Set Free Alaska

A Christian provider with several distinct services

The organization’s background describes a Christian approach to behavioral health and a nonprofit history beginning in 2009. Its stated values include treating people respectfully across differences in religion, race, gender, and economic circumstances. This is relevant when deciding whether the program’s approach fits the person seeking care.

Ask how spiritual ideas appear in ordinary treatment, what participation is expected, and how clinicians work with someone whose beliefs differ. A statement of respect is useful, but it does not explain every activity or establish that a particular spiritual component is optional. The organization offers several services, with different ages, settings, and admission criteria. A family should identify the actual program under consideration rather than treating the whole network as one residential center. For someone comparing providers, the important details are the clinical team, the proposed treatment, and the way individual preferences are handled. Discuss those points alongside location, transportation, family responsibilities, and the support available after the selected service ends.

Compass is the men’s residential program near Homer

The Compass program serves adult men near Homer, overlooking Kachemak Bay. The provider describes a 16-person residential setting and identifies the clinical level as 3.5. This is separate from the Wasilla office address used for the directory record and from ordinary outpatient appointments.

The published stay is individualized within a five-to-eight-month range. Treatment includes individual and group counseling, work on co-occurring concerns, case management, and continuing-care planning. That extended commitment has practical implications for employment, housing, finances, and family contact, so ask how the initial recommendation and subsequent reviews work. Compass may accommodate a participant’s children under ten when the parent has custody and a child bed is available. It is not a general promise that every family can stay together. Confirm custody documentation, child capacity, daily responsibilities, and any separate support arrangements before accepting admission. The program is described as nonsmoking; people who use nicotine should discuss the current rules and available support while planning the stay.

Valley Oaks has its own women’s admission pathway

The Valley Oaks women’s program is described as another 16-person residential service for adults, with individualized stays of five to eight months. Its program page includes pregnant women among those who may be eligible. That eligibility statement does not establish that obstetric care is delivered on site or that every medical circumstance can be accommodated.

Ask how any pregnancy-related care, current prescriptions, outside appointments, or other health needs would be coordinated. The program also describes possible accommodation for children under ten who are in the participating mother’s custody, subject to available beds. It lists mental and behavioral health counseling for children whose mothers are receiving treatment. Families should clarify whether a child needs a separate assessment, how appointments fit with the parent’s schedule, and what childcare arrangements are expected. The adult’s clinical admission and the availability of a child place are separate questions. Request a written explanation of both before making travel or housing changes for the family.

Assessment establishes the recommendation and the financial estimate

The assessment and payment information explains that recommendations and costs depend on the evaluation. It publishes a $50 scheduling deposit, with exceptions for active Medicaid coverage and court-mandated assessments. A missed appointment or same-day cancellation can mean losing that deposit. Confirm how the policy applies to the particular assessment being booked.

Most commercial insurance is described as out of network. The provider offers an assessment-based Good Faith Estimate for applicable self-pay or out-of-network care and discusses a prompt-payment discount for eligible arrangements. The eligible discount is published as twenty percent; ask which services qualify and how the office calculates the final amount. That discount is not presented as applying when out-of-network benefits are used. Medicaid may cover eligible clinical services while books, supplies, and missed-appointment charges remain outside that coverage. Continued eligibility matters during a longer program. Obtain the expected personal cost and cancellation terms in writing. The assessment page discusses in-person assessment, while outpatient information also advertises telehealth assessment; verify which format is available for the specific service instead of assuming one rule covers the entire organization.

Adult outpatient care has several levels and formats

The adult outpatient services page lists ordinary outpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization care in the Mat-Su service. It describes trauma-informed work, co-occurring concerns, and schedules intended to support treatment while living in the community. These levels involve different time commitments and should not be treated as interchangeable appointments.

