ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH TRUST

In the years preceding statehood, the territory of Alaska had few resources to provide for the mentally ill or those with developmental disabilities, many of whom were sent by the federal government to outside institutions after being charged and convicted for being "insane and at large." In 1956, Congress transferred the responsibility for providing mental health care to the territory and ultimately the state, establishing the Alaska Mental Health Trust and granting it one million acres of land to generate income for a comprehensive mental health program. However, in a class action lawsuit ruling in 1984, the Alaska Supreme Court determined the state breached its fiduciary responsibility to manage Trust land. In 1994, after many years of litigation, in a final landmark settlement the Alaska Mental Health Trust was reconstituted with $200 million and one million acres of land. The Permanent Fund Corporation was assigned management of the cash corpus as a commingled allocation of the..

Also known as: Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

Primary location: Anchorage United States