New youth mental health facility opening in Fairbanks

Wed, July 23, 2008 
Posted in Alaska News

A new youth mental health facility opens next month in Fairbanks. The Boys and Girls Home of Alaska will provide residential treatment, previously only available in-state on a limited basis in Anchorage. The 120-bed facility is the product of a partnership between Iowa-based Boys and Girls Home, and Family Centered Services of Fairbanks. Family Centered Services director John Regitano says the new facility will allow kids previously sent to the lower 48 for treatment to remain in Alaska.

120 people, including psychiatrists, therapists and nurses will operate the new Boys and Girls Home. The $28 million campus-like facility includes classrooms, a gym and cafeteria. Yearly operational costs, estimated at $10 to $11 million will largely be covered by Medicaid funds, money that in the past has gone to outside treatment centers.

Dan Bross, KUAC - Fairbanks

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Comments

2 Comments to “New youth mental health facility opening in Fairbanks”

  1. Dani on July 23, 2008 at 10:12 pm

    I would like more information on this. Please - North Star Hospital is a joke for a child. Does this facility have the ability to take children under 13? Is it intergrated boy/girl or seperate? Who are the doctors attending? Is there a waiting list? Will children from the lower 48 come back home?

  2. John Proffitt on July 24, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    Dani - I’ll pass your questions on to the original reporter to see if he has answers.

    I do know that Alaska Children’s Services, in Anchorage, takes very young children into their programs, including on-site residential treatment programs. I think they go as low as 7 years old, maybe 6 — but check with them to be sure.

    When kids are sent out of state for treatment it’s usually due to lack of space in facilities in Alaska or because the child has a special condition that can’t be handled in Alaska. The opening of a Fairbanks facility means more beds are available in Alaska, which alleviates some of the pressure and will keep some kids in state. But if the child’s conditions are still too acute or too unusual, they’ll still head to the lower 48 for treatment.

    You can find out more Alaska Children’s Services online here:

    http://www.acs.ak.org/

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