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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The state psychiatric hospital has a new CEO. This will be the fifth leader of the embattled facility in the past four years. -
State 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. -
The 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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The state health department could be split in half under a bill that would break up the state’s largest agency. -
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.
