Please join us and our non-profit partner Alzheimer's Resource Alaska (ARA) for a special evening raising awareness of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) at Bear Tooth Theatrepub in Anchorage on Monday, May 18th at 6 p.m. for a screening of the 2020 film "The Father." Tickets are $10 and part of the proceeds go to ARA. We will have resources available to take home with you after the movie. 

Learn more and purchase your tickets here.

ACoA Quarterly Board Meeting May 27 via Zoom

You are welcome to join the Alaska Commission on Aging May 27th from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm for our virtual quarterly board meeting. This meeting will focus on the Older Americans Act and plans for the next State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2028-2031 State Plan for Senior Services which ACoA is responsible to complete. Agenda here. Public Comment will be at 1 p.m. 

Save the Date: Statewide Summit on Aging this October 

You're invited! Please join us this fall, either virtually or in-person at Turnagain Social Club in Anchorage for the Statewide Summit on Aging October 15-17. Continuing education credits available. Stay tuned for more information! 

Interested in sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities? Please email us at doh.acoa.info@alaska.gov 

Note: we have combined forces with the Aging and Disability Summit traditionally held at Special Olympics to bring you this Summit on Aging.

National Council on Aging in Alaska: Alaska Native Listening Sessions Available Until 8/31 

Alaska Legislative Session Ends May 20

The Alaska Legislature is scheduled to adjourn its regular 2026 session on May 20, and lawmakers are currently in the final stages of budget negotiations and bill movement before constitutional deadlines. The Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget has passed both the House and Senate in differing versions and is now moving through the conference committee process, where legislators reconcile differences between the chambers' proposals before sending a final version to the Governor for signature, veto or line-item veto considerations.

Below is a list of select budget items impacting Alaskans with mental illness, intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and substance use disorders (Alaska Mental Health Trust beneficiaries) that are being addressed in legislative budget Conference Committee. The committee of six members will decide whether to accept the House recommendations or Senate recommendations for the FY27 Operating (HB 263) and Mental Health (HB 265) budgets.  

Advocates can educate policymakers about the impacts of budget decisions on programs and services that impact their constituents. The list below offers budget items identified by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (Trust), the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education, the Alaska Commission on Aging, the Alaska Mental Health Board, and the Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Conference Committee member emails:

Sen.Lyman.Hoffman@akleg.gov

Sen.Bert.Stedman@akleg.gov

Sen.Mike.Cronk@akleg.gov

Rep.Andy.Josephson@akleg.gov

Rep.Calvin.Schrage@akleg.gov

Rep.Will.Stapp@akleg.gov

Also, advocates may contact their personal Senator and Representative with their opinions. To learn who are your personal legislators, go to www.akleg.gov and scroll to the bottom under “Who Represents Me?”

HB 263/HB 265 - Operating and Mental Health Budgets

• Crisis Contact (Call) Center (DOH). Additional funds will support Crisis Contact Centers that provide de-escalation, triage, intervention, and referral to services for people experiencing mental health or substance use crises. Crisis intervention services save state dollars by reducing the need for expensive emergency rooms, law enforcement, corrections, and institutional care. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority Board of Trustees recommended $500,000 GF/MH for the call center to complement it’s $1 million MHTAAR grant for the program.  HOUSE adds +$500,000 GF/MH. SENATE does not.

• Homeless Assistance Program (DOR/AHFC). Additional funds will support assistance to non-profit organizations, local governments, and regional housing authority for emergency housing, shelters, rental assistance, and other support for individuals and families who are homeless or near homelessness. SENATE adds an additional +$5.15 million in AHFC/DGF. HOUSE does not.

• Early Intervention and Infant Learning Program (EI/ILP) (DOH). Additional funds will support inflation proofing and expanded eligibility for individuals with 25% developmental delay, from the current 50% delay. EI/ILP provides support for families with infants and toddlers for specialized screenings, evaluations, and interventions. SENATE adds +5,942.7 million GF/MH. HOUSE adds less at +$5.72 million GF/MH.

• Behavioral Health Treatment & Recovery Grants (DOH). Additional funds will restore declining designated general funds, stabilize community treatment and recovery services, and address severe financial challenges among mental health and addiction service providers. HOUSE adds +$6.557 million ($3.557 million GF/MH and $3 million RecdvsmFund). SENATE does not.

