Researcher Helen Russette’s team on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation is studying why local youth turn to drugs and alcohol. They received roughly $1.2 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMSHA, to develop youth drug prevention programs.
Russette was stunned when she received an email Tuesday night saying her grant had been cut.
“We were very upset and confused. We didn’t know why we were terminated. Our program officer could not confirm or explain the rationale or the why we were terminated,” Russette said.
Then she received a letter Thursday saying her funding was restored. It didn’t include an explanation.
Missoula County also had funding cut, then returned. A roughly $4 million grant had been paying for youth crisis and mental health services in schools, said County Chief Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury.
“So, it does fund counselors, and peer support specialists and in-home support for folks in our school system here,” he said.
Lewis and Clark County said funding for a youth suicide prevention program had been restored as well.
