News
NAMI Montana strives to bring you news stories regarding severe mental illness on both the state, national, and international levels. The information and opinions expressed in these pages is provided for information purposes only ~ not as an endorsement by NAMI Montana. Please let us know if there is an article that we should post up on the site by emailing info@namimt.org.
Top Stories
Mental Health Funding Not Cut (Helena IR, 1-29-10) DPHHS's Director's Op-Ed on Montana's spending on mental illnesses.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished (Helena IR, 1-24-10) Matt Kuntz's Op-Ed thanking Senator Baucus for working for Montana's families affected by serious mental illness.
Baucus, Tester Offer No Road Map on Health Reform (Helena IR, 1-21-10) The day after Republicans torpedoed national Democrats’ health-reform plans by winning the Massachusetts Senate race, Montana’s two Democratic U.S. senators had no clear plan for moving forward on the issue — although they said reform still needs to be tackled.
Obama Weighs Paring Goals for Healthcare Bill (NY Times, 1-21-10) President Obama might be willing to scale back his proposed health care overhaul to a version that could attract bipartisan support.
Biomarker for PTSD Discovered (Psych Central News, 1-21-10) University of Minnesota and Minneapolis VA Medical Center scientists were able to objectively diagnose PTSD using magnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive measurement of magnetic fields in the brain.
Don't Cut Mental Health Services (Helena IR, 1-20-10) Independent Record's powerful editorial asking the Governor not to cut mental health services.
Army Wives Battle with Their Own Mental Health (NPR website, 1-20-10) Article about how deployments can affect the mental health of the family members of deployed soldiers.
Law Brings Addiction, Mental Care Into Parity (Billings Gazette, 1-17-10) Mental-health care for thousands of Montanans covered by group health insurance plans will be more affordable in 2010 thanks to a new federal law.
Baucus Shows Support of Mental Health (Billings Gazette, 1-16-10) NAMI Montana's Op-Ed thanking Senator Baucus for fighting to care for Montanans with serious mental illness.
U.S. Sees Increase in Suicide Rate Among Young Veterans (AP, 1-12-09) This is sad, but predictable news for 2005-2007. The good news is that treatment lowered the suicide rate.
Study: Youth Now Have More Mental Health Issues (Helena IR, 1-11-10) A new study has found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era.
We're Not Going Anywhere (Helena IR, 1-9-10) Day Treatment will continue in Helena despite budget cuts.
Mentally Ill Face Big Cuts In Services (Billings Gazette, 1-9-10) Services that help more than 500 mentally ill people in central Montana live independently have been slashed by 80 percent, and a 30-year-old day program in Billings could be eliminated altogether.
DPHHS Hires New State Hospital Administrator (DPHHS News Release) John Glueckert is hired as Montana State Hospital Administrator at Warm Springs.
Park County Inmate Death Ruled a Suicide (Bozeman Chronicle, 1-8-10) A seven-person jury of a coroner's inquest has determined that the July death of a Park County Detention Center inmate was suicide.
Mental Health Centers May Face Closure (GF Tribune, 1-8-10) State of Montana cuts funding for day treatment programs.
Budget Surplus Nearing Red Ink (Helena IR, 1-7-10) Montana's budget surplus dwindles and the Governor asks state agencies to cut 5% of their budget.
Advocates Seek Shelter for Homeless Families (Helena IR, 1-7-10) Article on the lack of emergency housing for homeless families in Helena.
Juvenile Injustice (NY Times, 1-6-10) Editorial arguing that New York should abandon its prison-style juvenile facilities and shift resources and children to therapeutic programs located in their communities. Article is pertinent to the current discussion of how to care for Montana's children with serious mental illness who are involved with the justice system.
Drugs May Aid Only Severe Depression, Analysts Say (NY Times, 1-6-10) Study backs up NAMI's point that people who do not have serious depression should not be medically treated as if they have clinical depression.
Compassion During Crisis (Helena IR, 1-4-10) Article highlighting Travis Emery's stellar work at the Hannaford House, a group home for people with serious debilitating mental illness.
Governor Stops Renovation at Warm Springs (Helena IR, 12-23-09). Governor stops renovation of receiving hospital to trim $4.5 million from the state's budget.
Governor Cuts Spending at State Hospital (Helena IR, 12-22-09) This could be an ominous sign of things to come.
ACLU: Juvenile Subjected to Tortuous Treatment at Montana State Prison (Missoulian, 12-17-09) Juvenile inmate with mental illness allegedly tortured at state prison as part of a behavior modification program.
Polson Man Who Kills Mother Hangs Himself in Prison (Missoulian, 12-15-09) Tragedy on top of tragedy. A clear indication of the need to reform Montana's system of treating mental illness.
