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Bring the Kids Home is a partnership between the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, the Department of Health and Social Services, the State planning boards, Families, Youth, Providers, Tribes, and other Stakeholders.

Three primary goals guide the initiative:

  1. Significantly reduce the numbers of children and youth in out-of-state care and ensure that the future use of out-of-state facilities is kept to a minimum.
  2. Build the capacity within Alaska to serve children with all intensities of need.
  3. Develop an integrated, seamless system that will serve children in the most culturally competent, least restrictive setting, and as close to home as possible.

Guiding Principles

  • Kids belong in their homes (least restrictive, most appropriate setting, community based).
  • Strengthen families first (strength based, preventative)
  • Families and youth are equal partners (family driven, youth driven).
  • Respect individual, family and community values (culturally competent, individualized care, community-specific solutions).
  • Normalize the situation (meet the child where they are, respect normal life cycles, promote normal and healthy development).
  • Help is accessible (coordinated and collaborative).
  • Consumers are satisfied and collaborative meaningful outcomes are achieved (emphasis on research, evidence, quality improvement, accountability).

History:

From 1998 to 2004, Alaska’s behavioral health system became increasingly reliant on Residential Psychiatric Treatment Centers (Residential Psychiatric Treatment Centers) for treatment of severely emotionally disturbed youth. Out-of-state placements grew by nearly 800 percent. Alaska Native children were over-represented: 49 percent of children in state custody and 22 percent of non-custody children in out-of-state placements were Alaska Native.

BTKH Progress:

As a result of collaboration, planning, capacity development, management and policy shifts, and the investment of new resources, BTKH has been extremely successful. Fewer children are leaving Alaska for residential psychiatric treatment centers, Medicaid expenditures have decreased, and recidivism to RPTC has dramatically declined.