As a representative from Billings, Montana, I am proud to be a member of the Behavioral Health Systems for Future Generations Commission, which is working to transform our mental health system. Our goal is to better support families facing developmental disabilities and mental health challenges by gathering insights from experts and communities across the state.
During one of our recent meetings, I emphasized the importance of holding statewide meetings to ensure broad participation in our work. Our assemblies in Kalispell, Billings, Helena, and Havre have touched on various aspects of mental health, including developmental disabilities, children’s mental health, insights from Native American communities, and workforce development.
With input from mental health experts and families, the commission is focusing on several crucial Near-Term Initiatives (NTI’s) such as funding community-based court-ordered evaluations (COE) and stabilization services. This initiative aims to ensure individuals receive prompt and comprehensive assessments closer to home, reducing the pressure on state hospitals and providing quicker intervention and support.
Additionally, the commission is funding existing mobile crisis providers to enhance on-the-spot intervention capabilities and offering grants to crisis-receiving and stabilization providers to expand their capacity. Other NTIs include partnering with universities and the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a crisis curriculum for all crisis workers, providing essential training to improve crisis intervention quality, supporting providers in training their workforce to assist individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), and helping Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) obtain certification to deliver specialized services for individuals with IDD.
As we continue our work towards transforming our mental health system, I remain committed to ensuring that the voices of those who need support are heard loudest. Together with my fellow commission members and stakeholders across the state, we will continue to make progress towards a brighter future for all Montanans.
