Links to Mental Health Related Stories in Montana Newspapers
August 1, 2006 to December 10, 2006
(From Google News Search -- Links to stories may no longer be active -- Please email to webmaster@wsaamt.org)
(Notes are in RED)

Reader's Alley
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA - Dec 10, 2006
Letter to the editor from
Betty Routzahn thanking supporters for donations to CMH-Helena's Thanksgiving dinner
... numerous individuals. Thanksgiving came early for over 200 clients of the Center for Mental Health-Helena, this year. On Nov. 21 ...

Tour homes decked in holiday spirit
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Dec 9, 2006
About Voices of Hope crisis line's 18th annual Holiday Home Promenade
Voices of Hope is the suicide prevention hotline for Montana -- 800-273-TALK
... hour line people can call during a crisis. Many calls are suicide and/or mental health related. "I think we got over 5,000 calls ...

Screening for teens
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA - Dec 6, 2006
... The Helena Suicide Prevention Coalition — composed of 47 representatives from schools, public health, social services, mental health and concerned citizens ...

Gazette Opinion: Give seriously ill Montanans a holiday lift
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Dec 6, 2006
Gifts With A Lift for residents at Montana State Hospital--NAMI-Montana is coordinating the program with the hospital staff.
... visit. They are also distant from familiar surroundings and away from their local doctors, therapists and mental-health services. ...

There's a $900 million gorilla in our living room
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Dec 1, 2006
... Especially problematical are the number of Montana children without health insurance and a bogged-down, overcrowded mental health-care system. ...

Expert: More cells won't end crowding in jails
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Nov 30, 2006
... The committee's goal is to bring together a diverse group, including mental health and substance abuse treatment providers, to look for new ways to reduce crime ...

Parties pick leaders with control of House unknown
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Nov 28, 2006
... Parker said Democrats' priorities will be property tax relief, education, health care and mental health. Schweitzer, in his talk ...
Governor says: "...chuckholes in mental health.  All of these critical needs have got to be filled"

Legislative priorities on agenda
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Nov 27, 2006
Billings City Council to decide on supporting state legislation for mental health and co-occurring disorder funding.
... Pushing for funding for state 911 Commission recommendations, family court drug legislation, and programs to address mental health problems and co-occurring ...

Caring kids set an example for homeless in Billings
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Nov 27, 2006
... Gwen Pederson, who supervises PATH through the Mental Health Center, estimates that 4,000 to 5,000 adults were homeless in Billings during the course of this ...

State budget is more than a bunch of numbers
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Nov 24, 2006
... spending, with modest increases for K-12 education (more on that in a moment), a college tuition freeze and a significant infusion for mental-health care, both ...

Federal judge rejects Las Vegas ban on feeding homeless in parks
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA - Nov 21, 2006
Is this the prevailing view that helping the homeless will keep them from getting social services, including mental health assistance?  Could the problem really be the lack of access to services???
...Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said handouts discourage homeless people from seeking help from social service providers set up to handle mental health and substance abuse problems. Neighbors had complained of large numbers of homeless people congregating at downtown parks, drawn by groups providing meals....

Turkey about to take center stage
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 21, 2006
Jon Ebelt IR Staff Photographer - Phyllis Gibson, left, of the Center for Mental Health helps serve food for those attending the annual Thanksgiving feast. ...

Class delves into suicide prevention
The Havre Daily News, MT - Nov 21, 2006
... Two groups of students are mainly at risk. Those that come in with diagnosed mental illness and the second group that develop a mental illness while attending. ...

National search for dog ends in Sheridan
Billings Gazette,  USA - Nov 20, 2006
... Health providers at the Roseburg VA Health Care System don't normally assign companion dogs to mental health patients, but a nurse gave Green a handwritten ...

Federal judge rejects Las Vegas ban on feeding homeless in parks
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 20, 2006
... Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said handouts discourage homeless people from seeking help from social service providers set up to handle mental health and ...

Budget windfall changes the challenge - Sunday, November 19, 2006
The Missoulian - Missoula,MT,USA
... His budget also includes $56 million in new spending for mental health facilities and programs, $40 million for corrections, $15 million for state parks and ...

Surplus spurs rainy-day fund
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 18, 2006
... It bolsters funds for mental health care and public safety, provides for a base state-employee salary increase of 3 percent, chips away at projected retirement ...