Homer services include telehealth or hybrid group arrangements, while the broader outpatient description also discusses remote assessments. Ask the relevant office which groups are currently available, how often participants attend, and which appointments require physical attendance. Reliable internet, a private place to meet, and a plan for additional local care can be important when remote sessions are proposed. A clinician should explain why the recommended intensity fits the person’s needs and what would lead to a different recommendation. If someone is moving from residential treatment, confirm the start date and receiving clinician rather than assuming enrollment transfers automatically. Also establish the costs and benefits for outpatient care separately from any housing arrangement.

Haven serves children and adolescents directly

The Haven children’s and adolescent service identifies an age range of five through seventeen. It describes behavioral health assessment, diagnosis, individual and family therapy, and help with concerns involving substance use or trauma. This is a direct clinical service for young people, distinct from a child staying with a parent in an adult residential program.

A parent or guardian should ask who assesses the child, how development and school circumstances are considered, and what role family members have in treatment. Clarify the consent arrangements, how information is shared, and whether the service coordinates with an existing pediatrician or school professional when appropriate. The provider discusses commercial insurance, Medicaid, Denali KidCare, and income-related fees, but each child’s eligibility and benefits need checking. The page says parent and referral forms are being updated; contact the service for current paperwork rather than relying on an older packet. The availability of a youth program does not establish pediatric residential detox or an acute psychiatric hospital service. Discuss urgent safety or medical needs with an appropriate clinical service rather than waiting for an ordinary therapy appointment.

Refuge crisis stabilization has explicit admission limits

The Refuge crisis residential stabilization service is described as a short-term, continuously monitored setting for adults with substance use or mental health needs. Its listed support includes psychiatric and medical evaluation, medication support, case management, peer involvement, and referral planning. The setting is intended to help a person stabilize and move toward appropriate continuing care.

The admission boundaries are significant. The provider says applicants must not have medical needs requiring daily physician or nursing care, must not present an immediate danger to themselves or others, and must be able to remain in an open community setting. Continuous monitoring therefore should not be interpreted as the staffing or containment of an acute hospital. Ask the screening team to assess the actual circumstances and explain what alternatives are appropriate if those criteria are not met. A referral should include relevant medication and recent-treatment information. Before arrival, confirm acceptance, transportation, and the service responsible for the next step when the limited stabilization stay ends.

Heritage House combines recovery housing with outpatient participation

The Heritage House recovery residence is described on the Christopher Walden House of Hope property in Palmer. Despite the wording in the page’s web address, it should not be confused with the Wasilla office. The program is for adult men and women who are engaged in Set Free Alaska outpatient or intensive outpatient treatment.

The published model combines housing with case management, peer support, workforce development, recovery meetings, and preparation for community life. This is a separate pathway from the Compass and Valley Oaks residential programs. Ask what clinical service a resident must attend, how transportation works, and how the residence responds if treatment needs change. Housing rules, fees, availability, and length of residence should be clarified directly; a clinical insurance benefit does not by itself confirm that a room is funded. Someone leaving another program should establish whether an application or further assessment is needed. Planning the next living arrangement early allows time to address employment, benefits, appointments, and the person’s own preferences.

Use the right office and plan the handoff

The current contact directory separates the Mat-Su office at 7010 East Bogard Road in Wasilla from the Homer office at 3964 Bartlett Street, Unit B. These office addresses do not identify every residential building. Use the contact associated with the requested program and obtain the actual arrival instructions before traveling.

The contact page describes responses within business hours rather than an emergency response service. If the first conversation results in a referral to another part of the organization, ask who receives the information, what records are needed, and when the next appointment or admission is confirmed. A family arranging a long stay should also clarify how routine updates work and who handles practical questions about child places, transportation, or benefits. When care ends or changes level, obtain the names of the receiving clinicians and a workable appointment schedule. Clear coordination between offices, housing, and clinical services is especially useful when a person is traveling between Mat-Su and Homer or returning to a community farther away.

Official program, assessment and contact pages reviewed October 19, 2026. Confirm current eligibility, child beds, clinical arrangements, location, coverage and costs for the selected service.

Related guides: co-occurring conditions and trauma and PTSD treatment.