Legislature(2009 - 2010)HOUSE FINANCE 519
02/04/2010 09:00 AM House FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB300 || HB302 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 300 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 302 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 300
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government, for certain
programs, and to capitalize funds; making supplemental
appropriations; making appropriations under art. IX,
sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State of Alaska; and
providing for an effective date."
HOUSE BILL NO. 302
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
9:10:39 AM
ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH TRUST AUTHORITY
DR. WILLIAM DOOLITTLE, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ALASKA
MENTAL HEALTH TRUST AUTHORITY, introduced the Alaska Mental
Health Trust Authority (AMHTA) staff members present in the
room.
9:12:35 AM
Representative Kelly commented on the excellent credentials
of Dr. Doolittle.
Co-Chair Stoltze thought that the AMHTA Board was very
professional and he voiced appreciation for them.
Co-Chair Hawker shared similar sentiments.
JEFF JESSEE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH
TRUST AUTHORITY, admitted that the AMHTA staff was
impressive and high performing. He turned to a handout
entitled, "House Finance Committee FY 2011 Budget". He
began with slide 2, listing the Trust beneficiaries.
Mr. Jessee listed the Trust advisors as shown on slide 3.
He discussed the Trust funding - slide 4. He emphasized the
cooperation between, and alignment with, state agencies. He
referred to the annual report, which is included in the
members' packets. He referred to page 8, which shows how
the Trust has fared in weathering the economic storm.
Mr. Jessee clarified, at Co-Chair Hawker's request, the
Trust's involvement with the Permanent Fund. The Trust's
cash funds are invested by the Permanent Fund Corporation.
The Trust's funding for 2010 is only about 10 percent less
than it previously was in 2008. It is predicted to be flat
in 2011. It is one of the most resilient foundation funds
in the country.
9:19:56 AM
Mr. Jessee described joint FY 2011 legislative priorities -
slide 5. He reported a plan to increase the adult dental
Medicaid reimbursement cap and to establish a regular and
periodic schedule of rate reviews for home and community-
based services. Other priorities are to support a 10-year
plan to reduce homelessness, and to fund a community-
coordinated transportation system.
Co-Chair Stoltze shared his experience with AMHTA in his
district, such as the partnership with the Boys' and Girls'
Club. Mr. Jessee related AMHTA's attempt to work with
partnerships.
9:24:47 AM
Mr. Jessee identified AMHTA's formula for success - slide
6. It involves identifying the problem, bringing experts to
the table, and developing focused strategies. The entire
effort must be monitored and data driven.
9:26:48 AM
Representative Kelly asked whether churches are involved in
collaboration with AMHTA. Mr. Jessee spoke of Faith-Based
Initiatives such as the Salvation Army and the Covenant
House currently in the system. He agreed that more could be
done to approach religious organizations for help. Co-Chair
Hawker suggested Mr. Jessee add churches to the list of
collaborators. Mr. Jessee agreed that was a good idea and
stressed that AMHTA could use the help. He was open to all
offers.
9:29:54 AM
Mr. Jessee described the five program focus areas - slide
7. There are two objectives; one is to give the committee a
general idea of what is to be accomplished and the other is
related to budget recommendations.
Mr. Jessee shared information about Bring the Kids Home
program - slide 8. He referred to a flyer included in the
members packet entitled, "Alaska Continues to Bring the
Kids Home" (copy on file). He noted an opportunity for more
people to be involved.
9:32:22 AM
Co-Chair Hawker noted the irony that a meeting was to be
held at a church.
Co-Chair Stoltze asked if there was a long-term plan for
the Eklutna facility. Mr. Jessee related that one of the
cornerstones of Bring the Kids Home (BTKH) is to keep the
children in their Native communities. There is 100 percent
Medicaid reimbursement for BTKH. The original plan was to
build cottages in Eklutna; however, it was deemed not
practical and not cost effective. The decision was made to
redesign the building and put it on the Native Medical
Center campus. The project has been cancelled due to the
cost projected by South Central Foundation. The state could
not guarantee it could meet those costs.
9:37:19 AM
Co-Chair Stoltze expressed his disappointment.
Mr. Jessee returned to the discussion of BTKH, which was
started in FY 06. He termed it one of the most successful
initiatives the Trust has undertaken. He shared statistics
about attendance and cost. It was felt that in-state
services would save money and that has turned out to be
true. Slide 9 shows projected BTKH reinvestment. He
projected a phase-out of BTKH by 2013 if "the game plan" is
maintained. He stressed the importance of the investment.