Budget windfall changes the challenge - Sunday, November 19, 2006
The Missoulian, MT - Nov 18, 2006
... His budget also includes $56 million in new spending for mental health facilities and programs, $40 million for corrections, $15 million for state parks and ...

Largest archive of Nazi prison camp records opened
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 18, 2006
... the Nazi persecution grew to assembly-line proportions, slaughtering 6 million Jews and an equal number of Gypsies, homosexuals, mental patients, political ...

Say goodbye to Hollywood: Woman tells her story of trying to ...
The Missoulian, MT - Nov 18, 2006
... 'I've had mine up for sale, but no one wants to buy it,' said Johnson, who works at the nonprofit Western Montana Mental Health Center and waitresses on ...

Montana-themed gallery to open downtown
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Nov 18, 2006
... another addition to Legion Ball Park and remodeling office space for the Center for Medical Health, formerly Golden Triangle Community Mental Health Center. ...

UM president airs concern over students' mental health
Billings Gazette,  USA - Nov 18, 2006
... Dennison raised the mental-health concern during a time the regents set aside to hear campus administrators' remarks about specific matters at their ...

Woman pleads guilty in murder
The Missoulian, MT - Nov 18, 2006
... 'Acting under the influence of extreme mental or emotional stress for which there is a reasonable explanation or excuse, ie chronic spousal abuse, I ...

UM president says concern about students' mental health rising
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 18, 2006
... Dennison raised the mental-health concern during a time the regents set aside to hear campus administrators' remarks about specific matters at their ...

Concerns rising about UM students' mental health
Billings Gazette,  USA - Nov 17, 2006
... Dennison raised the mental-health concern during a time the regents set aside to hear campus administrators' remarks about specific matters at their ...

We must do more to pull children from poverty
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Nov 17, 2006
... It can be triggered or exacerbated by medical emergencies, drug or alcohol abuse, low-paying jobs, single parenthood, mental illness or criminal incarceration. ...

Schweitzer's budget calls for more spending; Proposed increase ...
The Missoulian - Missoula,MT,USA
... Schweitzer proposed pumping $56 million into mental health services, including expanding community mental health services and dealing with overcrowding at the ...

Number of depressed students concerns UM leaders
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 16, 2006
... our arms around this issue.'  Mental health issues have taken a toll on student enrollment, Dennison said. According to a chart ...

Regents / High student depression rates prompt hiring of ...
The Missoulian, MT - Nov 16, 2006
... our arms around this issue.'  Mental health issues have taken a toll on student enrollment, Dennison said. According to a chart ...

Governor's budget hits $1.6 billion
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Nov 16, 2006
... The governor's budget also includes plans to upgrade the state computer system, put more money into mental health programs, purchase land for fishing and ...

Governor proposes tax cuts, education funding increases in budget
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 16, 2006
... The governor's budget also includes plans to upgrade the state computer system, put more money into mental health programs, purchase land for fishing and ...

State links addiction, mental-illness treatment
Daily Inter Lake - Kalispell,MT,USA - Nov 15, 2006
Presentation from Mary Jane Fox with Montana’s AMDD came at the Kalispell Mental Health LAC

... lives. Fox said the risk of suicide goes up phenomenally when a person has a mental illness and abuses drugs and/or alcohol. Other ...

Governor's new state budget pushes savings, education
Billings Gazette,  USA - Nov 15, 2006
... Schweitzer proposed putting $56 million into mental-health services, including expanding those at the community level and dealing with overcrowding at the ...

Gov proposes spending cap, savings plan
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 15, 2006
... Schweitzer proposed pumping $56 million into mental health services, including expanding community mental health services and dealing with overcrowding at the ...

Schweitzer's budget calls for more spending; Proposed increase ...
The Missoulian, MT - Nov 15, 2006
... Schweitzer proposed pumping $56 million into mental health services, including expanding community mental health services and dealing with overcrowding at the ...

Medicare prescription drug plan sign-up period starts Wednesday
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Nov 14, 2006
... Restrictions on mental health drugs vary from plan to plan and have put some participants in a bind. "It's a cruel and devastating ...

It's all about control: Eating disorder offers lesson for all ...
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 14, 2006
... I can't learn to do it, it's not possible for me, it's not a choice," said Dr. Chris Gordon, medical director of Advocates, the large mental health agency that ...

Surplus spurs rainy-day fund
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA - Nov 11, 2006
Article about the governor's proposed budget which includes increased spending for mental health.
... It bolsters funds for mental health care and public safety, provides for a base state-employee salary increase of 3 percent, chips away at projected retirement ...

