Disability Rights Montana

A disability rights watchdog group is suing Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, saying it violated a Montana State Hospital patient’s right to vote.

States like Montana struggle to get information about abuse and neglect inside residential foster care facilities like group homes and emergency shelters.

Workers in state-run medical facilities will soon get a raise. This comes as the state struggles to hire permanent medical workers, but state health officials have a plan to recruit and retain more staff.

State lawmakers this week voted to override vetoes of two bills aimed at improving care at the Montana State Hospital. A watchdog group says conditions at the hospital aren’t improving.

Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed a bill that would send a watchdog group all reports of neglect, abuse, injuries and deaths at the Montana State Hospital.

Patient injuries, abuse, and neglect have continued at the Montana State Hospital since the state-run psychiatric facility lost its federal certification due to preventable patient deaths. But state officials won’t release details, citing laws making those reports confidential.

A bill that would increase independent oversight of the Montana State Hospital passed the Senate on Tuesday.

The state’s only psychiatric hospital for adults has been discharging patients to homeless shelters with no plan for care and sometimes without medications, according to a report from a designated watchdog group.

The amended agreement with Alvarez & Marsal went into effect Oct 1.

The Montana State Hospital’s top administrator Kyle Fouts will no longer oversee operations starting May 9. The change comes after federal officials pulled funding at the Warm Springs facility due to patient safety issues.