9:41:12 AM
Mr. Jessee shared results for beneficiaries - slide 10. The
Residential Psychiatric Treatment Center (RPTC) recidivism
rate has gone from 20 percent to 3.4 percent. Returning
youth home and ensuring quality were successful goals.
Representative Austerman requested more information about
waning support for community-based issues. Mr. Jessee said
the next slide held that information. He continued to
explain the reasons behind the successes of BTKH. The Trust
invested hundreds of thousands of non-Medicaid dollars
originally for individualized services. The idea was not
popular, but turned out to be very successful. Less than 1
percent of kids who have received individualized services
funds have ended up in higher level RPTC care. He shared
examples of the kinds of services provided.
9:44:49 AM
Mr. Jessee turned to the FY 2011 budget - slide 11. The
Trust continues to provide support for BTKH. He described
the differences between what the Trust recommended and the
governor's budget. He mentioned the challenges and the need
to be successful in funding.
Co-Chair Hawker asked if General Fund/Mental Health funds
are incremental. Mr. Jessee said they were incremental. He
added that it is the Trust's view that it means reinvesting
the dollars saved that would go to out-of-state placement.
Co-Chair Hawker concluded that no ground was lost from
previous investments. Mr. Jessee said that was correct.
9:46:43 AM
Representative Salmon asked what the tribal/rural system
development funding was. Mr. Jessee replied that it
consists of giving seed money to tribal health
organizations so that they can start to plan their system
of care.
Representative Doogan asked why the differences in the two
columns were there. Mr. Jessee said it was due to financial
constraints, not a philosophical difference.
Representative Kelly pointed out that some requests require
continued funding. He approved of the funding mechanism of
AMHTA. The presentation helps to understand excellence and
the need to support it.
9:50:17 AM
Mr. Jessee added another metaphor.
Co-Chair Hawker agreed with Representative Kelly. Several
years ago the Trust was too far ahead and now it is back on
track.
9:51:40 AM
Representative Gara spoke of agency pressure on
legislators. He appreciated the methodology of AMHTA. He
wondered about the cost of the Behavior Rehabilitation
Services (BRS) rate increase, the early childhood mental
health increase, foster parent/parent services, and peer
navigation. He wondered about the impacts of not fully
funding those items.
Mr. Jessee explained the BRS service, which are group homes
that OCS operates. The quality of care or overall capacity
will decline if not fully funded; however, there would not
be dire consequences in 2011. There will be pressure over
time to maintain quality services with costs increasing.
Mr. Jessee spoke of foster parent service as not as high of
a priority. Peer navigation will be an important item down
the road. It involves parents and kids mentoring others.
Early childhood mental health is new, but important as a
prevention tool. It receives some Trust money.
9:57:35 AM
Representative Gara asked if peer navigation and early
childhood mental health funds go to actual services. Mr.
Jessee responded that peer navigation funds do not, but
early childhood funds do.
Co-Chair Stoltze spoke of natural resources assets and the
public concern about environmental issues outweighing human
needs. He emphasized the importance of developing resources
in order to achieve goals. Mr. Jessee spoke of a plan to
exchange Trust lands. He maintained that there is more than
one way to accommodate different interests and achieve a
goal. The Trust is developing other ways to grow the Trust.
AT EASE 10:02:37 AM
RECONVENED 10:04:16 AM
Representative Kelly concurred with Co-Chair Stoltze.
Vice-Chair Thomas did not agree with taking public lands in
exchange for wilderness lands. He noted he represents
Prince of Wales land and would like to see jobs created on
timber lands. He suggested maximizing Trust land use.
Vice-Chair Thomas asked if the Mental Health General Funds
increments are one-time requests. Mr. Jessee said they
would go into the base. Vice-Chair Thomas thought the total
of that column was about $3.8 million.
10:07:20 AM
Mr. Jessee turned to slide 12 - disability justice. He
spoke of the difficulties and strategies of dealing with
incarcerated beneficiaries. Co-Chair Hawker restated the
problem of working with the inmates and wondered how many
have addiction problems. Mr. Jessee replied that a very
large percentage have addiction problems. Co-Chair Hawker
opined that it would be difficult to address the substance
abuse issue. Mr. Jessee agreed that it is a large problem.