• Behavioral Health Prevention & Early Intervention Grants (DOH). Additional funds will support community services, early childhood initiatives, trauma reduction, home visiting models, parenting and preschool programs, mentoring, prevention, and therapeutic services. HOUSE adds +$723,000 GF/MH. SENATE does not. 

• Adolescent Residential Behavioral Health Treatment Services (DOH). Additional funds will support adolescent residential treatment, education, engagement with family and guardians, and ongoing coordination with state entities such as the Office of Children’s Services and Division of Juvenile Justice. HOUSE adds +$336,000 UGF. SENATE does not.

• Adult Day Services (DOH). Additional funds will support structured care and therapeutic activities for seniors age 60+ who experience cognitive and/or functional impairments. Adult day services also provide needed respite and support for families. HOUSE adds +$1.5 million UGF. SENATE does not.

• Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) (DOH). Additional funds will restore SILC funding to pre-2017 levels and support ongoing efforts to develop and monitor the Alaska State Plan for Independent Living. SILC provides support for Alaska’s community Centers for Independent Living through advocacy, training, and access to resources. HOUSE adds +$403,000 UGF. SENATE does not. 

• Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) (DOH). Additional funds and authority will support implementing the Guidehouse Recommendations to address reimbursement rates. DSPs provide essential, personalized assistance, help with daily tasks, coaching, and community integration for individuals with physical, intellectual/developmental, and/or behavioral needs. HOUSE adds +$11.27 million ($6,143,600 Fed; $5,125,500 GF/Match). SENATE does not.

• Personal Care Services (DOH). Additional funds and authority will support implementing the Guidehouse recommendations for Community First and Personal Care Services for Medicaid-eligible elders and disabled people, to promote independence, self-direction, and to help them remain in their homes. HOUSE adds +$15.787 million (+$8.877 million Fed; $6.91 million GF/Match).SENATE does not. 

• Parents as Teachers (DEED). Additional funds will support families—pregnancy through children age five—in providing personalized in-home visits, developmental screenings, and resources to boost child development, school readiness, and family well-being. HOUSE adds +$355,800 UGF. SENATE does not. 

• Student Mental Health Support (UA). Additional funds will support the University’s capacity to serve students in need of mental health support, to be distributed as follows:+$440,000 UGF Inc to the UAA Anchorage campus for three PFT support positions; +$350,000 UGF Inc to UAF Troth Yeddah campus for clinical psychology; and +$175,000 UGF Inc to the UAS Juneau campus for mental health and life skills support. HOUSE adds +$965,000 UGF. SENATE does not. 

TERMS:

GF/MH = General Funds in the Mental Health Budget

MHTAAR = Mental Health Trust Authority Authorized Receipts (Trust grants to State agencies) 

UGF = Undesignated General Funds

Fed = Federal Funds

GF/Match = General Fund Matching funds

RecdvsmFund = Recidivism Reduction Fund

AHFC/DGF = Alaska Housing Finance Corp (Designated General Funds)

DOH = Dept. of Health

DEED = Dept. of Education & Early Development

UA = University of Alaska

DOR = Dept. of Revenue

907 Navigation: Alaska Brain Bus Summer '26 Launches in Wasilla this Weekend

Additional 2026 stops include:

Seward – May 23–25

Homer – June 25–26

Kodiak – June 29–July 1

Soldotna – July 2–3

Talkeetna – August 1

Fairbanks – September 21–23

Delta Junction – September 24–25

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program Summer 2026: Farmers Apply by Today 

Today is the final day for farmers to submit their vendor application to enroll in Alaska’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) for Summer 2026. This application is required for authorization to participate in the program, allowing them to accept electronic SFMNP benefits at farmers markets, farm stands, and authorized farms. 

Stay tuned for more information as the program launches this summer! 

Learn more about SFMNP here.

Advancing Native Students in Aging Research: Apply by May 31 

Advancing Native Students in Aging Research is designed for undergraduate students, especially Native American and Indigenous communities. This 1-week course combines short-term, intensive laboratory and didactic courses and mentored pilot research in fundamental, translational, clinical, and behavioral aspects of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and the mechanisms of aging with ongoing mentoring to ensure both the launching and the retention of these promising candidates in research careers. This course offers dynamic training and career advancement strategies that provide a fresh series of daily lectures on emerging concepts, followed by extended discussions, laboratory research, technologically intense workshops, and informal seminars over week-long periods.

This training course is scheduled for August 2-7, 2026 at the University of Minnesota and full scholarships are available. Learn more and apply by May 31.

Elder Justice Awareness Month Webinar Series Launches in May