Anchorage, Alaska – The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (Trust) awarded more than half a million dollars in grants to organizations across the state in the second quarter of fiscal year 2022 (FY22).
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. Beneficiaries include Alaskans who experience mental illness, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, and traumatic brain injuries. The Trust accepts grant applications year round and awards grants to Alaska nonprofits, Tribal entities, state and local government agencies, and service providers.
“With these grants, Trust funds are working as intended — to support our beneficiary partners as they work to improve and expand their services and build new skills to help them better serve their populations,” said Mike Abbott, CEO of the Trust. “We are grateful to our partners across Alaska who are applying their energy and expertise to improve the lives and circumstances of Trust beneficiaries.”
Many of the projects funded by the Trust will also receive funding from the philanthropic community, private donations, earned revenue, and other community support. The total value of the projects that received Trust grant funding this quarter is just over one million dollars.
Among the grants awarded in the second quarter of FY 2022:
The Alaska Brain Bus
Alaska Brain Injury Consortium ($50,000)
Trust funds will support the Alaska Brain Injury Consortium’s Brain Bus Project, a pilot project that will use a donated bus converted into a mobile clinic to travel to underserved Alaskan communities. Volunteer providers will screen for brain injuries, provide services based on the needs of the community, and help provide connections to programs and resources for those experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or suspected brain injury. Alaska has one of the highest rates of brain injury in the nation, but communities often lack sufficient outpatient services to heal brain injuries, as well as access to home and community-based services to support people with a traumatic brain injury who need long-term services and supports. In addition to providing services, the bus itself will also serve as a conversation piece to raise brain injury awareness.
Bethel Permanent Supportive Housing Project
Bethel Community Services Foundation ($50,000)
Trust funds will be used to support planning efforts, including engineering and cost estimation services, for the development of Bethel’s Permanent Supportive Housing Project. This project aims to build permanent supportive housing for individuals who are chronically homeless (homeless for over a year) and experience one or more disabilities or chronic conditions. A majority of those experiencing chronic homelessness are Trust beneficiaries, with the most common conditions experienced by this population being mental illness and addiction. Permanent supportive housing is an evidence-based intervention that allows people to remain stably housed and to have the opportunity to engage in supportive services to address their conditions and meet their goals.
2022 Mat-Su Virtual Reentry Summit
Valley Charities, Inc. ($10,000)
Trust funds are supporting the 2022 Mat-Su Virtual Reentry Summit, a two-day training that focuses on reentry service providers in the Mat-Su and throughout the state. The summit will emphasize building strong community partnerships in order to enhance the successful reentry of returning citizens and reduce recidivism rates. Subject areas to be addressed include employment and job training, housing, mental health and drug addiction treatment, and criminal justice issues. The virtual summit will occur January 11-13, 2022.
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.
| Organization Name | Project Title | Grant Amount |
| Community Connections, Inc. | Habilitative Service Expansion | $10,000 |
| Bethel Community Services Foundation | Bethel Permanent Supportive Housing Project | $50,000 |
| Polaris House | Project Homeless Connect | $2,250 |
| Christian Health Associates | Anchorage Project Access | $25,000 |
| Anchorage Police Department | Crisis Intervention Training — Anchorage | $40,000 |
| All Alaska Pediatric Partnership | All Alaska Pediatric Symposium Sponsorship | $2,500 |
| Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities | Study on Care Coordination Services in Alaska | $90,000 |
| Valley Charities, Inc. | 2022 Mat-Su Virtual Reentry Summit | $10,000 |
| Alaska Public Health Association | Alaska Health Summit | $2,500 |
| Child Care Connection Inc. dba thread | A Summit on the Economic Impact of Early Care and Learning in Alaska: Taking Big Strides for Child Care | $2,500 |
| Peer Power of Alaska | Peer Power Capacity Building Project | $11,100 |
| Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association | Alaska’s Adolescent Mental Health Continuum | $95,000 |
| University of Alaska Anchorage College of Health | Service Utilization & Cost of Care for Persons with Mental Illness & Addiction Disorders | $39,375 |
| City of Selawik | Atauchikun -Emergency Shelter and Wellness | $50,000 |
| Alaska Municipal League | Annual Local Government Conference | $2,500 |
| Alaska Brain Injury Consortium | The Alaska Brain Bus | $50,000 |
| Alaska Division of Public Health, Section of Women’s Children’s Family Health | Facilitated Attuned Interactions (FAN) training for home visitors | $30,000 |
| Association of Alaska School Boards | Youth Leadership Institute | $2,500 |
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