Co-Chair Hawker suggested addressing substance abuse
prevention objectives. Mr. Jessee shared the two main
themes related to incarceration; housing and addiction.
10:10:12 AM
Mr. Jessee discussed the strategic thinking between
cooperating entities - slide 13. He returned to slide 12 to
make a point about limited housing options.
Co-Chair Hawker asked for further information about item 3
on slide 13 - reducing the use of jails as described under
Title 47. He asked what was needed to protect people from
themselves.
Mr. Jessee mentioned there were three issues related to
Title 47. One is mental health commitments. The state of
Alaska has requirements if a person is a danger to
themselves or to the community. Another Title 47 commitment
is the alcohol commitment, which entails a different
process. The care and custody in that instance is a
provider or organization. The big resistance to that
commitment example is that the state is obligated to
provide the services and many end up filling up jails in
the case of alcohol holds.
Co-Chair Hawker inquired what the unduplicated count was.
10:15:49 AM
Mr. Jesse remarked that the unduplicated count may be very
high, but may be just "one-time".
Co-Chair Hawker mentioned the success of Senator Ellis'
pilot project.
Co-Chair Stoltze remarked on the "thousands" number. He
wondered if it referred to a number of people or to
occurrences.
Mr. Jesse remarked that it is both. There are thousands on
hold and many come in duplicate times. In Anchorage and
Fairbanks, the facilities can identify those who come in
multiple times. This requires one kind of strategy. In some
areas it might be people coming in for the first time.
10:18:45 AM
Representative Kelly was watching carefully the Cliff Row
program. He believed that the holds are too short for
mental health and alcohol and something needs to be done to
provide longer help. The Cliff Row center effort sends a
strong message for mandatory holds. He blamed the liberal
lawyers for not letting the community help those people.
10:22:36 AM
Co-Chair Hawker shared Representative Kelly's passion.
Mr. Jessee spoke of frustrations about lack of long-term
treatment facilities. He spoke of a pledge to get
residential beds in place. Representative Kelly referred to
slide 10 and the importance of showing results from
programs. He was willing to provide more funding for
programs that work.
Dr. Doolittle addressed the issue of alcoholism and the
need to emphasize the alcoholic's inability to make
reasonable decisions.
Representative Gara recalled the history of support for
substance abuse treatment services. He did not know where
the needs were currently for treatment beds. Mr. Jessee
replied that the Trust is nowhere near where they need to
be. The need is not more prominent in the budget
recommendations because it is a huge problem and it would
take more of a focused effort by more than the Trust. He
reported on the staggering costs to the state from
substance abuse. It will require a partnership to solve the
problem.
10:28:42 AM
Representative Gara emphasized that he is serious about
finding a solution. He requested more information in order
to advocate. He thought it was insane that there is a
waiting list at the heroin treatment facility. He wanted to
know the gap between what is being done and what should be
done. Mr. Jessee offered to work on the issue.
Co-Chair Hawker recalled the history of BTKH, the pace of
investment, and outcomes. That mission was accomplished.
The legislature put critical resources into developmental
disability resources. He maintained that critical
priorities were determined and funded. He saw that the
topic may now be chemical addiction and noted that the
legislature is willing to help.
10:33:40 AM
Representative Doogan inquired how many Alaskan's would
have to be "dried out" to end the problem and how
successful might that be. Mr. Jessee shared statistics
about who needed treatment: ages 12-17 - 1000; adults 18
and older - 20,000. The question is how many can be helped.
He suggested a focused effort with partnerships involved.
He added that sexual assault and domestic violence are
directly related. He held those examples out as a place to
start.
Representative Doogan suggested if the number of alcohol
abusers could be cut in half, a certain amount of the
budget could be eliminated. He was looking for a reasonable
goal. Mr. Jessee reported that a target is needed. He did
not think that looking at the large numbers would work, but
rather a specific goal should be identified.
10:39:42 AM
Representative Doogan thought that more of the budget
should be spent on a definite path. He wanted to have a
direction to proceed.
Co-Chair Hawker had a hard time with the statistics Mr.
Jessee provided. He thought alcohol was involved in crimes
committed 90 percent of the time. Mr. Jessee agreed. He
commented that it is hard to describe the road when you
don't know where you want to go.