18 and Under - Asking the Hard Questions After a Child's Cry for Help (New York Times, 12-7-2009) Article on how to react when a teenager shows signs of suicidality.
State Foresees Grim Budget Figures (Helena IR, 12/04/09) The State's challenging budget situation is going to make us fight hard to protect funding for mental illness treatment.
Mental Health Social Network - check out the new mental health social network.
American Indians Stand to Gain from Healthcare Overhaul (NY Times, 12/02/09) Article about how healthcare reform could help address major tribal health issues.
Predicting PTSD: Military Testing for Susceptibility to Mental Wounds (Associate Press, 11/24/09) Military is conducting in-depth tests to try and find which service members are biologically susceptible to post traumatic stress injuries.
Expansion of Medical Program Proposed (Billings Gazette, 11/17/09) Montana State is trying to expand their medical education program to train more physicians and keep those physicians in Montana for more of their training. This is a proposed answer to our state's physician shortage.
Patient Money - How to Find Mental Healthcare When Money is Tight (NY Times, 11/21/09) This informative article targets overall mental health wellness, rather than treatment for serious mental illnesses.
Senate Bill Gives Relief to Rural Vets (Helena IR, 11/20/09) Senator Tester's rural veterans' healthcare bill moves through the Senate.
Federal Legislation Provides Mandatory Mental Health Screenings for Returning Soldiers (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 11/10/09) Article examines Montana's programs for caring for our returning servicemembers and the federal legislation that is bringing those programs nationwide.
Making Healthcare Better (NY Times, 11/3/09) An in-depth examination of the movement towards Evidence-Based Practices in medicine.
Celebrating Imperfections (Helena IR, 10/31/09) The Shut Up Sisters regaled a standing-room-only crowd at the State Conference On Mental Illness with stories of raising children with mental illnesses in a world that demands perfection.
Baucus' Life Saving Legislation for Troops Becomes Law (10/28/09) Senator's new requirements are a major step forward in the fight to care for our returning heroes post traumatic stress injuries.
State's PTSD Program Going National (Great Falls Tribune, 10/28/09) President Obama signs PTSD screening bill into law.
Letter to Senator Grassley (10/19/09) NAMI Montana's response to Senator Grassley's request for information regarding our donations from pharmaceutical companies.
Great Strides (Helena IR, 9/28/09) Helena IR article about NAMI Montana's incredible 2009 Walk.
Can Walk Put Mentally Ill on Equal Footing? (Helena IR, 9/20/09) Op-Ed piece from acclaimed author and signature Walker at this Year's 2009 NAMIWalk about the importance of the Walk..
Letter of Support from Bipartisan Group of Senators for SB 711, Montanans should be very proud Senator Max Baucus and Senator Jon Tester. Their signature are at the top of a letter from a major group of bipartisan Senators in support of intensive mental health screenings for all returning service members.
Kudos on IR Series (Helena IR, 9/15/09) Letter to editor from Kim Warner that highlights services provided by the Center for Mental Health's Care House and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.
Kalispell Health Center Treats Patients with Help From Stimulus Money (Missoulian, 9/14/09) Stimulus provides critical money for mental illness treatment in Kalispell.
Continue Push to Prevent Suicides (Missoulian, 9/11/09) article about NAMI Montana and efforts to prevent suicides in Montana.
Baucus 'Totally Confident' Health Care Reform Will Pass (GF Tribune, 9/11/09), article about health care reform process
Homeless Housing For Vets Proposed (Helena IR, 9/09/09) article about potential new short-term housing for homeless veterans.
Few Surprises in Baucus' Health Care Reform Proposals (Helena IR, 9/09/09) article about healthcare reform.
The Military Coalition Endorses NAMI MT's PTSD Screening Bill - a coalition of veterans and service organizations with more than 5.5 million current and former service members formally endorses Senate Bill 711.
Baucus Cracks Door On Healthcare Reform (Helena IR, 9/02/09) article about healthcare reform.
Baucus Addresses Costs, Other Concerns with AARP Members (Helena IR, 9/02/09) article about healthcare reform.
Our Place Offers Comfort Outside of Crisis (Helena IR, 8/23/09) article about Helena drop-in center.
State Has Made Strides in Mental Health, Corrections (Helena IR, 8/23/09) Op-Ed by Mike Ferriter and Anna Whiting-Sorrell.
State Needs Proactive Care, Not Prison Beds (8/19/09) editorial by Helena IR
Mental Health Laws Need Fixing (8/20/09) Op-Ed in Helena IR by Jim Pavle and Aileen Kroll of the Treatment Advocacy Center.
Crisis Intervention video from the Helena IR's Continuum of Care series.
