Department of Health (DOH)

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Strengthening the System II: Alaska's Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan, often referred to as the "Comp Plan," is a collaborative, five-year initiative developed by the Departments of Health, Community and Family Services, and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. This comprehensive, integrated plan focuses on strengthening Alaska’s support systems across ten key areas. Discover how the Comp Plan ensures that Alaskans have timely access to the prevention, treatment, and support services they need, wherever they are.

Red Ribbon Week Announcement: The Alaska Department of Health, in collaboration with Governor Mike Dunleavy, is excited to announce the launch of the Red Ribbon Week Door Decorating Contest for schools across Alaska. More information on the project and Red Ribbon Week can be found on the Red Ribbon Week Page.
Commissioner Heidi Hedberg participated in a press conference with Senator Dan Sullivan, Governor Mike Dunleavy and others about the opioid crisis in Alaska. Watch the press conference here. Learn more about prevention efforts, treatment options and other resources available at health.alaska.gov/dph.
Fresh Start — Join free programs for better health
Join thousands of Alaskans participating in Fresh Start’s free programs for better health. The Alaska Department of Health offers free programs to lose weight or achieve a healthy weight, manage blood pressure and diabetes, and stop smoking or vaping. Many programs match you with a coach so you don’t have to do it alone. Many can be completed online or by phone — anytime, anywhere.
Fresh Start recently expanded to share new messages and resources about reducing chances of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Visit freshstart.alaska.gov to find programs you can join and to learn more about actions you can take to improve the health of your body and brain.
Exciting News! Introducing Alaska Connect, our new client portal:

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new client portal Alaska Connect, designed to enhance your experience with the Division of Public Assistance. When you sign up through myAlaska or if you already have an existing myAlaska account, you can access your own personal space where you can apply for public assistance programs, renew your benefits, report changes and upload documents all in one place.

We are excited to offer this new user-friendly option for Alaskans who use Public Assistance. More improvements are on the way as we modernize online services and improve the client portal, to include things such as reviewing notices, application status, benefits, and much more. Those Alaskans that do not wish to sign up for the portal can still access our services through our website, offices, and virtual contact center.

Better Than Email: DPA’s New Secure Document Portal
The Division of Public Assistance (DPA) now has a portal where you can upload documents directly. The secure document upload portal should be used to send DPA all kinds of documents for all Public Assistance programs. It’s a quick way to send proof to DPA staff instantly when they ask for information. The portal takes a variety of file formats and works with different devices and browsers.

We are excited to offer this new user-friendly option for Alaskans who use Public Assistance. Use of the portal is encouraged. More improvements are on the way as we modernize online services and improve customer service.
Visit the DPA Offices in Kenai and Homer! — Residents of the Kenai and Homer areas can now receive same day service at their local DPA Office.

An online application for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is now available on the DPA website. This application is optimized for use on any mobile device as well as desktop devices. The online application is a “smart form,” streamlining the process and the amount of time it takes to complete the form by only populating fields that the applicant needs based on their responses. All documents can be uploaded directly using a variety of formats including photos and scanned items.
The Alaska SMART Medical Clearance form an effective, standardized tool for determining medical stability for patients with a psychiatric crisis in emergency contexts.
Overview of Alaska’s Behavioral Health System of Care for Children
2023 Alaska Scorecard: Key Issues Impacting Alaska Mental Health Trust Beneficiaries.

Press releases

Red Ribbon Week Announcement

October 14, 2024, ANCHORAGE — The Alaska Department of Health, in collaboration with Governor Mike Dunleavy, is excited to announce the launch of the Red Ribbon Week Door Decorating Contest for schools across Alaska. This contest, which closes October 23, 2024, is part of the nation’s longest-running drug prevention campaign, Red Ribbon Week, which occurs annually each October.

2023 Drug Overdose Mortality Report Released

October 1, 2024, ANCHORAGE – The Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records Section (HAVRS) and Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention (OSMAP) have released the finalized 2023 Drug Overdose Mortality Update. This report contains detailed statistical reporting and other information about the demographic characteristics of overdose victims, where deaths occurred, the types of drugs and multidrug combinations involved in fatal overdoses, and prevention strategies to help reduce overdose mortality.

Alaska’s Fresh Start campaign expands to address dementia

August 20, 2024 / ANCHORAGE — The Division of Public Health’s Fresh Start campaign has expanded to include the Dementia Education and Prevention Program, by sharing resources and encouraging Alaskans to reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Building on Fresh Start’s success in connecting thousands of residents to support to feel better and improve their health as they age, this new resource is in response to HB 308. That bill was passed by the 32nd Legislature and signed by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

Opioid settlement grantees announced

August 19, 2024 / ANCHORAGE — The Division of Public Health (DPH) has announced the grantees for the Statewide Opioid Settlement grant, part of the National Opioid Settlement funds to help Alaska’s communities address the opioid epidemic. These grants represent approximately $2.8 million that will be annually available to support a three-year program totaling almost $8.5 million.

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