10:43:14 AM
Representative Kelly spoke of his experience on the
Corrections Subcommittee. He reported 60 percent recidivism
in prisoners, and 92 percent are incarcerated as a result
of chemical abuse issues. He believed that jobs were the
answer. He suggested spending money on programs that are
successful.
Vice-Chair Thomas spoke of domestic violence and sexual
assault being related to jobs. He opined that jobs are lost
during land exchanges. He suggested developing mines.
10:49:38 AM
Representative Salmon related that he comes from a small
village that has a high alcoholism rate, and he believed
that lack of jobs is a factor. He suggested that
rehabilitation is successful only if the person wants help.
He also thought self-worth was very important.
Dr. Doolittle thought the Trust was sensitive to jobs being
important for rehabilitation. Housing programs incorporate
a job element into the programs. He agreed that there is an
emotional element, but sometimes it is not known what will
work to turn addiction around. He said it is a problem that
needs to be solved.
10:56:29 AM
Co-Chair Hawker wished to hear the remainder of the
presentation at 1:30.
Representative Kelly mentioned that committee members value
this information.
10:59:44 AM RECESSED
1:44:18 PM RECONVENED
Co-Chair Hawker reconvened the overview with the Mental
Health Trust Authority.
1:46:59 PM
Mr. Jessee continued with the disability justice area. It
breaks down into 3 phrases: keep the beneficiaries out of
the correctional system, determine what to do when they are
in correctional facilities, and what can be done to prevent
them from coming back into the correctional system.
Mr. Jessee referred to slide 14 - Therapeutic Courts. He
pointed out that therapeutic courts are very effective at
keeping people from entering the criminal justice system.
He shared a story. He encouraged people to attend
therapeutic court sessions. The court supervises people
throughout the entire program, not just when sentenced. The
program works better as a positive experience when people
recognize their achievements.
1:50:46 PM
Representative Gara suggested that money needs to be spent
where it is actually doing some good. He asked if it was
true that therapeutic courts would be more effective if
there were more treatment services available.
Mr. Jessee agreed that it was true. More money for
substance abuse services would help therapeutic courts.
Money is now being given to the courts to help fund this
treatment goal. Therapeutic courts should not be the place
someone needs to go for treatment. There needs to be more
money and help before a crime is committed.
Representative Gara asked if the proposed money in the
budget is sufficient. Mr. Jessee believed it sufficient for
FY 2011.
1:54:01 PM
Mr. Jessee referred to the Adult Guardianship Mediation
project as a way to get people out of the Superior Court
System through mediation.
Mr. Jessee showed on slide 15 what was ahead for FY 2011.
Trust assets will be used for training programs for
criminal justice personnel, to sustain and expand
therapeutic models and practices, for transitional planning
for beneficiaries, and to develop alternatives to
incarceration for beneficiaries who require protective
custody.
Representative Kelly asked if there were also state funds
allocated for therapeutic courts.
Mr. Jessee replied that the next page would show that
information. There is base funding for the
Anchorage Mental Health Court.
Co-Chair Hawker inquired if slide 15 shows proposed
incremental funding for FY 2011. Mr. Jessee replied that
slide 15 shows FY 2011 Trust funded elements. Co-Chair
Hawker asked if it is new money. Mr. Jessee explained that
some of it is a continuation of FY 2009 funds.
Co-Chair Hawker remarked that some is for maintenance and
some is new money. He wondered which state agency
administers the funds. Mr. Jessee explained that a lot is
managed through the Department of Corrections, the
Department of Health and Social Services, and the Alaska
Court System.
Co-Chair Hawker commented that it seems like the funding
crosses state agency lines. He suggested that it would be
good to have all allocations for therapeutic courts under a
central administration.
1:59:27 PM
Mr. Jessee agreed with that. To be successful with the
initiative, many different agencies need to be brought
together, so a point person would be helpful. Program
officers have fulfilled that role and the court system has
done a good job implementing the court regime.
Mr. Jessee moved to slide 16, which shows some of the GF/MH
requests: sustain and expand therapeutic models and
practices, transitional planning for beneficiaries involved
with the criminal justice system, and develop alternatives
to incarceration for beneficiaries who require protective
custody. Services need to be added to the budget to stop
recidivism.
Mr. Jessee brought up the Bethel Project as an example of
how to develop alternatives to incarcerations under Title
47. He hoped to get this fully funded. The goal is to get
people out of jail and out of the emergency room. The
Bethel Project is a high priority.