Mom in Calif. Drownings to Begin Trial
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 11, 2006
... body.". Her family says Harris is mentally ill and needs to be treated in a mental institution, rather than incarcerated in a prison. ...

Gazette Opinion: Billings holiday helpers must start their work ...
Billings Gazette,  USA - Nov 11, 2006
... Sandra Hartman, formerly of the Mental Health Center Foundation, has been hired as Family Service Inc.'s new executive director. ...

Mother accused of throwing kids into San Francisco Bay pleads ...
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 11, 2006
... body.  Her family says Harris is mentally ill and needs to be treated in a mental institution, rather than incarcerated in a prison. ...

Guest Opinion: Help available for people who have lost loved ones ...
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Nov 11, 2006
Guest Editorial that talked about her's brother suicide in 1993.
"Over time, I've come to learn that more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have an illness such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or substance abuse - sometimes diagnosed, sometimes not."
Opinions from readers are also informative.
... an underlying illness. Just as people can die of heart disease or cancer, they can die as a consequence of mental illness. I've ...

We must do more to pull children from poverty
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Nov 11, 2006
Editorial about helping Montana children (1 in 5) out of proverty.  Emphasis is on education.
... It can be triggered or exacerbated by medical emergencies, drug or alcohol abuse, low-paying jobs, single parenthood, mental illness or criminal incarceration. ...
...Other solutions for pulling families out of poverty range from better options for mental health care, to more accessible treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, to stronger programs helping people transition from prison to the work force....

Ravalli Republic Online
Powell testified that Rose met regularly with mental health staff twice a week and that, to her knowledge, he was receiving proper medication. ...

Andy Hunthausen trumps Liane Taylor for county commissioner
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 8, 2006
... School counselor, sought to broaden the race and often spoke about other issues affecting the county, such as rural health care, education, mental-health issues ...

Gazette Opinion: Volunteers boost mental health
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Nov 8, 2006
Aged 84, Nora Hanson is helping to restart the MMHA's Sweet Grass-Stillwater chapter
... 30 years ago, Nora Hanson of Big Timber and her friend, Grace Leuthold of Molt, founded the Sweet Grass-Stillwater chapter of the Mental Health Association of ...

Social services coordinator creates a learning environment for all
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 7, 2006
... of children on youth-related issues such as learning and academic achievement, behavior and discipline, problem solving and social skills, mental health and ...

ACROSS THE BIG SKY
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Nov 6, 2006
... BOZEMAN ” A group home for adults with mental illnesses is nearing closure but the shutdown will not occur before all residents have new places to live, the ...

Montana news briefs
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 6, 2006
... BOZEMAN (AP) _ A group home for adults with mental illnesses is nearing closure but the shutdown will not occur before all residents have new places to live ...

Shaping the futures of 2 schools
Daily Inter Lake, MT - Nov 6, 2006
... Tentatively, it allows transfers because of mental or physical health problems, academic program offerings, and school officials' directives for a student to ...

Bozeman group home closing
Billings Gazette,  USA - Nov 6, 2006
BOZEMAN - A group home for adults with mental illnesses is nearing closure but the shutdown will not occur before all residents have new places to live, the ...

City Lights: Homeless man's death diminishes us
Billings Gazette,  USA - Nov 4, 2006
... He had glasses and a beard, and he usually wore a hat. He spent much of the day at the library or the Hub, a drop-in center run by the Mental Health Center. ...

A fond farewell
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 3, 2006
It occurred to me last week as I listened to David Kaczynski speak at the mental health conference at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel that, in a way, I'd come ...

Ravalli Republic Online
Story about Eddy Meuchel who was honored by have the new group home in Hamilton named after him.
Around the same time, the mental health center was established in Hamilton and Eddy moved into the Manor. Thecla visited every now and then before her death ...

Missoula County Sheriff: Don Morman and Mike McMeekin
Clark Fork Chronicle, MT - Nov 2, 2006
... work with that. We estimate that 50 percent of our inmates suffer from a mental illness or a behavioral disorder. We spend more ...

Novelist William Styron Dies at 81
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 2, 2006
... experiences _ including speculating that some of his early characters grew out of his own depression _ and other writers who have suffered from mental illness. ...

Shelby Civic Center packed with people who wanted to know more ...
Shelby Promoter, MT - Nov 1, 2006
... Other booths at the fair this year were Disaster and Emergency Services, Center for Mental Health and Hi-Line Help for Abused Spouses. ...

