09.10.2019

When Ken Curl packed for his trip to Alaska, he may not have expected dirt-moving to be on his itinerary.  But on the ground, he learned how digging dirt and growing food are an integral part of mental health services for transition age youth at ACMHS. Curl is a grant program officer for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). ACMHS is currently in its 4th year of a five year SAMHSA grant to increase access to services for military families and other underserved populations, so Curl came to check it out.  He toured our youth drop-in center and vocational training program Alaska Seeds of Change, and Little Tykes early childhood services, as well as meeting with clinical teams in both Anchorage and Fairbanks. Director of Child & Family programs Joshua Arvidson describes Ken as “a legit systems genius” so the visit felt like an opportunity to share ideas and talk things through.  We look forward to continued partnership with SAMHSA to improve quality of care and access to services.