State lawmakers declined to support two bills that would fundamentally change how Montanans are committed to the state psychiatric hospital.
The state health department asked the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee to support two bills that would change criminal and civil commitments to the Montana State Hospital.
The bills would require judges and county attorneys to commit people to local service providers before sending them to the state hospital for civil or criminal purposes. State health officials could also deny commitments if there are no available beds.
Judges have noted that there are no community providers available to take these patients. They also say that the state hospital is the only facility that can involuntarily medicate patients. That’s often needed in order to stabilize people with severe mental health conditions.
Lawmakers on the committee said the bills were too broad. The state health department could still find a bill sponsor on its own ahead of the session.
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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. -
Montanans living with severe mental illness are cycling in and out of ERs, jails, shelters and the state psychiatric hospital. Many never get the long-term help they need. One Missoula woman has been caught in that cycle for years. Her daughter uprooted her life to help. MTPR's Aaron Bolton brings us their story and reports on whether proposed reforms to the state mental health system offer them hope. -
Legislation that would allow the state psychiatric hospital to deny court-ordered commitments is on hold. State health officials and advocates disagree about whether more patients can be served in the community.
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State health officials want to add more facilities for discharged state hospital patients who need support reentering their community.
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A disability rights watchdog group is suing Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, saying it violated a Montana State Hospital patient’s right to vote.
