What Is a Designated Facility?
A designated facility provides mental health services for individuals experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis who are admitted voluntarily or under an involuntary court order. A facility must receive designation from the Department of Family and Community Services to provide services to an individual under a mental health involuntary commitment court order, commonly called civil commitment or a Title 47 order.
Designations
There are currently two designation types:
Designated Evaluation and Stabilization (referred to as “DES”)
DES means a hospital or crisis residential center designated or operated by the Department to perform the evaluations.
A DES provides psychiatric evaluation services.
A DES also provides stabilization and transitional services to community-based services.
Designated Evaluation and Treatment (referred to as “DET”)
DET means a hospital, clinic, institution, center, or other health care facility that has been designated by the Department for the treatment or rehabilitation of mentally ill persons but does not include correctional institutions.
A DET provides inpatient psychiatric evaluation and treatment services.
A DET requires psychiatric, occupational, and psychiatric inpatient hospital services, while a DES does not.
A DET facility also provides stabilization and transitional services to community-based services.
Statutory authority: AS 47.30.660 - 47.30.915
DES/DET Designations
Where are the current designated facilities?
Anchorage Psychiatric Institute: API does not require designation under 7 AAC 72.
Bartlett Regional Hospital: Hospital in Juneau, AK with DET designation
12 beds
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital: Hospital in Fairbanks, AK with DET Designation
20 beds
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center: Hospital in Palmer, AK with DET Designation
16 beds
PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center: Hospital in Ketchikan, AK with DES designation
How to become a designated facility
To become a designated facility:
A licensed facility must submit:
Application for Designation (form supplied by the department)
A copy of the facility's license
Facility Certification of Compliance for Designation (form supplied by the department)
A copy of the table of contents for the hospital's behavioral health policies and procedures
Submit to fcs.des.det@alaska.gov
A facility exempt from licensure must submit:
Application for Designation (form supplied by the department)
A copy of the facility's current accreditation
Facility Certification of Compliance for Designation (form supplied by the department)
A copy of the most recent accreditation report
A copy of the table of contents for the hospital's behavioral health policies and procedures
Submit to fcs.des.det@alaska.gov
For designation application forms and to learn more about the designation process, please reach out to the Health Program Manager at fcs.des.det@alaska.gov.
Regulations: 7 AAC 72 Civil Commitment
Designated Facility Manual
Designated Facility (DES/DET) Manual (updated March 2024)