Agencies join forces to open treatment center

The Golden Heart Gateway to Recovery Enhanced Detox Center is designed to provide services that integrate mental health and substance abuse treatment.

The center has the potential to save millions of dollars spent by agencies such as the Fairbanks police department, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and Fairbanks Correctional Center, promoters said.

"This facility has been a long time coming," said Kate Wood, director of the center, at an open house Friday. "I'm hoping it will brighten people's spirits and serve a lot more people by making it easier for them to get extensive treatment which is more than we've been able to do."

Guy Patterson, director of behavioral health services for the Fairbanks Native Association, said the goal was to get people off the street and into treatment.

"This new facility is step one in that process," Patterson said. "We are treating the very ill who need help right away but the next step is opening the door to more treatment options and making sure that treatment is available."

The Fairbanks Native Association, Fairbanks Community Behavioral Health Center, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Tanana Chiefs Conference and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority will operate the facility.

The facility's funding model will set a precedent for social service agencies across the state, said Bill Hogan, commissioner of the state Department of Health and Social Services.

"This is absolutely the way we have to approach substance abuse treatment because no one entity has enough money to do it," he said.

Hogan is the former director of the Alaska Division of Behavioral Health. He said many individuals who abuse substances also suffer mental health disorders.

"From a state perspective, we certainly can provide some funding and technical assistance but the solutions for substance abuse problems come from within the community," Hogan said. "It's essential that we create more facilities with integrated treatment programs across the state."