News

The Medicaid behavioral health system in Alaska has not received a full rate rebasement in 25 years.  Since that time, the cost of care has consistently increased, as the cost of employee wages, rent, utilities, insurance, and all other business expenses, have continued to rise with inflation.  The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is now proposing a behavioral health rate rebasement to bring reimbursement rates inline with service costs, as well as formula adjustment to allow for automatic rebasement in the future.  If these regulatory changes take effect, they will bring necessary and resources to the behavioral health system in Alaska.  Please join Denali Family Services in supporting this important initiative.  Public comment can be submitted by phone at (907)334-2220 or in writing to donna.steward@alaska.gov .  The period for public comment closes August 2nd at 5pm.


Starting July 1, 2018 Denali Family Services will begin to offer a $2,500 hiring bonus to successful applicants, internal or external, for FT and PT positions that have been vacant for at least 30 days. The bonus will be payable upon successful completion of a 90 evaluation. As of July 1, the following positions, will be eligible for the $2,500 bonus:
• Transition Facilitator (VAL)
• TFC Licensing Specialist (ANC & VAL)
• HR Coordinator (ANC)
If you’re interested in and qualified for any of these positions, please visit the employment page on our website.


Denali Family Services has promoted Bruce Hilton to the dual role of CFO/COO.  In this role, he will continue to fulfill his role as Chief Financial Officer, while also overseeing administrative operations as Chief Operating Officer.  Mr. Hilton has an extensive history of senior leadership in Alaska’s non-profit community and brings to the position a broad range of administrative and management capabilities. Mr. Hilton first joined the Denali Family Services as a part-time consultant in 2013 and has worked in contractual and part-time positions since that time.  His new fulltime role is effective as of July 1, 2018.


Denali Family Services has contracted with Qualifacts to implement a new electronic health record, CareLogic, in FY19. CareLogic is a single, integrated solution for managing clinical, financial, and operational information across the organization, from treatment plans and outcomes analytics to claims, billing, and financial reporting. We believe this will enhance care while allowing us to expand services by optimizing staff time and reducing administrative burden. Todd Charest, Qualifacts Chief Product Officer, notes that “Denali Family Services is on the road toward data-driven, interoperability to inform care, and we are proud that CareLogic is taking them there.”  Through the analytic and administrative functionality offered by CareLogic, we anticipate dramatic improvements in our ability to efficiently manage client flow, track outcomes, and monitor program performance in real time. This will ultimately lead to more precise, responsive, and cost-effective healthcare delivery to clients.


Please join D.F.S. in celebrating national foster care month in May by helping us acknowledge foster parents and foster care professionals for the important work they do in providing temporary homes for vulnerable youth as well as helping them form and develop permanent connections.  Take a moment to reach out and thank someone who is dedicated to carrying out this critically important work in the lives of children and their families.  It is also a time for the agency to renew its commitment to providing the most therapeutic foster care possible for the youth we serve in order to give them the best chance at having a bright future and reaching their fullest potential.