Objective B: Increase the number of housing alternatives (including group homes, supervised apartments and 24 hour structured housing) for the mentally ill who are leaving correctional facilities.

Discussion

People released from Department of Corrections facilities have limited housing options, often being released to the streets or homeless shelters, without supervision or structure to their days. This contributes to relapse, re-offense, decompensation and re-incarceration. The ability of the Department of Corrections to impose conditional early release is limited by the housing available. Twenty-four hour supervision is critical to making a successful transition to the community for some of these severely mentally ill individuals.

Actions

335. Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities staff will work with their grantees, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to identify community needs, develop alternatives to meet those needs, and explore federal grants with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation participation.
Responsible party: Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities