mental health

Missoula County on Tuesday agreed to apply revenue from a mental health mill levied by the county in 1999 to support the opening of the Riverwalk Crisis Center.

After years of planning, Missoula will finally have a designated facility open to patients experiencing a mental health crisis when a 13-bed receiving center opens next month.

Students at the four schools will have on-site access to mental health services, substance use disorder services, and support to address health-related social needs, including access to food and housing, or to sign up for health insurance.

In 2021, Montana lawmakers declined to advance a bill that would have established a phone fee and corresponding revenue account to fund 988 ahead of its launch.

Like other states, Montana has struggled to fund and regulate options for behavioral health care for adolescents.

The bill would create a special state fund devoted to supporting behavioral health services, including community-based facilities and providers that serve people with developmental disabilities or behavioral health issues.

NAMI writes, "Here in Montana, crisis services are underfunded, mental health agencies are understaffed, and the most common treatment facility for persons with mental illness is the detention center."

A bill that would allow students enrolled in Montana public schools to be excused for mental health reasons is locked in a fight over an amendment that would require a medical diagnosis to qualify for an excused absence.

Members of the Missoula City Council on Wednesday approved a contract allowing the county to provide roughly $130,000 to help fund the Mobile Support Team in Fiscal Year 2024.

The House rejected a bill Monday that would have provided students in Montana’s middle and high schools with mental health screenings.