Vision
The vision for the Healthy Minds area of focus is that all Mat-Su residents have access to a complete and effective behavioral health continuum of care. This focus area was developed after the completion of a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2013. All five of the top health goals articulated by the community during the CHNA process were specifically related to behavioral health, leading the foundation to commission a Behavioral Health Environmental Scan (BHES), which resulted in three separate reports. The project was designed to learn what is working in the Mat-Su behavioral health system and what can be improved. MSHF staff are now working with community-based behavioral health providers, Alaska State Division of Behavioral Health, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and other partners to implement the recommendations that came from the BHES series of reports.
To learn more about the Healthy Minds focus area, please contact Program Officer Ray Michaelson via email at rmichaelson@healthymatsu.org or by phone at (907) 352-2864.
Systems Work
High Utilizer Mat-Su Program
High Utilizer Mat-Su (HUMS) is a care coordination program created in 2018 to decrease Emergency Department (ED) utilization by channeling clients to appropriate outpatient care, including addressing their social needs like housing, economic security, transportation, etc. Enrollment is voluntary. HUMS has led to a decrease in ED utilization of 53.9% among those who have been in the program two years or longer and a decrease of 36.1% among total participants. This has resulted in cost savings of $7,251,590 for participants who visited the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center ED. HUMS is managed by LINKS/ADRC and funded by the Mat-Su Health Foundation.
Mat-Su Multi-Disciplinary Team
Ten local professionals gather monthly to discuss solutions to complex health problems experienced by Mat-Su residents who repeatedly use the emergency department for their non-emergent health care needs. The Mat-Su Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) comprises members representing the local emergency system (EMS), the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center emergency department and the Palmer Therapeutic Court, as well as case managers, information and referral agencies, and local health clinics.
CIT Training Academy
In partnership with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, MSHF sponsored the first Mat-Su Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training academy in 2017. The academy brings together law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, and those who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families and other advocates. First responders are trained on how to understand common signs and symptoms of mental illness and co-occurring disorders; recognize when those signs and symptoms represent a crisis situation; safely de-escalate individuals experiencing behavioral health crisis; and utilize community resources and diversion strategies to provide assistance.
Crisis Now
MSHF is working with partners, including Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, to implement the Crisis Now system in the Mat-Su. Crisis Now gives law enforcement and first responders an appropriate option for people in crisis to receive short-term mental health treatment quickly, keeping them out of jails and emergency rooms, and better serving the needs of both the person in crisis and the first responders dispatched to help them. This collaborative “no wrong door” approach will expand the number of facilities that can conduct a 72-hour evaluation, add a new, less restrictive level of care; and lead to faster, more appropriate response to crisis events.
MSRMC Behavioral Health Wing
In 2017, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center applied for and was approved a Certificate of Need through the State of Alaska to add an in-patient behavioral health wing providing adult psychiatric and substance abuse services. The Mat-Su Health Foundation is part-owner of the hospital and fully supported this expansion.
Recover Alaska
MSHF sponsors and participates in Recover Alaska, a partnership of organizations and individuals dedicated to reducing the harm associated with alcohol abuse, as well as connecting those in need with information to get help. Their vision is that Alaskans live free from the consequences of alcohol abuse, so we are empowered to achieve our full potential.