Dear Friends,
This spring has been incredibly busy for AKEDA, with many active programs, presentations, and exciting events planned for the summer and fall. We’d love to take a moment to highlight some important changes and current happenings at AKEDA.
Address Change
PO Box 33953, Juneau, AK 99801
Adult Support Group 18+ Time Change
Weekly on Mondays, 7-8 pm AKST
Project ECHO Planning
We want to know what time would work best for Project ECHO session attendance. Please click the link to take the very brief survey. https://forms.gle/AwfRCRNYs6VgAyZK8
This spring, I’ve been asked to present to different groups on behalf of AKEDA. From each of these presentations, I’ve been able to engage with some incredible individuals and organizations that are doing important work in our state. I’d like to take a moment to touch on these relationships.
Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Group
The state of Alaska has a DSMES umbrella license, which allows the Department of Health to help support healthcare organizations with their diabetes education programs. Over Zoom I had the opportunity to meet with this incredible group of providers from across the state and talk about how eating disorders can affect their patients, as well as the challenges they face navigating the standards of diabetes care while trying to consider health at every size approaches with weight, body image, and relationship to food. https://health.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Pages/Diabetes/umbrella.aspx
Take Heart Alaska
Take Heart Alaska is a statewide coalition focused on improving cardiovascular health in Alaska. In person, in Anchorage, I was able to present on a panel of partner programs to highlight who AKEDA is, the work we are doing, and the resources available to Alaskans that coalition members could utilize.
Volunteers of America (VOA) Alaska
VOA Alaska is a non-profit organization that provides a full continuum of care, including mental health therapy and substance abuse counseling, among many other services.The program directors invited me to their collaborative meeting where I was able to share about resources AKEDA has that could be valuable for the clients they serve, as well as training opportunities for their providers.
Department of Health
I was able to meet with a group from the Department of Health and present on eating disorders and public health intersections. This was an incredible opportunity to engage with different departments within the Department of Health, and I’m very excited about the conversations we had around outreach, messaging, and our advocacy work.
Alaska Trauma Institute
Alaska Behavioral Health hosted their 11th Annual Alaska Advanced Trauma Training Institute, and I was thrilled to host a workshop on ‘Rural Realities: Understanding and Addressing Eating Disorders in Alaska’. Not only was I thrilled to present, but I was also able to attend some incredible sessions, including one of my favorites on using humor in therapy. https://alaskabehavioralhealth.org/alaska-child-trauma-center-at-acmhs/alaska-advanced-trauma-training-institute/
As you can see, it’s been busy, but there is still more to come. I’m looking forward to presenting soon at the Alaska Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Education Summit and the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to me at bkirian@akeatingdisordersalliance.org.
Sincerely,
Becca Kirian MFN, AP-RDN
Executive Director, Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance
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