Project Lead:
Maniilaq Association | Tim Gilbert, President and CEO | (907) 442-3311 | tim.gilbert@maniilaq.org
Funding Needed: $2,700,000
Overview/History:
NWALT aims to ensure residents of the Northwest Arctic have access to services necessary to live a safe and healthy life. Our region currently lacks a facility to stabilize people experiencing a mental health crisis or extreme intoxication. While psychiatric hospitalization outside our region is necessary in some cases, many of recipients of crisis stabilization and sobering services could be stabilized here, in region, with the introduction of short-term crisis stabilization or hospital diversion. Maniilaq seeks $750,000 to purchase modular units to build a 24/7 crisis stabilization center on an existing Maniilaq-owned lot, along with $1,950,000 to pay staffing costs for the first year of operations and 50% of the second year.
At this facility, Maniilaq Behavioral Health will provide immediate sobering capabilities to intoxicated individuals, stabilize individuals in mental and behavioral health crisis, and provide transitional residential care to individuals that need anything from a couple hours of care to several days of stabilization. These services can be financially sustainable through newly developed 1115 Behavioral Health Medicaid waiver billable services, all of which the state can claim 100% federal funding through Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP). This project has garnered high interest from the state, the Alaska Mental Health Trust, and our community partners.