Update on Legislative Study of Montana's Public Institutions

NAMI Montana friends:

I wanted to give you a quick update on the legislative study of Montana’s public institutions. The Children, Families and Health and Human Services Interim Committee met yesterday. This was the first public testimony on the study that NAMI Montana worked with Representative Jenny Eck to create.  I’m more than a little biased but it was a really promising start. There are great legislators from both parties on this Committee and they are already well-versed in mental illness policy making issues.  The heads of DPHHS and the Department of Corrections both said that the study was going to be essential in reviewing current practices and designing for the future.

We’ve got a lot way to go with this process.  (See the rough study plan here - http://leg.mt.gov/content/Committees/Interim/2013-2014/Children-Family/Committee-Topics/HJR16/hjr16-draft-study-plan-june2013.pdf).  It’s going to be a lot of work, but there is a big potential pay off in creating a more compassionate and effective treatment system for Montana’s future.  Special thanks to Representative Jenny Eck  who carried the study bill. Patty Jacques and John Wilkinson whose incredible testimony yesterday about their families helped put the issue in extremely real and tangible terms. 

Click on this link, http://leg.mt.gov/css/Lyris/email_logon.asp, to receive email updates about this Committee to see how you can stay involved.

Thanks,

matt

Matt Kuntz

Executive Director

NAMI Montana