Southcentral Foundation to Expand Behavioral Health Services to Include Crisis Stabilization
By Southcentral Foundation Corporate Communications
Federal, state, and local dignitaries along with community partners joined Southcentral Foundation for the groundbreaking on a behavioral health expansion project in Anchorage. The 100,000-square-foot facility at the corner of Elmore and Tudor roads will offer 23-hour crisis stabilization, crisis residential, expanded withdrawal management, and outpatient behavioral health services to all members of the community. The new center is anticipated to be completed in early 2026.
Southcentral Foundation hosted a groundbreaking on a behavioral health expansion project in Anchorage with federal, state, and local dignitaries along with community partners.
“It’s essential that when a community member is experiencing a ‘right-now’ behavioral health crisis, that we have the right service for them,” said Southcentral Foundation President and CEO April Kyle. “Far too often when somebody is in a crisis, they end up in our emergency services department, or worse, in jail.”
The 16-chair adult crisis stabilization center will provide choice, ease of access, a comfortable environment, and timely access to crisis intervention and stabilization. Care will be enhanced by ensuring individuals have their immediate needs met by a multidisciplinary team and a plan developed for discharge to appropriate inpatient or outpatient care facilities.
Individuals who need more support to stabilize can transition to the 16-bed adult crisis residential program for further observation, assessment, and treatment. Short-term care will be provided for up to seven days for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Services will include crisis intervention, ongoing assessment and stabilization, individual and group counseling by master’s level therapists and peer support specialists, and case management to support discharge planning.
“Implementation of a behavioral health crisis system of care means people experiencing a behavioral health crisis get the right care, in the right setting, when they need it,” said Southcentral Foundation Executive Vice President of Behavioral Services Michelle Baker.
An architectural rendering of the 100,000-square-foot behavioral health expansion project now under construction at the corner of Elmore and Tudor roads.
The existing SCF Detox program will move to the new facility and expand to 30 beds. The program is open to all Alaska residents who would like to medically detox. Medication-Assisted Treatment will be available. Program participants will comfortably detox in a shared space under 24-hour medical supervision and partner with a multi-disciplinary team to determine the next steps in recovery.
Expanding behavioral health services and providing the necessary resources to meet the needs of the community embodies Southcentral Foundation’s Vision to achieve mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
The expansion project is a testament to the collaboration between Southcentral Foundation, the State of Alaska, Alaska’s congressional delegation, Municipality of Anchorage, community partners, and health care professionals.
