We are here to help. Our board is comprised of parents, professionals and youth advisors.
We invite your comments and questions.

By Phone:
Phone: (907) 770-4979
Toll Free in Alaska: (888) 770-4979
Fax: (907) 770-4997

By Mail:
Alaska Youth and Family Network
P.O. Box 23-3142
Anchorage, Alaska 99523-3142

In Person:

Main Anchorage Office:

401 E. Northern Lights, Suite 100

Driving directions are from the starting point of:  Midtown Sears Mall, located at Seward Highway and E. Northern Lights Drive west on E. Northern Lights from the Seward Highway 0.1 miles AYFN is located in white building on right side of E. Northern Lights, just before Eagle Street.

 By E-Mail
Staff : (click on a name to send an e-mail)

• Executive Director, 907-727-6648: Frances Purdy
• Administrative Director, 907-770-4979: Kathleen Hollett
  
• Navigators Supervisor ,907-748-0428: Paul Cornils
• Matsu Youth Coordinator/Peer Navigator, 907-982-4998: Shae Ballard
• Matsu Peer Navigator, 907-715-0707: Nancy Kurpius or Vickie Romano
• Anchorage Youth Peer Navigator, 907-770-4979:   Jessie Lawrence
• Anchorage Peer Navigator, 907-770-4979: Regina Pitts
• Youth Peer Navigator/Coordinator,907-770-4979 Will Foma'i
• Anchorage Youth Peer Navigator Trainee, 907-770-4979: Henry Bozine
• Anchorage Youth Peer Navigator Trainee, 907-770-4979: Brittany Pickens
• Insurance Specialist/Care Coordinator and Peer Navigator, 888-770-4979; Kristen Nilsson
• Fairbanks Peer Navigator, 907-322-0906: Debbie Kitelinger
• Anchorage Community Mental Health Services Peer Navigator, 907-764-4441: Jacquie Erickson
• Southeast Peer Navigator, 907-321-2213: Chlora Murray
  
• Residential Treatment Centers Peer Navigator, 907-748-0428: Paul Cornils
• Northwest Arctic Peer Navigator,toll free in Alaska 888-575-2936 or 907-475-2297: Jeanne Gerhardt-Cyrus
• Education and Parent Education Specialist, 907-770-4979: Tia Hollowood
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  Board Members: (click on a name to send an e-mail)

  • President - Sam Bush has been married to Bill Bush for over 34 years.  They have seven adult children.  The youngest was born with multiple disabilities and three of their children are diagnosed with depression.  Since the 1980, Sam has served on many volunteer boards.  She spent nine years on the Medical Care Advisory Committee for the State of Alaska. She has worked tirelessly as an advocate for special education students and in employed as program coordinator for a transitional living program. In 1997, Sam was one of several people who gathered to form an organization that would truly address the issues and needs of young people and families experiencing mental health issues.  This group became the founding board of the Alaska Youth and Family Network.  Sam is passionate in her pursuit of parity for all people with a disability and, to her, AYFN is the vehicle for change.  "I have watched the organization grow to be very successful.  I will continue to work for the needed changes in the system."  Sam Bush 
  • Youth Board President -Shell Purdy is a NANA shareholder, born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska.  At twenty-three, she had the opportunity to experience Alaska's systems of care first hand. When much younger, Shell became frustrated with the quality and quantity of Alaska's mental health and substance abuse treatment options and with the help of her moms decided to take a stand.  Shell joined AYFN in 2003 and helped spearhead the youth component, including the original youth support groups, and youth voting seat on AYFN's board of directors.  While learning how to effectively advocate for herself and her peers, Shell was empowered and found her own strong voice, which has played a huge role in the recovery management.  While working with a youth and advocating for peer navigation, Shell set foot on Capital Hill in Juneau and fell in love.  Shell decided to pursue an education.  Shell is now a PITAS (Preparing Indigenous Teachers for Alaska's Schools) scholar, the student body vice president and a peer advisor with student services. "Alaska's systems of care are inadequate and culturally incompetent.  Family and youth driven agencies, like AYFN are beginning to create a movement that will better Alaska for generations to come."  Shell Purdy
  • Vice-President - Mona Jones-Nollner is a Koyukon Athabascan, originally from Koyukuk, Alaska but residing now in Fairbanks, Alaska, with her family.  Mona is a mother of three children and she has helped raise nine other children.  of her three, two have struggled with mental health issues.  She has struggled the the systems with her oldest son going against all the areas of services trying to get the services to match his needs.  Currently in school pursuing her BSW degree, and looking at options in MSW programs.  She is employed by Fairbanks Native Association as a family advocate, giving back to families, strength she gained in the fight against problems in the system.  Mona sat on the Head Start board through Tanana Chiefs Region when her children were younger.  She joined AYFN board in 2003 to ensure that advocates can help other families map the system.  Most recently, she accepted a position on the board of the Disability Law Center of Alaska.  She is also a member of the student counsel of the Alaska Native Social Worker Association.   Mona Jones-Nollner
  • Secretary - Sandra L. Kleven, LCSW, is a writer, poet and children's clinician who joined the board after working for several years in a Systems of Care project affiliated with the Federation of Families.  Kleven's best selling book The Right Touch, has won awards for it's approach to sexual abuse prevention.  An Alaskan since 1984, Kleven worked for many years in remote villages, often in crisis intervention.  Her second book, Holy Land, addresses the tragedies and opportunity for transformation to be found in Alaska's outback.  Her extended family was recently struck by the suicide of  her brother, who suffered from depression during much of his life.  Kleven says, "I have seen the system fail families.  AYFN has made a foothold in the rock face giving solid footing towards a future when systems will be responsive and responsible to the families they were created to serve.  Through these united efforts, we begin to transform faltering and failing systems."    Sandy Kleven  
  • Treasurer -Don joined AYFN in 2004 because of his background as a therapeutic foster parent. Combining this and his background in business and finance, Don has been the Treasurer since 2007. interest in Don Ballard
  • Board Member:  Roberta Johnson works as a "Family Case Worker" for Central Council Tlinglet and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, in the department of Tribal Family and Youth Services.  Roberta is a parent of three.  She is from the village of Angoon but has lived in Juneau for the past twenty-one years.  She greaduated from Mt Edgecumbe High School in 1976.  Roberta became an AYFN board member in 2004, not really knowing what she was getting intobut she saw the need and the importance of the services this program had to offer families and youth.  "I look forward to seeing many more families and youth benefit from this wornderful program."  Roberta also is a board member of the Alaska Native Women Association for Abused Women.  Roberta Johnson
  
  
  • Board Member - Joesphine Simaken joined the AYFN board in 1997.  For seven years, prior to that, she was on the Yukon-Koyukuk Mental Health Board.  She had eight children and now has twenty seven grandchildren and one great grandson.  "I adopted a baby with FASD and I am helping to raise my grandson, who has SED.  The recent, alcohol related suicide of my son put a damper on my career of fifteen years as a certified chemical dependency counselor.  I want to continue to share my experience and, as always, to keep on learning."     Josephine Semaken

• Board Member - Mary Dallen Allen joined the AYFN board in 2009.  She is an Assistant Professor in Sociology at the University of
  Alaska Anchorage and has done extensive research on family empowerment.  She worked at the Research and Training Center with Portland State University.  Her commitment to  family driven behavioral health seervices comes from her hands on experience with Alaskan programs, including, Head Start, children and women's programs in shelters for domestic violence and a personal commitment to having a strong youth voice in the development and implementation of youth programs.    Mary Dallas Allen