The Mat-Su Health Foundation recently announced first- and second-quarter Healthy Impacts grants to nine nonprofits serving Mat-Su residents.

The only multiyear grant issued this cycle went to the Co-Occurring Disorders Institute, to pilot a "strengthening families" curriculum as part of the institute's new Family Resource Center expansion. The institute specializes in evidence-based treatments for behavioral health and co-occurring disordered individuals and families. The $268,000 grant will help pay for a Bring/Keep the Kids Home project that assists families with life skills, communication, behavior difficulties and substance abuse issues.

The Children's Place received a $150,000 grant to house two new Child Abuse Unit officers from the Alaska State Troopers and to provide temporary space for state Office of Children's Services workers. Nationally, the model of having all service providers on site for children in crisis is considered optimal. By having troopers child-abuse officers staffed at The Children's Place and office space available for OCS employees, response time for interviewing children in crisis is improved.

Other grants include:

• $125,000 to the Mat-Su Borough's Sutton Community Resource Center for construction of a new recourse center and library in Sutton.

• $84,400 to the LINKS Parent Resource Center for operations.

• $75,000 to Chickaloon Traditional Native Village to complete construction of a commercial kitchen and meeting facility for the Chickaloon/Sutton Elder Nutrition Program.

• $50,000 to Covenant House to assist with nurse practitioner costs.

• $47,795 to Palmer Hockey Association to make the Palmer Ice Arena compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• $25,000 to Mat-Su Services for Children and Adults to buy a new computer-based phone system.

• $20,000 to HeartReach Pregnancy Center to pilot a new Fatherhood Initiative program.