Alaska Community Living (ACL) Program
The Alaska Community Living (ACL) Program provides financial assistance for assisted living home care to eligible adults who require the protective oversight of an assisted living home. This program is specifically for individuals discharging from the Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API), Adult Mental Health Residential (AMHR), or the Department of Corrections (DOC). Assisted living home care is defined as a range of care, which includes more than room and board, but which does not include continuous nursing or medical care. It encompasses 24-hour supportive and protective services in the activities of normal daily living. It includes the assumption of general responsibility for the safety and well-being of the individual resident. It includes an adequate program pursuant to Assisted Living Home statutes AS 47.33 and regulations 7 AAC 75, which encourage participation in facility and community activities. Care is provided in a residential environment and encourages independent living to the extent possible for each resident.
The financial assistance provided by the ACL program includes a financial contribution by the participant towards the care provided based on the participant’s countable income. Participants in the program retain $100 of their countable monthly income as a personal-needs allowance. The remainder of their monthly countable income goes toward their cost of care for services and is paid directly to the assisted living home by the participant. Combined, the cost sharing for the participant and cost sharing for the ACL program equal the daily rate paid the provider. For example, an assisted living home providing ACL services can expect to receive a total of $104.30 per day, based on payment from both the participant and the ACL program. ACL program providers may not charge participants in excess of the agreed upon daily rate.
Applicants must show that they have tried to obtain all other means of payment including using their own resources and applying for Adult Public Assistance to pay for necessary assisted living home care before accessing the ACL program.
Program Eligibility
The Division of Behavioral Health will pay for a portion of the cost of assisted living care for vulnerable adults. To be eligible, an individual must:
- Be a resident of the State of Alaska;
- Be 18 years of age or older;
- Discharging from the Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API), Department of Corrections (DOC), Adult Mental Health Residential (AMHR), or be a high utilizer of emergency services, API or DOC and at-risk of institutionalization;
- Assessed for eligibility by the Department of Health (DOH);
- Be receiving services from a Community Behavioral Health Provider;
- Have a disability that is attributable to a severe and persistent mental illness, Alzheimer’s or related dementia that significantly impairs functioning and adaptive behavior;
- Demonstrate a significant deficit in the daily living skills that are necessary to function without supervision or support and who, without assisted living care is subject to, or at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation by others;
- Be eligible for or receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or be non-resourced;
- Have applied for financial assistance from other agencies, organizations, or programs (e.g., waiver services/programs), including Adult Public Assistance; and
- Have exhausted the use of alternative resources.
Rates
The standard daily rate for assisted living home care through the ACL program is $104.30.
The Department, in consultation with the referring entity and/or other parties will, at their discretion and subject to available funding, approve an augmented daily rate above the maximum standard daily rate for a resident who requires a level of care, supervision or monitoring that is significantly higher than that required for other residents referred through this Agreement. This funding is for individuals who present with any of the following: behaviors and/or symptoms that are very difficult to manage (e.g., currently or at risk of presenting with aggressive or assaultive behavior, persistent and unrelenting psychiatric symptoms, extremely disruptive behavior, etc.); have a complex history (e.g., history of sex offense, assault, destruction of property, diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or related dementia, etc.); and/or require additional services and/or assisted living home staff to provide support, supervision, and monitoring for the safety of the resident. The Assisted Living Home receiving an augmented rate for care must provide additional services to be agreed upon in writing by the Provider, DBH, and the referring entity and/or other parties.
Provider Agreement
Qualified licensed Assisted Living Home providers can enter into an agreement with the Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health to provide eligible adult Alaska residents assisted living home services. Assisted Living Homes are not eligible to bill for services provided to ACL recipients until they have an approved Provider Agreement, beginning on the day the Provider Agreement is approved.
Provider Forms
We are currently working to ensure our forms are accessible, if you need assistance while we work through this process please contact: lisa.rosay@alaska.gov
Program Contacts
For information regarding the ACL Program, contact:
Lisa Rosay
lisa.rosay@alaska.gov
doh.dbh.aclprogram@hss.soa.directak.net
907-269-3972
Note: To transfer or email any form of communication using a consumer’s name and personal information, you must use Direct Secure Messaging (DSM). To sign up for DSM please visit the Health Connect Alaska website.
Please use the following email for any communication regarding ACL program participants, including the submission of applications: doh.dbh.aclprogram@hss.soa.directak.net