2:03:14 PM
Representative Salmon questioned the difference in success
rate between regular courts and therapeutic courts. Mr.
Jessee replied that therapeutic courts are far more
successful. He offered to provide the data.
2:04:11 PM
Mr. Jessee continued to slide 17 - Workforce Development.
He noted the difficulty in getting and retaining health
care staff. There are more than 20 partners working in the
workforce area. He focused on the strategic thinking and
the key focus areas in workforce development. Often
supervision and support are key to job retention.
Mr. Jessee referred to results for beneficiaries on page
18. He listed training throughout Alaska of professionals,
students and participants. The goal is to help people
progress through professions, so more than entry level jobs
are offered.
2:07:20 PM
Mr. Jessee moved to slide 19, looking ahead to FY 2011. One
of the goals is to begin a psychiatric residency program.
He talked about the need to replace those that leave the
mental health profession and to stop those that come into
the system for temporary or short-term work.
Co-Chair Hawker said he knew a person who wanted to start
residential psychiatric training. He wondered if the
program would start in 2011.
Mr. Jessee said the program is just in the awareness phase,
and will not be starting next year. He reported that he
sees tremendous support throughout the field for starting
the program. There are other providers who will be
contributing money, which will require less state funding.
Co-Chair Hawker agreed the program needs to be grounded and
awareness raised in order to make the program happen. He
felt expectations needed to be managed at a reasonable
level.
2:11:18 PM
Representative Austerman saw problems with conflicting
state and federal laws regarding mental health services.
There are people who would like to move forward, but they
are hindered by federal and state regulations.
Mr. Jessee asked if Representative Austerman was referring
to income and resource limits. Some federal programs allow
income sheltering, but it continues to be problematic.
Medicaid coverage could be lost if people earn too much
money. Some federal rules are a limiting factor.
Representative Austerman asked if there was a solution.
Mr. Jessee said there may be some aid in the public
assistance arena. The primary health insurance program is
Medicaid, which requires maintaining eligibility.
Representative Austerman commented that so many cases deal
with people who just need help with finding a job, but
their diagnosis gets in the way.
2:15:05 PM
Mr. Jessee agreed it was a frustrating situation. He said
that in order to be able to be served in the behavioral
health system in Alaska, clients need to follow many
federal rules. That applies to Medicaid services, as well
as to domestic violence and sexual assault services.
Mr. Jessee continued with slide 19 and discussed expanding
student loan repayment and other incentive strategies for
professionals, implementing a clinical PhD program in
psychological internship in Alaska, and supporting
increments of UA health programs to continue progress in
workforce development.
2:18:08 PM
Mr. Jessee talked about slide 20 regarding the Trust's
commitment in the recruitment and retention of qualified
employees, and in training and education goals.
Mr. Jessee referred to slide 21, which is about trying to
get the state to help with developing workforce capacity.
There is not much success shown in these areas in the
existing governor's budget. Without qualified people to run
them, there is no reason to fund programs.
Co-Chair Hawker remarked that many agencies talk about how
important jobs are to individuals. He wanted to know if the
right priorities were being funded. He questioned if the
focus should be on funding jobs.
Mr. Jessee believed that the majority of people who work
for mental health programs are not necessarily
beneficiaries. He clarified that the funding for job
training was for the workforce that works with
beneficiaries. He noted that there were many people in
recovery who work in the field; however, there is not a
direct relationship to the qualified workforce.
2:22:47 PM
Representative Joule asked about beneficiaries who try to
get work. He wondered if past crime history is a negative
factor. Mr. Jessee agreed it was a significant problem
because it is hard to get a job if you have committed a
crime. It becomes difficult to find employment and housing
for those who have committed a felony. Sometimes DHSS
waivers are effective.
Representative Joule noted that addiction counselors who
have overcome past addictions make a big difference to
those they serve. Mr. Jesse agreed.
2:25:34 PM
Mr. Jessee continued with slide 22 - obtaining affordable
and appropriate housing. It is a difficult problem, but has
shown some of the greatest successes. The problem is the
large numbers of homeless people in Alaska. The fastest
growing homeless population is families with children.
There are 8,000 people discharged from corrections without
any identifiable housing arrangement. He stressed the
significance of that statistic.
