The U.S. Department of Justice released the results of its investigation into Alaska’s lack of mental health services. Because there were no other options, youth in Alaska were subject to unnecessary and prolonged institutionalization in locked facilities.
Michelle Theriault Boots, an investigative reporter at Anchorage Daily News, wrote about the DOJ report.
Listen:
This transcript has been lightly edited to improve clarity.
Lori Townsend : Department of Justice Investigators went to Alaska twice. They visited facilities and interviewed staff, families, and children. What did they discover?
Michelle Theriault boots: The report describes how investigators found a lot of teenagers and children in residential treatment centers like North Star, who were living far from their families and communities. The reason is that the community in Alaska doesn’t provide enough support for the mental health and psychiatric issues they require.
Lori Townsend. Michelle. You’ve written about the problems at Anchorage’s North Star mental hospital and children being sent to other states. Please give us context about when and how you began reporting on the child abuse crisis.
Michelle Theriault Boots For many years, if not decades, Alaska has not had a layer of care that provides mental health services for children with mental illness. For a long time, children who have displayed unusual behavior or are in a mental crisis were sent to facilities out of state for treatment. North Star Hospital at the hospital level is the only facility that can care for children 12 years old and younger in Alaska. The Alaska Psychiatric Institute has a very small number of beds. There is very, very little in the rest of the state and beyond that. The problem in Alaska has been that any child who is experiencing any kind of problem is automatically sent to a high-level locked mental hospital. This is a very bad thing for many kids. It takes away their home, school, family, tribe, and can even keep them locked up for months or years.
Lori Townsend Yes. There are some very serious examples in the DOJ report. A 12-year-old girl from Bethel was acting aggressively towards her younger siblings and felt sad. She was sent to North Star, where she has remained for most of her four-year tenure. According to the report, she is more comfortable with institutionalized life than at home. This is a horrible statement. This sounds like a multi-level disaster. What are the alternatives to this lockup?
Michelle Theriault Boots Many of the children who end up in these institutions, both in Alaska and elsewhere, are in foster care. They are in the care of the state. It’s usually the state Office of Children’s Services who places them in North Star and other institutions. There are therapeutic foster homes that can be used to house children. They can be run by trained foster parents who have the special knowledge and training to help traumatized kids. If a child is in crisis and their parent is afraid or doesn’t want them to be there, then a crisis team could come in and hold the child for a day, two days, or three days. It’s not something that will last. It is enough to stabilize the child. The child can then go home.
Lori Townsend The state admitted that it is cheaper to treat children and keep them close to their families than to send them away to psychiatric centers. How did they react to the Department of Justice findings overall?
Michelle Theriault boots: It’s quite interesting. I asked for a reply and received three responses. The Department of Law responded to me, and they indicated that they were reviewing the matter and would like to collaborate with the DOJ. They also said that although we might not agree with all the findings, I could get responses from the Department of Health and Department of Family Services. They both replied, “We are willing and able to work on it, we are willing for the DOJ to assist us in moving in this direction.” I believe there is an acknowledgement that, yes, no one wants children to be kept in institutions. This must work. It’s not about how to do it on a large scale. What is the best way to provide the care your children need, no matter where they may be?
Lori Townsend Michelle just released this report. Have you spoken with your families about the effects of these separations?
Michelle Theriault Boots I have spoken to many families as well as the children themselves and it is devastating. There are many children who feel they need help from an institution and it was beneficial for them. Many others feel that they were forgotten and locked up, and that they didn’t receive the help that they needed. It can be very scary for parents to watch their child go behind closed doors without having access to them. This is often perceived by parents as the only way to help. We’re talking about children who, for the most parts, are teenagers or younger. In Alaska and Outside, children as young as five and six years old are admitted to institutions.
Lori Townsend Michelle: The Justice Department made recommendations to the state that they have the resources to use expanded Medicaid funds and grants from federal and state sources, as well as income from Alaska Mental Health Trust, to help children before they are sent off. This guidance has been followed by the state.
Michelle Theriault Boots In 2019, Alaska received a Medicaid waiver expansion. This basically covered a new range of services. That’s a great thing. It was also a step forward. However, this report shows that it has not reached its full potential. These services have been used by a small percentage of Alaska’s children, sometimes in the dozens. The DOJ says that Alaska has had the opportunity but has not yet fully implemented it.
Lori Townsend : Michelle – Thank you so much for coming in to clarify this very important issue for Alaskans via your reporting.
MTB Lori, I am grateful for your time. We are grateful.