Criminalizing a Crisis (7/26/09)
The door etched with illegible words slams shut. A jailer
clicks shut the padlock.
A woman in an altered state of mind is in the next cell, groaning.
It sounds like she’s banging her head against the wall. She’s
waiting for her attorney.
Pulling the Trigger is No Easy Way Out (7/26/09) At 3:14 a.m. on a snowy January morning last year, a police dispatcher received a call from a Boulder man wielding a 12-gauge shotgun in front of his home.
Crisis System or System in Crisis (7/26/09) Once every 14 hours on average, 632 times in the one-year period from July 1, 2007, to June 31, 2008, someone in Montana was involuntarily transported to the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs.
Difficulty in Diagnosis (7/19/09) As difficult as it is for adults to cope with a mental illness, the obstacles are multiplied when diagnosing and treating children, especially in a large, rural and sparsely populated state like Montana.
Mental Illnesses Change as Adolescents Evolve (7/19/09)
Four-year-old Jake Power’s eyes are big and bright as he makes his
way around the playground at Helena’s Memorial Park on a sunny
Saturday afternoon.
Youth Services video from the Helena IR's Continuum of Care series.
Survivors' Stories video from the Helena IR's Continuum of Care series.
Into the Darkness (July 12, 2009) Helena IR article about Montana State Hospital.
Manic Man in the Promised Land (July 12, 2009) Helena IR article about Helena man who lives with Bipolar Disorder.
Mother Hangs on While Daughter Falls (July 12, 2009) Helena IR article about family struggling with daughter's mental illness.
A Portrait of Warm Springs (July 12, 2009) video from the Helena IR's Continuum of Care series.
Picking Up the Pieces (July 5, 2009) Helena IR article about mental illness in Montana and kicking off its in-depth analysis of the topic.
Delivering Hope for Mental Illness (July 5, 2009) Helena IR editorial about it's in-depth analysis of mental illness in Montana and our system of care for those struck by mental illness.
Righting a Life Hijacked by Schizophrenia (July 5, 2009) Helena IR article about one man's battle with schizophrenia and his journey towards recovery.
Personal Tragedy Drives One Man's Crusade (July 5, 2009) Helena IR article about Curt Chisholm's courageous fight reinvent Montana's system of caring for its citizens with severe mental illness.
"Picking Up the Pieces" Video in the Helena IR's "Continuum of Care Series. (July 5, 2009)
Check out the trailer for Helena IR's "Continuum of Care" Series about mental health care in Montana. The series itself will begin on July 5th in the Independent Record.
"People" lists Kuntz as one of its "All-Stars Among Us" (July 1, 2009) People Magazine named NAMI Montana's Executive Director as one of its "All Stars Among Us."
Montana National Guard's PTSD Program Going National (June 27, 2009) This is a major victory for our service members, veterans, and families affected by combat post traumatic stress injuries. Thank you all for your support in this fight.
Cheryl Eamon: Healing Through Art Great article about Cheryl Eamon and her rehabilitation services for patients at the Montana State Hospital.
Talk Radio News: Senators Try to Heal Veterans' "Invisible Wounds" (June 17, 2009) Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Mike Johanns (R-Nev.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) hosted a discussion on the prevention of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suicide in returning veterans, often referred to as “invisible wounds.”
Billings Gazette: Speed Needed to Resolve Center's Funding Crisis (June 8, 2009) Billings Gazette editorial asking that DPHHS write the crisis bills' rules as soon as possible to get funding moving to Billings' Community Crisis Center.
Billings Gazette: Focus on Community Needs in New Mental Health Program (June 7, 2009) Billings Gazette editorial recommending that the funds from the crisis bills be focused on community crisis beds, not other crisis services.
New York Times: Intolerable Rise in Soldier Suicides (June 8, 2009) Editorial asking Congress to address the military suicide problem through screening and other measures.
Inside Lineman's Helmet, Doubts and Depression
(5-14-2009)
Shawn Andrews of the Philadelphia Eagles opens up to the New York
Times about his struggles with depression.
Matt Kuntz's Montana Public Radio Op-Ed on PTSD Screening Legislation (5-8-2009)
Montana Senate Backs GOP's Version of Budget
(4-10-2009) Good news and bad news. $3.1 million dollars is included
to fund crisis services, but DPHHS's budget will be cut.
Mental Illness No Crime
(4-10-2009)
Letter to the Editor regarding criminalization and eventual
suicide of man suffering from severe mental illness.
Legislation Aims to
Improve Veterans' Mental Health Services
(3-31-2009)
Senator Max Baucus released legislation that would require
stepped-up mental health screenings for all of America's combat
troops.
Flood of Support for Mental Health
(3-27-2009)
Rhonda Champagne's letter of thanks to the community for
everyone's support during their recent flood.