An organization devoted to supporting mental health is raising concerns about the pending sale of Mental Health Trust-owned land in downtown Juneau.<\/p>\n
The Mental Health Consumers Action Network has issued a letter protesting the Trust\u2019s sale of land to Develop Juneau Now LLC, which plans to build a heating plant, apartments and shops near Coast Guard Station Juneau on Egan Drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe respectfully ask that this pending sale \u2026 be reconsidered,\u201d the letter states.<\/p>\n
Greg Fitch, director of MCAN, said he\u2019s personally concerned that the sale won\u2019t result in a better deal for the mentally ill, who are supposed to benefit from Trust actions.<\/p>\n
The letter suggests the Trust should include sale conditions, such as affordable housing dedicated to \u201cmental health consumers and trust beneficiaries\u201d or employing \u201cmental health consumers\u201d in the construction that will follow the sale.<\/p>\n
Fitch said MCAN isn\u2019t opposed to Develop Juneau Now \u2014 whose backers are the same as those of the Sweetheart Lake hydroelectric plant \u2014 but MCAN wants to hold the Trust accountable to its core mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is exactly where we\u2019re at with this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Trust was established after a scandal revealed improper treatment of the mentally ill at Morningside hospital in Oregon, where Alaskans were sent.<\/p>\n
A land grant and financial grant were supposed to allow the Trust to provide services that meet Alaska\u2019s needs, but a 2016 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation ranked Alaska\u2019s mental health care 47th of 51 states and D.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re 47th in the country, my God, there\u2019s no excuse for that,\u201d Fitch said.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the recent shooting by an Alaska man who was released from mental health treatment after four days, then flew to Florida and killed several people in Fort Lauderdale\u2019s airport.<\/p>\n
Fitch said MCAN intends to speak up for patients and press for the Trust to improve care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a mental health consumer group,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re about better care for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"