Post by Jessie Desmond on May 1, 2015 8:50:37 GMT -9
In 1956, three years before Alaska became a US state, the government decided that it was imperative that Alaska be provided with mental health care and passed the 1956 Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act. The Mental Health Act basically established mental health care in Alaska. The biggest problem, once it passed, was the massive public outcry against it.
During the time that the act was passed, Alaska had about 400 people in need of mental health care. While many people ask why Alaska needed a mental health system with such a low number of those in need, the answer might be as simple as the fact that Alaska soon after, in 1959, became the 49th state. The act also granted the mental health care system $12 million dollars and one million acres of land for developmental purposes.
In March of 1956 there were several hearings between the opposing groups and the government. The government had to deal with accusations of conspiracy and dangerous legislation, and remarks from racists and religious zealots. By the 1970s, the conspiracies with the land trust of one million acres had escalated. In 1978, the Alaskan legislature passed a law in order to abolish the trust and transfer the most valuable parcels of land to private investors and to the government. By 1982, the government held onto only 35% of the one million acres.
1982 was not the end though.
Due to the loss of land, which meant a loss in revenue, the state’s mental health care took a dive. In 1982, the case of Weiss vs. the State of Alaska entered the Alaska Supreme Court. Vern Weiss filed a lawsuit for his son, who was in need of mental health care but could not receive any due to the unavailability in Alaska. In 1985 the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the abolition of the trust had been illegal and ordered it to be reconstituted.
The final settlement came in 1994 when the trust was reconstituted with 500,000 acres of land and $200 million to replace lost income and assets.
The conspiracies still continue about the sinister asylums and evil plots to hide away the outspoken person. There are rumors of a pilot having his license revoked due to flying over a secret mental institute. There are also rumors of a secret mental institute somewhere outside of Fairbanks.
APN Newsletter, July 2014, Vol.1, Issue 1 by Jessie Desmond
During the time that the act was passed, Alaska had about 400 people in need of mental health care. While many people ask why Alaska needed a mental health system with such a low number of those in need, the answer might be as simple as the fact that Alaska soon after, in 1959, became the 49th state. The act also granted the mental health care system $12 million dollars and one million acres of land for developmental purposes.
In March of 1956 there were several hearings between the opposing groups and the government. The government had to deal with accusations of conspiracy and dangerous legislation, and remarks from racists and religious zealots. By the 1970s, the conspiracies with the land trust of one million acres had escalated. In 1978, the Alaskan legislature passed a law in order to abolish the trust and transfer the most valuable parcels of land to private investors and to the government. By 1982, the government held onto only 35% of the one million acres.
1982 was not the end though.
Due to the loss of land, which meant a loss in revenue, the state’s mental health care took a dive. In 1982, the case of Weiss vs. the State of Alaska entered the Alaska Supreme Court. Vern Weiss filed a lawsuit for his son, who was in need of mental health care but could not receive any due to the unavailability in Alaska. In 1985 the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the abolition of the trust had been illegal and ordered it to be reconstituted.
The final settlement came in 1994 when the trust was reconstituted with 500,000 acres of land and $200 million to replace lost income and assets.
The conspiracies still continue about the sinister asylums and evil plots to hide away the outspoken person. There are rumors of a pilot having his license revoked due to flying over a secret mental institute. There are also rumors of a secret mental institute somewhere outside of Fairbanks.
APN Newsletter, July 2014, Vol.1, Issue 1 by Jessie Desmond