House fire one of many hurdles caretaker faces
Polson Lake County Leader, MT - Nov 1, 2006
... for her 89-year-old stepmother and 36-year-old nephew, a full-time job that means she's part home care nurse, cook, housecleaner, mental health advocate and ...

Justice of the Peace: Casey Gunter and Karen Orzech
Clark Fork Chronicle, MT - Nov 1, 2006
... In fact, this evening I have to go to another meeting because I'm getting additional training in addiction, mental health, poverty and violence, which are all ...

Voters will elect candidates, decide ballot issues
Laurel Outlook, MT - Nov 1, 2006
... of the Montana Transportation Commission, the Montana Association of Counties Health, Human Services and Labor Committee, the South Central Mental Health Board ...

Landmark Govt. Study Examines Depression
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 1, 2006
... Journal of Psychiatry. About 15 million Americans each year suffer depression, the nation's top mental health problem. Drugs to ...

Hunthausen says growth not county’s only issue
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 1, 2006
... A licensed clinical professional counselor, Hunthausen ran a private practice and worked for Golden Triangle Community Mental Health before joining the Helena ...

Man who attempted suicide suing jail
Helena Independent Record, MT - Nov 1, 2006
... lawsuit alleges. He was later admitted to the state mental hospital in Warm Springs and again given his medication. Oldham said ...


Man who attempted suicide suing jail
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Oct 31, 2006
... lawsuit alleges. He was later admitted to the state mental hospital in Warm Springs and again given his medication. Oldham said ...

Pain of the past
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 31, 2006
... Here were mental health professionals, men and women whose job it was to relieve the emotional pain of others, sharing their own deeply felt pain with a group ...

We suggest Taylor, Liedle
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 31, 2006
... affairs. For instance, she is involved with the United Way and is a member of the local Advisory Committee for Mental Health. As ...

Open house set for grad students
Billings Gazette,  USA - Oct 30, 2006
... to talk about graduate degrees offered in the areas of health administration, sport management/athletic training, rehabilitation and mental health counseling ...


Council sends Rimrock case to court
Billings Gazette,  USA - Oct 28, 2006
Rimrock Foundation asked district court to rule on Billing's denying their zoning request to
open a residental treatment home.

... people undergoing treatment for alcohol and drug addiction are considered disabled, along with other protected classes, such as people with mental or physical ...

David Kaczynski talks about Unabomber's mental illness
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 28, 2006
HELENA, Mont. - David Kaczynski says letters from people affected by mental illness helped him deal with the anguish of telling the FBI he suspected his ...

David Kaczynski talks about Unabomber's mental illness
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Oct 27, 2006
HELENA (AP)  David Kaczynski says letters from people affected by mental illness helped him deal with the anguish of telling the FBI he suspected his ...

ACROSS the BIG SKY
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Oct 27, 2006
... giving away money. The older man did not appear to have a criminal record but was suffering from some mental problems, Garner said.

Shodair dedicates new acute care facility
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 27, 2006
... bringing its payroll to nearly 290 employees. The new positions include doctors, nurses and mental
health specialists, Casey said.

Man Torches Ore. Church During Service
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 27, 2006
... Trial testimony indicated Chan thought he was acting under God's orders. Mental health experts testified he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. ...

Names released in murder-suicide
Billings Gazette,  USA - Oct 27, 2006
... giving away money. The older man did not appear to have a criminal record but was suffering from some mental problems, Garner said.

David Kaczynski talks about Unabomber's mental illness
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA
HELENA, Mont. - David Kaczynski says letters from people affected by mental illness helped him deal with the anguish of telling the FBI he suspected his ...

Life of Ted Kaczynski a story of mental illness, brother says
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... David Kaczynski, right, takes time to visit with an audience member after speaking during Friday's annual Montana State Conference on Mental Illness at the Red ...

Police release names of men killed in apparent Kalispell murder ...
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... giving away money. The older man did not appear to have a criminal record but was suffering from some mental problems, Garner said.

Two men dead in apparent murder-suicide in Kalispell
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... giving away money. The older man did not appear to have a criminal record but was suffering from some mental problems, Garner said.

Ex-Aide Accused of Stripping Gets Prison
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... At least some of the children had mental disabilities, authorities said. White has been jailed since her arrest in April 2005. St. ...

