A Public Forum was held on Dec, 9 - 10, 1998, at the Egan Center in Anchorage in order to discuss the API 2000 Project. The attendants were the public, consumers, mental health care providers and people from the Alaska Mental Trust Authority, the Alaska Mental Health Board and the Division of the State Mental Health.
The goal is to shift emergency services from API to community mental health providers. The federal funding will begin to decrease in 2001, and the Community and API 2000 can take advantage of third-party revenues of all private services, while reducing non-reimbursable services provided at API. Also, mental health patients respond much better in small private service centers instead of a State institution.
The discussion of the three different building options for API:
1 - Reconstruction on Existing Land (Architecture's drawing
)
Comments from the public and consumers were that it would be too expensive,
and isolated and, looks like senior housing.
2 - Purchase of Charter Hospital is too expensive and it is
not a total hospital.
3 - Partnership with Providence hospital
This is ideal from the point of view of consumers who like to go to the integrated hospital and be treated like human being
in stead of things in a warehouse. But, this is not a possible option for now for reasons we do not know.
This meeting was hosted by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority,
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, and the Alaska Mental
Health Board. For more information contact 269 -7960.
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