Mental Health

Big changes are on the horizon for Montana’s mental and behavioral health system. Lawmakers this year made major policy changes and investments into what many have called a broken system.

Southwest Montana will soon have an inpatient psychiatric unit for adults. The facility will be the only one of its kind in the region.

The law requires health insurance companies to cover mental health and physical health at the same level. Montana PBS's Anna Rau looked into whether or not that's happening and how it affects Montanans. She sat down with MTPR's Elinor Smith to explain.

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.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human services is canceling over $11 billion worth of COVID-era grants. Some of those cuts are impacting the state, but it’s unclear how much funding is lost.

It can be hard to get people in a severe mental health crisis the treatment they need. Many times, the only option is the state psychiatric hospital. A bill moving through the Legislature could give communities a faster option closer to home.

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn joins ‘A New Angle’ host Justin Angle and ‘Grounding’ host Sarah Aronson in Studio A for a live pledge week episode that centers climate: anxiety, ethics, and care.

The state’s only psychiatric hospital for adults won’t apply for federal recertification for at least another year. Construction at the Montana State Hospital is holding up the process.

The state is delaying plans to expand mental and behavioral health services through a federal program.

In the fourth and final pilot episode of ‘Grounding: Conversations on Mental Health and Mother Earth,’ host Sarah Aronson is joined by ‘Grounding’ producer Jake Birch and guests to explore caregiving in this time of climate change.