Co-Chair Hawker asked for help understanding that
statistic. Mr. Jessee explained that the question of
whether the 8,000 people had housing was not asked of them;
however, the expectation was that the situation is probably
not the best for long-term success. There is a need to work
with that population to find good housing so they are not
as likely to fall back into addiction or crime. Many are
showing up in shelters.
Co-Chair Hawker questioned the term "discharge planning".
2:29:26 PM
Co-Chair Hawker brought up prison demographics and noted
that 40 percent of the prison population was Alaskan
Native, and a better discharge plan was needed for that
population.
Representative Joule remarked that upon discharge, if
mandatory substance abuse programs have not been completed,
and those services are not offered at home, Alaska Natives
may be released to Anchorage where there is no family
housing.
Vice-Chair Thomas referred to the "blue ticket" which sent
discharged people to another community. Often the homeless
are ignored. He mentioned that many homeless are Vietnam
veterans who do not admit they have a problem.
Mr. Jessee listed the Trust's committed partners and
strategic thinking plans for solving housing issues. He
spoke of the "three-legged stool" of housing solutions;
support service funding, operational support, and capital
funding.
Mr. Jessee returned to the topic of frequent abusers. He
maintained that there is a simple solution: find housing
for them. This solution has proven to be effective in the
Lower 48 when other fixes didn't work. The most notable
example of success in Alaska is in Anchorage with the
purchase of a motel which would offer housing to this
population.
2:39:22 PM
Representative Kelly did not see a happy ending in this. He
was worried about the problem of providing public housing
to people who don't own it and therefore don't take care of
it. He would like to see more progress before he can
support public housing as an option. He thought that
sometimes suffering would help motivate people more than
giving them too much. He believed that poverty is a
powerful motivator.
2:42:54 PM
Mr. Jessee turned to slide 23 to look at results for
beneficiaries of the Bridge Home program. The graph shows
good results in dramatic reductions in admissions to the
Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API), in readmission to the
Department of Corrections (DOC), and a reduction in days
spent in API and in DOC. All beneficiaries are not created
equal, but results can be delivered by providing housing to
men in their 40's to 50's who are chronically addicted,
medically and intellectually compromised, and severely
damaged in many ways. Otherwise, the result is probably
death. The community will pay one way or the other if these
people are not helped.
2:45:49 PM
Co-Chair Hawker had similar concerns about providing public
housing. He did not want to create an attractive lifestyle
for addicted persons.
Representative Gara commented that the legislature must
make decisions based on the greatest need and the greatest
merit. Mr. Jessee must advocate for the most sympathetic to
the least sympathetic people. Representative Gara expressed
concern that transitional housing for the more sympathetic
will be jeopardized by the unpopularity of the
unsympathetic people. He concurred with Mr. Jessee's work
on the Housing First program.
Mr. Jessee thought it was time to try something different
for the chronic population that is not going away. Many in
Anchorage just want to cut their losses and get on with
helping this population.
2:51:24 PM
Co-Chair Hawker mentioned that some Anchorage politicians
are willing to look at this process out of desperation and
not because they support it. Mr. Jessee agreed. The
situation is viewed as a sense of desperation.
Representative Gara remarked that a lot of money spent on
something may not equal a great success. He brought up a
concern about putting this kind of housing into an
established neighborhood. Mr. Jessee asked Representative
Gara to find an acceptable place it could go.
Representative Gara countered that it should not go in a
residential area. Mr. Jessee offered to continue the
discussion later.
2:55:14 PM
Mr. Jessee turned to slide 25 showing budget
recommendations. He stressed that he was very pleased with
funding support from AHFC and OMB for the base Homeless
Assistance Program.
Mr. Jessee moved to slide 26 - Trust Beneficiary Projects
Initiative. The goal is to prove up, over time, the "value
added" of beneficiary-driven programs. He looked forward to
working toward ending domestic violence and sexual assault.
2:58:14 PM
Representative Fairclough mentioned that meetings were
being held throughout the state on domestic violence and
sexual assault, along with mental health issues. All key
players at the highest level will come together to help
bring solutions to this issue together. The governor and
other legislators will also participate. She requested help
and support from all Alaskans.
HB 300 and HB 302 were heard and HELD in Committee for
further consideration.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Trust Presentation Overview.pdf |
HFIN 2/4/2010 9:00:00 AM |