The Behavioral Health Systems for Future Generations Commission, of which I am a proud representative from Billings, Montana, is working to reform our mental health system. By gathering insights from experts and communities across the state, we are shaping reforms to better support families facing developmental disabilities and mental health challenges.
One of our recent meetings 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 some 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, ultimately easing the burden on emergency departments. 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.