Youth shelter may get new operator

WASILLA — Future operations at the Dorothy Saxton Youth Shelter are uncertain.

After operating the shelter under a grant with the state, Alaska Family Services is appealing a decision by Department of Health and Social Services to award that grant for operations to another agency.

Donn Bennice, president of Alaska Family Services, which had received a grant to operate the shelter through June 30, said he has filed an appeal with the commissioner of the state Department of Health and Social Services.

Bennice said the state is investigating how the grant was awarded. When competitive grants like the one to run the shelter run out, the state agency giving the grant solicits and reviews proposals from organizations competing to operate the shelter. In this go-round, AFS and several other organizations submitted bids to operate the shelter. AFS did not receive the grant.

In a brief statement released Wednesday afternoon, the state agency said the contract award is under appeal.

“We are reviewing the appeal that Alaska Family Services made, and won’t be able to say more until the appeal process is resolved,” said Stacy Toner, deputy director for DHSS’s Division of Behavioral Health. “The decision about the grant will be made with the goal of providing the best possible care for youth.”

Bennice said the shelter employs 15 to 20 people and has 12 beds. The grant is for 10 beds.

DHSS’s website describes the shelter mission this way:

“The Dorothy Saxton Youth Shelter is a Level 2 Emergency Stabilization and Assessment Center that provides behavioral rehabilitation services and temporary residential care for children ages 12-18 who are in immediate danger in their current environment, who need short term, temporary placement or may need stabilization and assessment of their needs.”

Some of the kids come out of the juvenile justice system. Some come when the police bring them in. Shelter staff can work with youths for 30 to 60 days to figure out where is the best place for them to go.

Bennice said the budget for Dorothy Saxton is $675,000 and the state’s piece of that is actually relatively small.

“A lot of the other money that you get is tied to the grant, so if you lose the grant you lose a lot of the other money,” Bennice said.