Alaska Intermediate Care Initiative

The State of Alaska, Department of Health and Social Service (DHSS), and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (The Trust) contracted with WICHE to perform an issues analysis, options brief, and strategic planning report to assist DHSS in developing and understanding the options available to meet the needs of persons who are now being placed out-of-state or are at risk for out-of-state placement due to severe maladaptive behaviors that pose an extreme risk of severe self injurious harm or assaultive behaviors and the lack of Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded (ICF-MR) resources in Alaska. The targeted cohort of individuals were Trust beneficiaries (persons with a developmental disability, mental illness, Alzheimer’s, dementia or other cognitive impairments or chronic alcoholics with psychosis) who experience one or a combination of disorders.
 

WICHE Research & Technical staff examined the literature, available data and reports from Alaska and other states, and conducted key informant interviews as a means to clearly articulate the issue for Alaska and potential solutions. This included an examination of models from other states where cost effective alternatives to ICF-MR have been successfully employed. Additionally, WICHE examined and reported upon Medicaid options used effectively by states to fund services for the target population. WICHE also worked with DHSS and The Trust to establish a Work Group on Intermediate Care options and facilitated routine conference calls and participated in on-site planning meetings in Anchorage, AK with the Department, work group, and its key stakeholders. For one of these on-site meetings WICHE assembled a panel of recognized content experts to exchange information with participants to inform in the planning process.