Mental Health & Addiction Intervention

My father was a heroin addict from the time I was conceived and ended up dying from his addiction. The underlying cause was untreated mental illness.

When you don’t have support, you have to find ways to deal with it. For me it was music that got me through a lot of difficult times.

- Francis, Hatcher Pass



Overview


The Mental Health & Addiction Intervention area of Trust work is focused on the full continuum of care from prevention and early intervention to treatment and recovery for Trust beneficiaries.  A wide range of partners are necessary to address this and to develop effective strategies that may be mutually supported through leveraged funding and effort. Planning and engagement at a system wide level ensures positive impacts across the lifespan of beneficiaries, improved health outcomes, and increased quality of life.

The prevalence rates and negative consequences of alcohol and drug abuse experienced by Alaskans are substantial. Substance abuse and addiction constitute the largest preventable and one of the most costly health problem in the U.S. The long-term negative health effects of excessive alcohol and drug use among Alaskans is linked to a  number of negative social, health and environmental consequences. According to a May 2018 State of Alaska Epidemiology report on Health Impacts of Alcohol Misuse in Alaska, 7.6% of all emergency medical transports in Alaska were attributed to alcohol consumption, and the child welfare system and criminal justice systems are substantially over-represented with alcohol and drug related impacts. Almost half of Alaska children in out-of-home placements were connected to homes with parental alcohol abuse, and between 2006 and 2016 roughly 18% of all criminal justice convictions were attributable to alcohol.  [1]

The economic cost of drug and alcohol misuse in Alaska is upwards of $3.5 billion annually, per the 2019 Update to the Economic Cost of Drug Misuse in Alaska. [2], [3].

Access to Treatment


Access to treatment is of considerable concern to the Trust and our partners, while most individuals with addictions do not enter a formal drug and alcohol treatment program, we want to ensure our state has statewide capacity and availability of treatment when an individual is ready for it. The needs of Alaskans and the capacity of the behavioral health system to meet those needs have evolved over the years and will continue to do so with statewide reforms underway which include a redesign of our current behavioral health system of care, including implementation of a 1115 Behavioral Health Waiver.[4] To better understand our services, the Trust commissioned a statewide assessment of services, with the ultimate goal of utilizing this information to inform decision-making, at the regional and statewide levels, and to improve system functioning so that it can produce better outcomes for the people it serves.

The report indicates approximately one in nine adults needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol problem or roughly 62,815 Alaskan adults. [5] 

Alignment with the Comprehensive Mental Health Program Plan


The work of the Trust aligns with Strengthening the System: Alaska’s Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan (comp plan), that was developed in a partnership between the Trust and the Department of Health and Social Services in coordination with community stakeholders. The Comp Plan identifies priorities for the next five years to inform planning and funding decisions to meet the needs of  Trust beneficiaries. The intent is to strengthen the system of care to allow a comprehensive approach that quickly meets their needs.

The core strategies of this area include changing social norms about addiction, reducing stigma associated with addiction, and enhancing access to needed interventions across a variety of settings. As such, this area aligns with:

Goal 4: Prevention and treatment for drug and alcohol misuse is provided through collaborative, effective, and informed strategies. 

Contact


Eric Boyer, Senior Program Officer

Sources


[1] Pachoe, M. (2018). Health Impacts of Alcohol Misuse in Alaska, May 2018. State of Alaska Epidemiology, Department of Health and Social Services.
[2] McDowell Group. (2019). The Economic Costs of Alcohol Abuse in Alaska, 2019 Update. McDowell Group.
[3] McDowell Group. (2017). The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in Alaska, 2019 Update. McDowell Group.

[4] www.dhss.alaska.gov/dbh/pages/1115
[5] Agnew::Beck Consulting, LLC & Hornby Zeller Associates, Inc. (2016). Alaska Behavioral Health Systems Assessment Final Report.