LINKS program enhancing lives through human connections

A local nonprofit that helps vulnerable adults access social and health-care needs is quietly humming along in the Mat-Su. The High Utilizer Mat-Su program, or HUMS, assists community members with a variety of services, all with the goal of reducing emergency department visits and making life, in general, easier. Operating under the larger umbrella of the LINKS Resource Center in Wasilla, HUMS is aimed at residents who, because of their circumstances and lack of other health-care options, have had multiple uses of emergency room services that could have been handled elsewhere.

Part of the mission of LINKS, which provides resources, advocacy, and – as its name implies – connection to improve lives. Fueled by diverse funding streams and strong community partnerships, LINKS offers individualized services and resources for veterans, seniors, disabled, caregivers, and others in the community.

The HUMS program improves lives by delivering a range of assistance that starts with basic needs to individuals who have difficulty navigating a complex health-care system, in addition to those who have worked with our local crisis system.

Christine Hundley, program director, said helping clients with necessities like housing, utilities, and health care builds the foundation needed for greater independence.

“Working with clients who have experienced a recent crisis is an upstream approach to minimizing high utilization of the mobile crisis team and crisis system as a whole,” she said. “We help ensure that clients have an environment that supports overall improved health outcomes in our community.”

HUMS services begin with a needs assessment that identifies barriers to health-care access and gaps in the services that are available to a client. This allows HUMS staff to provide for a client’s basic human needs – like shelter, food, and clothing – first. Additional assistance can include transportation to and from medical appointments, as well as referrals for substance abuse, detox, and behavioral/mental health care.

“Our team of compassionate community health workers supports clients by advocating on their behalf as needed, and empowering them to advocate for themselves,” Hundley said.

None of this comes without cost, and a recent nearly $800,000 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation has helped defray expenses and keep services flowing. The health foundation has been a steady supporter of HUMS, granting more than $3.3 million to the program since 2018.

As part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the health foundation has been investing its share of profits in the community since 2008, while continuing to do its part to ensure that the medical center meets the needs of a growing Mat-Su population. The scholarships, programs, and grants funded over the years by the health foundation have totaled $106 million, all with the goal of improving community health.

The HUMS program has been a big part of that. It has been recognized around the state for effective and creative solutions to providing support and wraparound services that many in the community need.

“This amazing program would not exist without the Mat-Su Health Foundation,” Hundley said. “People often ask me how they can make this happen in their community. I usually start with ‘first you need a Mat-Su Health Foundation.’”