03/18/2013 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
      SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                    
                         March 18, 2013                                                                                         
                           1:37 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bert Stedman, Chair                                                                                                     
Senator Peter Micciche, Vice Chair                                                                                              
Senator Pete Kelly                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kevin Meyer                                                                                                             
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CONFIRMATION HEARING                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority Board of Trustees                                                                 
     Russell Webb                                                                                                               
     Paula Easley                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     - CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No previous action to record                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
RUSSELL WEBB, Appointee                                                                                                         
Alaska Mental Health Trust (AMHTA)                                                                                              
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information related to his                                                                      
qualifications to be considered for the Alaska Mental Health                                                                    
Trust Authority Board of Trustees.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PAULA EASLEY, Appointee                                                                                                         
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA)                                                                                    
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information related to her                                                                      
qualifications to be considered for the Alaska Mental Health                                                                    
Trust Authority Board of Trustees.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:37:35 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BERT  STEDMAN called the  Senate Health and  Social Services                                                            
Standing Committee  meeting to order  at 1:37 p.m. Present  at the                                                              
call  to  order  were  Senators   Kelly  and  Micciche  and  Chair                                                              
Stedman.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
^CONFIRMATION  HEARING:  Alaska   Mental  Health  Trust  Authority                                                          
Board of Trustees                                                                                                           
 CONFIRMATION HEARING: Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority Board                                                           
                          of Trustees                                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
1:38:02 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEDMAN announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                              
Confirmation   Hearings  for  the   Alaska  Mental   Health  Trust                                                              
Authority Board of Trustees.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:39:28 PM                                                                                                                    
RUSSELL  WEBB, Appointee,  Alaska  Mental  Health Trust  Authority                                                              
(AMHTA), related  that he  has worked in  government for  about 35                                                              
years  in  the  Departments  of Health  and  Social  Services  and                                                              
Corrections. Thirty  of those years  were in Alaska.  He described                                                              
his  work  history,  including being  a  child  protection  social                                                              
worker and  an adult  and juvenile probation  officer. He  said he                                                              
also  served  as the  Deputy  Commissioner  of Health  and  Social                                                              
Services.  He   noted  he  has   worked  with  AMHTA   in  various                                                              
capacities, including  as program  officer, since its  beginnings.                                                              
He  said   he  has  worked   directly  with  Trust   beneficiaries                                                              
providing services and in planning and management programs.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Webb  said he  has a  personal interest  in understanding  the                                                              
needs and  issues faced by Trust  beneficiaries, as the  father of                                                              
a child with  developmental disabilities, as a family  member of a                                                              
person suffering  with mental illness and alcoholism,  and now, in                                                              
assisting an elderly parent.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Webb  shared that  he has  previously served  on three  of the                                                              
four  advisory boards  that assist  AMHTA,  the executive  branch,                                                              
and  the legislature  in  learning  about  issues faced  by  Trust                                                              
beneficiaries. He  said his service  as an AMHTA trustee  the last                                                              
two years  has helped him a  great deal with the  understanding of                                                              
programs, services,  and the budget, as  well as the rules  of the                                                              
AMHTA.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Webb  concluded that he  wants to use  his time  in retirement                                                              
to give  back in some  way to the  state of  Alaska in an  area of                                                              
personal knowledge.  He said he is committed to  helping the Trust                                                              
develop its  resources and  to working  with the executive  branch                                                              
and the legislature to target funds to best help beneficiaries.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:43:43 PM                                                                                                                    
PAULA  EASLEY, Appointee,  Alaska  Mental  Health Trust  Authority                                                              
(AMHTA),  noted her  nomination is  a reappointment  to the  Trust                                                              
after  having served  for seven  years. She spoke  of her  concern                                                              
and dedication  to improving behavioral  health services  in rural                                                              
Alaska where she  has lived since 1962. She said  she is targeting                                                              
the  improvement of  access  in hub  communities  and delivery  of                                                              
programs to rural areas.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
She noted  as a member  of AMHTA's  Executive Committee  and chair                                                              
of  the Planning  Committee, she  has done  extensive research  to                                                              
find out which programs  are working best, and has  focused on how                                                              
to improve  delivery of those  programs throughout the  state. She                                                              
stated  that  the planning  process  has  resulted in  a  thorough                                                              
examination of existing  focus areas and she is  currently looking                                                              
at tapering  down activities  in  focus areas  and looking  at new                                                              
areas.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. EASLEY  said resource development  is a new area  of interest.                                                              
In order  to help people in  rural Alaska support  themselves, new                                                              
wealth  must be created.  She said  Alaska does  not receive  much                                                              
federal funding for resource development.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
She highlighted a  serious concern for AMHTA -  the growing senior                                                              
population  and  lack of  affordable  housing.  She said  lack  of                                                              
senior housing is a major focus for AMHTA.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MICCICHE  moved to forward  the governor's  appointees to                                                              
the Alaska  Mental Health Trust  Authority Board of  Trustees, Mr.                                                              
Russell Webb,  and Ms.  Paula Easley,  to a  joint session  of the                                                              
legislature for  consideration. There  being no objection,  it was                                                              
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEDMAN announced  that the names would be  forwarded to the                                                              
joint session of the legislature for consideration.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:49:04 PM                                                                                                                    
There  being no  further business  to come  before the  committee,                                                              
Chair  Stedman adjourned  the Senate  Health  and Social  Services                                                              
Standing Committee at 1:49 p.m.