OPINION: A month of hope

April has always been a month of promise in Alaska — the snow will melt, the rivers will thaw, the leaves will pop, and our glorious summer will follow. April is also celebrated as the National Month of Hope. One definition of hope is “a desire accompanied by the expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

For those working in the social service sector, hope is a word of action. Each day we work to support fellow Alaskans with disabilities, mental health or behavioral challenges, elders and others to navigate complicated systems so they can live lives of meaning and value in their communities of choice.

For the past decade, as we have struggled as a state to develop a sustainable fiscal plan, the size of the Permanent Fund dividend has dominated fiscal conversations and outcomes to the funding detriment for programs supporting Alaskans most in need of community support services.

A budget reflects the values of a family, organization or state. We allocate funds toward the outcomes we feel are most important. For those of us working to support elders, those experiencing disabilities, or mental health and behavioral support needs, the current budget dialogue would indicate these Alaskans are not valued or worthy of investment. It has been demonstrated repeatedly that support provided in the community is far more cost effective than institutional care.

For example, when Harborview, the state institution for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, was closed in the 1990s, lives were enhanced, and the state realized a substantial cost savings and chose to reinvest those savings to serve significantly more people. Through the years, this investment has eroded, with rates of reimbursement failing to align with the cost of providing these services, causing compelling financial distress for community agencies across the state. Several providers have closed their doors, many have significantly reduced services, and boards of directors across the state are wrestling with deficit spending that is not sustainable.

Decisions made in the next few weeks will demonstrate what we truly value as a state. A reasonable PFD of $1,000 could provide additional funds for elders to be supported in their homes, youth with mental health and behavioral challenges to be supported locally, rather than in high-cost, out-of-state institutions, people with intellectual and development disabilities and their families receiving needed support, and direct support professionals and personal care attendants providing these critical supports paid a living wage.

One cannot say “of course I care about the most vulnerable citizens of our state,” and systematically erode funding to support them, or as a citizen demand a large payout from the state knowing fellow Alaskans will suffer as a result.

During this Month of Hope, my desire is that our state budget will reflect tangible outcomes demonstrating the values espoused during election campaigns, that we do value the supports and services provided our parents, brothers, sisters, children and neighbors to enable them to live successfully and safely in the community, and I implore legislators to work toward this end, and my fellow Alaskans to support these outcomes. Our collective compassion and care for each other must outweigh the greed and entitlement thinking the PFD has created.

Michele Girault is the executive director of Hope Community Resources.

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