Help for 'kids in crisis;' Shodair dedicates $3.9m wing
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... nearly 290 employees. The new positions include doctors, nurses and mental health specialists, according to Casey. Renee Hofeldt ...

Authorities identify men in apparent murder-suicide in Kalispell
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... giving away money. The older man did not appear to have a criminal record but was suffering from some mental problems, Garner said.

Community Health Clinic short on funds
Great Falls Tribune, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... "By 2007, several of our programs will be in the red, unless we do something.". Mental patients are increasingly seeking care at the county clinic. ...

Livingston legislative race pits medic vs. filmmaker
Billings Gazette,  USA - Oct 26, 2006
... employees and incentives to employers. "I will advocate for mental health programs that have been underfunded since 1992," he said.

Murder-suicide claims 2 Police say elderly Kalispell resident shot ...
Daily Inter Lake, MT - Oct 26, 2006
... 'I thought so until today.�'  Garner said police have no criminal history on the father. He was suffering from some mental problems, Garner said. ...

· Initiatives await court ...
Billings Outpost, MT - Oct 25, 2006
... for any reason. Currently, judges can be recalled for limited reasons such as mental illness or criminal behavior. Supporters say ...

Saturday, October 28
Billings Outpost, MT - Oct 25, 2006
... The book, 'A Legacy of Caring,'� chronicles the ranch's transformation from a family style ranch to a nationally recognized mental health facility serving ...

Big Skyence
Helena Independent Record, MT - Oct 24, 2006
... Another psychiatrist, more nurses, a mental health therapist, teacher and a teacher's aide, a recreation aide and support staff will be added. ...

Shodair addition to be dedicated
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Oct 22, 2006
... Shodair is a key provider of mental health services in the state, providing early intervention and diagnosis of children, and working with family, guardians ...
Court unseals documents in case of man who choked to death at ...
The Missoulian - Missoula,MT,USA - Oct 21, 2006
Case of TLS argued by Montana Advocacy Program
... ordered the release of previously sealed court documents relating to a developmentally disabled man's illegal commitment to a state mental institution, where ...

Emotionally injured vets clogging underfunded system, new reports ...
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Oct 20, 2006
Story about system treating PTSD in returning veterns in Montana
...
The number of veterans with other types of possible mental health and readjustment problems also doubled, and in some cases tripled, the report said. ...

Ravalli Republic Online - Archived Story Oct. 20, 2006
From story on debate between state representative candidates in Ravalli County
“Young people don't get mental health care they need and end up in prison,” he said. Maclaren also touted health care as a top priority, specifically tax ...

Mental health center trains support specialists
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Oct 20, 2006
First group of the "Corps of Recovery" in Great Falls.
The Center for Mental Health invites the public to a graduation Friday for peer support specialists. The specialists are people ...

David Kaczynski set to speak
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA - Oct 18, 2006
Article about the upcoming Montana Mental Health Conference
Keynote speakers ranging from the brother of the Unabomber to the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will be in Helena next ...

Montana Guardsmen bring home hidden wounds
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Oct 16, 2006
... Charles Hoge, recently told Congress that 41 percent of returning National Guardsmen and reservists raised concerns about their mental health in a survey taken ...

Officers honored for service to domestic, sexual violence victims
By CAROLYNN BRIGHT - IR Staff Writer - 10/13/06
Dennis Nyland oversees Helena's Crisis Response Team and is a member of CIT.
Lewis and Clark County Deputy Dennis Nyland and Helena Police Officer Brett Petty were honored Thursday as the Helena Family Violence Council’s Peace Officers of the Year at a ceremony in the Montana Supreme Court Chambers.

Guest Opinion: Health-care professionals must increase awareness of domestic violence in U.S.
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Oct 17, 2006
... In the US, medical and mental health costs associated with domestic violence are estimated to be $5.8 billion dollars annually. ...

Peer specialists complete training
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Oct 13, 2006
... Hewitt is one of 13 people who graduates today as a peer support specialist from a training offered at the Center for Mental Health, formerly Golden Triangle ...

Mental health screenings target teens at risk
The Missoulian - Missoula,MT,USA - Oct 3, 2006
The national Mental Health Screening Day outreach is a quick and convenient way to spot signs of depression, bi-polar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder ...

MSU-B, Social Security help disabled find work
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Sept. 29, 2006
Article about continuation of a program that helps disabled, including those with mental illness, find work.
... People with every type of disability - including physical, mental health, developmental and traumatic brain injury - will be eligible for the program, Sampson ...

