Mobile crisis team alleviating burden on law enforcement

In its 10th year of working to remove the stigma of addiction recovery, a local nonprofit organization continues to grow and expand its value to the community.

Wasilla-based True North Recovery has doubled in size annually for the last five years, striving to meet the demand for its services here and at other locations in Fairbanks and Ketchikan. Where there were once just four staff, there are now 160, and most work from personal recovery experience. “There is an overwhelming need in our community,” said Karl Soderstrom, True North’s CEO. “There is still a wait list for our services.”

Among the more recent additions to the service arsenal is a mobile crisis team. In its third year of existence, the team partners with local emergency services agencies to respond to behavioral health crises in situations that aren’t best served by agencies better trained to respond to crimes and emergencies.

Soderstrom said the mobile crisis team dovetails with the rest of True North’s programming by helping those in need find the best fit for their particular crisis.

“We aim to reduce the impact on typical emergency services in the Mat-Su,” he said. “That includes local hospital and pre-trial services, and, ultimately, reduced interaction with law enforcement.” Like much of the organization’s expansion of needed services over the years, the mobile crisis team is funded by grants. The Mat-Su Health Foundation has been a consistent supporter of True North’s efforts, including the addition of the mobile crisis team, which was recently awarded a $250,000 grant. “Without grant funding, this program would be non-existent,” Soderstrom said. “Without the fantastic support from the Mental Health Trust Authority and Mat-Su Health Foundation, we would have not been able to help serve the more than 1,055 crisis calls we've done to date.”

The nonprofit Mat-Su Health Foundation has been a partner in general community wellness since 2008, when its grant program started. As part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the Health Foundation has invested more than $138 million of its share of hospital profits into the community through scholarships, sponsorships, and grants over the last 17 years, while continuing to help ensure the hospital meets the needs of a growing population.

Those 1,000-plus calls handled by True North’s mobile crisis team mean better outcomes for everyone. Eliminating the need for EMS and law enforcement to respond to certain situations better handled by behavioral health professionals frees them up to support other community members who call for services.

“Part of True North’s company-wide vision is to see people healed, communities strengthened, and systems transformed,” Soderstrom said. “While this is an expensive program, the savings and impact on first responders and the emergency system is immeasurable.”

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