In the Matter of April S., a Minor

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed the superior court’s order, holding that the mental‑health counselor was a qualified expert witness for purposes of the Indian Child Welfare Act and that the child’s continued placement in a secure residential psychiatric facility satisfied Alaska’s statutory requirements. The Court reasoned that cultural expertise was plainly irrelevant given the child’s severe mental‑health needs, and it applied a de novo standard of review to the expert‑qualification issue.