Alaska Family Services gets new center, programs

July 30, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

PALMER - Demolition of the former women's shelter at 403 S. Alaska St. will mark the beginning of a new center and a new direction for Alaska Family Services.

&#8220We're taking down the front and remodeling it for the Family Center,” said Don Benice, executive director. &#8220We're not changing what we do. We're just refocusing to deal with the family as a unit.”

Back in January, the board of directors looked again at its mission and developed a new strategic plan that is coming to fruition now.

&#8220The Family Center is set up to look at all the problems families have,” he said. &#8220For families that want to work on their problems, we will be a catalyst.”

Although Alaska Family Services offered many programs, such as anger management, all along, the programs weren't coordinated with each other or with outside agencies, Benice said.

&#8220We've been very individually focused, looking at just domestic violence, or just substance abuse,” he said. &#8220 We're trying to coordinate within our agency and without. We changed a bit to a community-based focus and looking at the family unit holistically.”

The newly refocused nonprofit will offer a family and marriage counseling program, a screening assessment and transitional case management services, among other things, he said.

The plan is to move from a high-intensity approach, when someone is in crisis, toward low-intensity, such workforce development.

The Family Center also will direct and encourage clients to make use of other Valley agencies, such as Job Corps, Benice said. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved, he said.

&#8220We're not trying to take over anyone else's service,” he said.

The last legislative session provided a $500,000 capital grant for the project, and Benice said he owes Sen. Lyda Green a big thank-you.

&#8220Lyda did a great job for us,” he said.

Construction crews were scheduled to take down two-thirds of the old building Friday.

The building went up in three stages, Benice said. The front was the original domestic violence shelter, the middle section was added on sometime in the 1980s, and the back section, which will remain, was built in the 1990s, he said.

Benice expects some limited renovation to be done by Aug. 1. The family and marriage counseling program would begin then, with other services coming on line in the fall, after a grand opening.

&#8220We're excited,” he said. &#8220This is going to be a good thing for the Valley. And it's good for downtown. It spruces things up.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.