Montana health officials have released a report outlining ways the state could improve its mental health crisis system. The state is following through on some of the larger recommendations.
The report says the state needs to raise Medicaid rates and add more reimbursable mental health services in order to increase the number of communities willing to offer crisis services. Lagging Medicaid rates is what led one of the state’s largest mental health providers to recently close several crisis beds.
The Montana state health department commissioned the report from The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, or WICHE.
Matt Kuntz with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Montana says, “It’s clear that we have to take desperate measures to rebuild our crisis programs in Montana.”
There are efforts to improve the state’s crisis system.
Bills that would allow marijuana tax dollars to pay for crisis beds and raise Medicaid rates are moving through the Legislature. The state health department is working to gain Medicaid reimbursement for mobile crisis response teams by July.
The state health department is also participating in a federal pilot program for 24/7 clinics that offer comprehensive mental health care. Mary Windecker with the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana says that model would keep up with the cost of care and require those facilities to offer crisis services.
“They would really add that full continuum of care from crisis response, crisis stabilization and then aftercare,” Windecker said.
The state is due to find out later this month if it will receive a federal grant to roll out that clinic system across the state.