Helena man finds support for mental illness with family, NAMI ...
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA - Sept 29, 2006
... According to Fleming, his descent into the throes of mental illness was slow and subtle at first, but gathered speed at an alarming rate. ...

RMDC pushes for better mental health services
Queen City News - Helena,MT,USA - Sept 28, 2006
... According to Curt Chisholm and Elaine Bruce of the Rocky Mountain Development Council, community-based mental health evaluation and treatment facilities are ...

NAMI Walk is Sunday at the Capitol
Queen City News - Helena,MT,USA - Sept 28, 2006
Curt Chisholm is also a member of NAMI Montana (the National Alliance on Mental Illness Montana chapter), which sponsors the annual NAMI Walk to raise money to ...

Black Eagle standoff ends peacefully
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Sept. 23, 2006
... Tuss is hard of hearing and his mental illness has escalated in recent years, according to authorities. He was alone in the house. ...

Prevention Resource Center Hot News
State of Montana -- Sept 22, 2006
Grants Advance Integration of School and Mental Health Systems
U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has announced new FY 2006 grants to state and local educational agencies and Indian tribes intended to increase student access to quality mental health care by developing innovative approaches that link school systems with local mental health systems.

To obtain further information and access a list of the FY 2006 new grant awards, visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/mentalhealth/fy2006awards.html

Police in stand-off with possibly armed Black Eagle man
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls,MT,USA - Sept. 22, 2006
... authorities. Tuss, who is hard of hearing and has a history of mental illness, did not fire the gun at anyone, deputies said. Authorities ...

Community education meeting planned
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Aug 10, 2006
In Bozeman, Montana Project to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities
... University-Billings, the Montana Independent Living Program's Bozeman office, the Network Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse and the Bozeman Mental Health Local ...

New mental illness support group planned
Billings Gazette - MT, USA - Aug 8, 2006
NAMI-Billings (National Alliance on Mental Illness ) will have a new support group for families of people with mental illness, beginning Thursday from 7 pm to 8 ...

Area mental health services get 200K boost from DPHHS
By CAROLYNN BRIGHT - IR Staff Writer - 07/01/06
A Helena group has been named the recipient of almost $208,000 in grant money from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to support community-based crisis response for people suffering from severe disabling mental illness.
The Rocky Mountain Development Council submitted a plan to the state’s Addictive and Mental Disorders Division earlier this year for a cut of $875,000 earmarked by the 2005 Legislature for that purpose.

Mental health group submits proposal to state
By CAROLYNN BRIGHT - IR Staff Writer - 05/23/2006
Helena's Proposal for Crisis Response that was funded in June 2006
A Helena group charged with developing a system for assisting mentally ill people in crisis in the tri-county area has submitted a request to the state for $300,500 to help make the group's vision a reality.
The proposal submitted to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services by the Lewis and Clark County Mental Health Crisis Response Program and Facility Partnership Steering Committee advocates a three-pronged approach to addressing the community's needs.

No quick fixes
By CAROLYNN BRIGHT - IR Staff Writer - 09/17/04
Article about initial CIT for Montana officers
Facilitating training for law enforcement officers to more effectively deal with mentally ill men and women— and establishing a safe place for officers to take those people to get proper services— have become the focal points for a local group charged with addressing Helena's mental health crisis.

Support those helping others
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA - Sept 17, 2006
"According to the Montana Council on Homelessness, a January survey identified 316 homeless people living in Helena, up significantly from 171 a year before.
They included veterans, men and women, children and seniors...."
33 percent say they are fighting mental illness.
14 percent report an alcohol or drug problem. ...

Mental health volunteers: ‘We're done'
By CAROLYNN BRIGHT - IR Staff Writer - 03/20/05
Volunteer members of the Helena Mental Health Local Advisory Council (LAC) agreed at their February meeting that they have done their part to raise awareness about what needs to happen to repair the breakdown in services.
Now, it's time for someone with the necessary professional and financial backing to take up the cause — to build a crisis facility in Helena.

Health dept. cuts help finances
By ERICKA SCHENCK SMITH, IR State Bureau
AMDD get $3.3million cut in 2002....
HELENA — The latest round of program cuts planned for the state health department should keep the agency from overspending its share of state money this biennium, a memo compiled by department staff shows.
So far, the department has come up with a total of $3.3 million in reductions for the Addictive and Mental Disorders Division....