A bill that would increase independent oversight of the Montana State Hospital passed the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill would automatically send reports of abuse, neglect, death and other incidents at the state hospital to Disability Rights Montana within five days.
The state hospital lost federal oversight and funding last year following patient deaths. Disability Rights Montana Executive Director Bernie Franks-Ongoy says that loss makes her organization’s role in protecting state hospital patients even more important.
“Previous to this, we had to know about the incident and then make a request for the records,” she said.
She adds that this bill would make sure Disability Rights Montana knows about all incidents of neglect and abuse at the facility. The bill will now move to the House for consideration.
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Josh BurnhamMontana Health officials have selected Laurel as location for a new $26.5 million state mental health treatment facility. The health department was looking for a location in the eastern portion of the state. The facility is intended to help address a backlog at the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs. -
Aaron BoltonThe state psychiatric hospital has a new CEO. This will be the fifth leader of the embattled facility in the past four years. -
Shaylee RagarState lawmakers have overridden Gov. Greg Gianforte’s veto of a bill that will pay county jails for holding inmates awaiting space at the state psychiatric hospital. -
Aaron BoltonThe state health department is offering $6.5 million in grant funds to help county jails offer mental health evaluations, medication and stabilization services to inmates. The hope is that inmates on the waiting list for care at the Montana State Hospital can get that care in jail instead.
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Josh BurnhamThe state health department could be split in half under a bill that would break up the state’s largest agency.
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Montanans with severe mental illnesses that are accused of crimes can languish in jail for more than a year as they wait for a bed at the state psychiatric hospital. New legislation would build a facility for those patients in eastern Montana.
