The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (Trust) awarded more than $680,000 in grants to organizations across the state in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023.
“Trust grant funds are intended to help our partners engage in projects and initiatives that improve the lives of our beneficiaries,” said Steve Williams, CEO of the Trust. “Our grants can support specific initiatives, capacity building, and can also help our partners providing essential services to beneficiaries who are navigating change. We appreciate the work of our grantees across Alaska who are applying their expertise to supporting vulnerable Alaskans.”
Among the grants awarded in the first quarter of the fiscal year:
Behavioral Health Electronic Health Record Implementation
Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA): $50,000
Trust funds are supporting the implementing of an electronic health record (EHR), which will help KANA deliver behavioral health services to Trust beneficiaries effectively and efficiently. EHRs can not only reduce administrative time spent on record keeping, but also facilitate care coordination through prompt and accurate communication among providers.
Stories Work: Telling, Listening, & Building Healthy Connections at McLaughlin Youth Center
Story Works Alaska: $10,000
Trust funding will support therapeutic story telling workshops for beneficiary youth experiencing mental health and substance misuse within McLaughlin Youth Center (Division of Juvenile Justice) in Anchorage. The intent of the project is to engage youth in framing their individual stories to highlight resiliency and the positive assets of participants.
This quarter’s grants, part of the Trust’s approximately $25 million annual grant program, fund beneficiary-supporting programs and initiatives that align with the Trust’s mission and values. Trust grants are awarded throughout the year to Alaska nonprofits, Tribal entities, state and local government agencies, service providers and other organizations that serve Trust beneficiaries. Beneficiaries include Alaskans who experience mental illness, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and traumatic brain injuries. Below is a complete list of Trust grants awarded in the last quarter. You can learn more about the grants in a quarterly grant report posted online.
| Grantee Name | Project Title | Amount |
| Alaska Children’s Alliance | 2022 Alaska Conference on Child Maltreatment | $2,500 |
| Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association | Alaska Hospital & Healthcare (AHHA) Annual Conference | $2,500 |
| Alaska Literacy Program, Inc. | ALP Family Literacy Program | $15,000 |
| Alaska Mental Health Consumer Web | Leadership Transition Assistance | $50,000 |
| Alaska Statewide Independent Living Council, Inc. | Joint Independent Living/Employment First Conference | $20,000 |
| All Alaska Pediatric Partnership | All Alaska Pediatric Symposium Sponsorship | $2,500 |
| Association for the Education of Young Children, Southeast Alaska | Parents As Teachers (PAT) Gap Funding | $95,000 |
| Beans Café, Inc. | Emergency Food Response Centennial Park Homeless Camp | $25,000 |
| Fairbanks Youth Advocates | Keystone Counseling Center | $25,000 |
| Family Promise of Juneau | Juneau Rapid Rehousing | $100,000 |
| Hope Community Resources, Inc. | Denali Village Planning and Development | $50,000 |
| Kodiak Area Native Association | Kodiak Area Native Association Behavioral Health EHR Implementation | $50,000 |
| Mat-Su Health Foundation | 2022 Mat-Su Community Health Needs Assessment | $10,000 |
| Peer Power of Alaska | Capacity Building | $15,000 |
| Southcentral Foundation | Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury (TABI) Early Identification and Intervention Services Planning, Design and Capacity Building | $100,000 |
| Story Works Alaska | Stories Work: Telling, Listening, & Building Healthy Connections @ McLaughlin Youth Center | $10,000 |
| Sultana New Ventures LLC dba The Foraker Group | Step Away Project | $13,000 |
| The OAK Residential Treatment Center & Oak House | Oak House Building Capacity project | $49,355 |
| University Of Alaska Anchorage | “My Best Life:” A Youth-designed Tool for Improving Mental and Sexual Health | $47,370 |
Many of the projects that are awarded Trust grants will also receive funding from the philanthropic community, private donations, earned revenue, and other community support. The total value of the projects funded by the Trust this quarter is approximately $1.06 million.
The Trust considers grant applications year-round. Beneficiary-serving organizations interested in learning more about Trust grants can visit our grants webpage: alaskamentalhealthtrust.org/about/grants or contact Trust Grants Administrator Lucas Lind at lucas.lind@alaska.gov.
For more information contact Allison Biastock, Chief Communications Officer, 907.334.2531, allison.biastock@alaska.gov.