that empowering communities to collectively identify and solve their unique challenges through a strength-based lens is the key to creating purposive, meaningful change. She enjoys reading, playing trombone, and eating delicious food.

Holly McCamant is a Peer Support Specialist at Alaska Seeds of Change and the Power Center, AKBH’s transition age youth programs, where she runs a variety of groups ranging from sleep hygiene to baking. She is passionate about community-oriented change and continually learning more about local and global issues. Originally from rural Minnesota, she adores all the outdoor and cultural activities that Alaska has to offer.

Micki Dunn is an Education Specialist II with the Department of Education and Early Development where she is a member of the Health and Safety Team. She is a certified K-12 School Counselor in the state of Alaska. She has eighteen years experience working as a School Counselor throughout Alaska in both rural and urban settings, as well as four years experience teaching in the Lower 48. She has an MAED in Educational Counseling and a BA in Elementary Education, and is a Certified SWIS Facilitator. Micki is passionate about Social/Emotional Learning, Mental Health, and Trauma Engaged Practices because of their importance to the well-being of our students, their families, and their communities.

Jason Martin is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP), and Board-Certified Ketogenic Nutritionist (CKNS). He provides a holistic approach to psychiatric services for Veterans, Active duty, Active-duty family members in Alaska. He has been living in Alaska for the past 4 years. He is originally from Idaho and enjoys the outdoors. Jason is a 32-year veteran spending is early career in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman serving as a rescue swimmer and combat medic for the Marine Corps; later transferred to the Army reserve serving as an ER nurse and finally transitioning into a PMHNP-BC attached to a Combat Stress unit from Colorado. He has been married for 22 years having 6 children and most recently became a grandparent.

As a Senior Program Instructor for Paws for Purple
Hearts, Debbie trains Service Dogs and provides animal assisted therapeutic programs for our country’s warriors.
She is a Certified National Crisis Response Team with her canines Kali and Kenji. They engage with trauma support agencies and first responders across Alaska to facilitate crisis intervention and development of healthy coping mechanisms. Graduated from Gateway Technical Inst with a Licensed Practical Nursing Diploma in 1977. In 1988 received an Associate Degree as a Registered Dental Hygienist from the University of
Anchorage Alaska. Through her volunteer work with National Crisis Response Canines, she learned the impact the animals could have on individuals experiencing trauma. grief, and suicide on families and the community. Having many family
members including her son serve our country in various branches of the military, felt
this is a way to give back to those who put their life on the line to serve their country. Often times at a great cost to themself and their families.
Education: Dates:
Service Dog Training Seminar, Bergin University Certificate 2018
NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine Team Certificate 2017/2018
University Anchorage AK RDH 1988
Gateway Tech Inst LPN 1977
Professional Affiliations, Licensure’s & Certificates:

• Paws for Purple Hearts
• American Red Cross
• National Crisis Response Canines, certified response team JBER Sexual
  Assault Prevention and Response (SAPRO)
• APO Citizen Academy
• Hospice of Anchorage Grief Support
• Anchorage Police Citizen Academy
• FBI Citizen Academy
• APD Crisis Intervention Training
• American Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care

Anthony is a retired Air Force veteran of 23 years, and an Assistant Program Instructor with Paws for Purple Hearts. As a combat veteran he has seen first-hand how working with the dogs at PPH has helped his mental well-being and is passionate about doing this for other veterans. He aims to do this by supporting the PPH mission of training quality service dogs and working with Alaska’s military community.

His activities include:

• Service dog training and canine assisted therapeutic program for our nation’s warriors.
• Fostering relationships with Alaska organizations to support veteran and military health.

Professional Affiliations, Licensure’s & Certificates:

• Paws for Purple Hearts
• Alaska SPCA
• Bachelor of Science from UAA

Kandis is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and US Air Force veteran with a wide range of clinical, operational, and life experience. Her counseling approach aims to deliver evidence based therapeutic counseling techniques through the lens of a clients’ existential and holistic health. With her background in biological sciences as well as her experience in military crisis response, clinical counseling, living abroad, and parenting two young children, Kandis brings a depth and breadth of knowledge to help clients gain tools and insight on their journey towards healing, and to help them recognize and foster their own inner strength.