The Alaska Mental Health Trust has awarded Bartlett Regional Hospital and the Juneau Housing First Collaborative more than $850,000 in grant funding.
The hospital’s funding will go toward staffing, training and infrastructure for behavioral health crisis services at the new Aurora Behavioral Health Center.
Jenn Carson, Bartlett’s executive director of behavioral health, said they hope to start serving youth aged 12 to 17 experiencing mental health emergencies by the end of the year. Staff will help them get through mental health crises. They’ll also offer short residential stays if needed.
“We do have a significant number of adolescents that come through our emergency department, and unfortunately right now, if they need to be admitted, they’re put on our medical-surgical floor with minimal intervention,” she said. “That’s not an overly therapeutic environment for an adolescent.”
She said the new space offers a warmer, more calming atmosphere overlooking Gastineau Channel.
“This would be a place to come to decompress,” she said. “It doesn’t feel as sterile as a regular hospital room.”
The $476,200 in grant funding will help Bartlett hire staff and pay for equipment as construction on the building continues. In the meantime, staff are working with a Crisis Now consultant to develop policies and procedures for the new services.
Housing First’s $375,000 grant will help pay for construction of 28 new units at Forget-Me-Not Manor, bringing the total number of units to 92. The facility in Lemon Creek is operated by the Glory Hall and provides permanent supportive housing for people who’ve been homeless for a year or more and have a disability or chronic health condition. Physical, behavioral and addiction treatment services are available on site.
Mariya Lovishchuk, executive director of the Glory Hall, said they hope to start construction on the new units in spring. She said providing low-barrier housing along with medical services is key to addressing the root causes of homelessness.
“These people are not just nameless, homeless individuals,” she said. “They’re all people, and they all have families, and they have a tremendous amount of trauma. The way to even begin to heal that trauma is not to stick them in an emergency shelter – it’s to create dignified, safe spaces, and that is permanent supportive housing. And it really works.”
Researchers from the University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work found that people who moved into Forget-Me-Not Manor had fewer emergency room visits and police encounters. They also reported better physical and mental health.
“These are all things that aren’t only good for the individual, but they’re good for the community as a whole,” said Alaska Mental Health Trust CEO Steve Williams. “We were happy to see this program expand a third time.”
The third recipient of the trust’s recent grants is Volunteers of America, Alaska in Anchorage. They’ll use that funding to help youth experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders find jobs.
