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Struggling mental health service provider wants extra $357K from county

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle - 6/15/2017

Western Montana Mental Health requested more than $300,000 in additional funding from Gallatin County to help the struggling organization provide mental health services for the county.

But county officials wanted more answers from the organization before they committed any extra money.

Western Montana Mental Health runs 45 facilities in western and southwestern Montana, oversees Gallatin Mental Health in Bozeman and contracts with the county to provide mental health services.

On Wednesday, during the County Commission’s budget work session at the Bozeman Public Library, Western Montana Mental Health requested $357,000 in new money — in addition to the $188,000 the county is contracted to pay for the next fiscal year that starts in July.

“This year has been a really challenging year for us,” said Natalie McGillen, chief operating office for Western Montana Mental Health.

McGillen pointed to struggles with maintaining staffing due to low pay and a high cost of living, a difficult work environment and a host of other issues.

“There’s lots of different reasons,” she said.

At the Hope House, the crisis stabilization center, in addition to the eight voluntary beds, the emergency detention side has two beds for people suffering from mental health issues who need to be temporarily detained.

However, emergency detention at the Hope House has been closed for months at a time since September, and will be closed through next month.

Since last summer, while the emergency detention side of the Hope House has been closed, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputies have had to transport 51 people to facilities in Hamilton, Polson and Butte for secure detention, costing more than $16,000 in overtime and mileage. The 51 accounted for 42 percent of all transports done during that time period.

In May and June there have been scheduled shortages of the Crisis Response Team, mental health professionals who conduct emergency evaluations.

McGillen noted that Western Montana Mental Health will lose $3 million in state funding this year, along with cuts to Medicaid, which funds a majority of the organization’s services.

The $357,000 from the county would help increase employee pay, McGillen said, and fund nine new full-time positions.

Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert balked at the request, saying the closure of the emergency detention and the shortages of CRT responses is a breach of the contract the county has with Western Montana Mental Health.

“They are supposed to provide those services,” Lambert said. “Gallatin County taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund a dime more. This is a remarkable request.”

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin noted the organization has many challenges, including not having an executive director. But the sheriff wanted more answers before the county commits additional money.

“We had a great system. We had the model in the state,” Gootkin said. “What has changed between now and then?”

Gallatin County commissioners agreed that they want to see Western Montana Mental Health succeed and assist the organization in providing mental health services to the county. But all added that they wanted more information, a more solid plan and more input before they decide on how much money the county will pay.

Commissioner Joe Skinner wondered if there was a cheaper way to fix these issues.

“I don’t know. We don’t have enough information,” he said.

Commissioner Steve White said that while $357,000 might be able to fix their problems, “money shouldn’t be the focus. What should be the focus is a plan. And I didn’t hear a plan,” White said.

“We want to help them succeed,” Skinner said.

“We want to do it right,” White followed.