(August 27, 2021) – The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (Trust) board of trustees have awarded $300,000 to Alaska Behavioral Health (AKBH) to support startup operational funding for an adult residential mental health treatment center for the Fairbanks community.
AKBH is advancing a new residential treatment unit for Trust beneficiaries who experience severe mental illness. Within the new facility, AKBH plans to have up to 16 beds, and will serve adults ages 18 years and older who experience a serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders with an interdisciplinary treatment team including advanced nurse practitioners, mental health clinicians, peer support specialists, and clinical associates.
At this time, this service does not exist in the Fairbanks region and this project will help keep residents of Fairbanks and the Interior closer to home instead of receiving residential mental health treatment in Anchorage or elsewhere.
“Currently, some of the most vulnerable Trust beneficiaries in the Fairbanks area can’t get the mental health treatment services they need without traveling far from home,” said Mike Abbott, CEO of the Trust. “We appreciate Alaska Behavioral Health’s leadership in bringing residential treatment services online in the region and are proud to use Trust funds as a catalyst to help get these needed services up and running.”
“We are excited to bring mental health residential treatment services to adults with acute mental health needs whose health is at risk while living in their community,” said Christine Alvarez, Chief Clinical Officer of Adult Services for Alaska Behavioral Health. “We see tremendous growth in our clients when we provide the right care at the right time. By adding this service in Fairbanks, we can now do more for our Fairbanks North Star Borough clients.”
The Trust grants, on average, $25 million a year to Alaska organizations that serve Trust beneficiaries, including various nonprofits, state agencies, and projects that promote long-term system change and/or innovative projects that improve the lives and circumstances of Trust beneficiaries.
Contact: Allison Biastock
Chief Communications Officer
907.334.2531