Expand Mental Healthcare Access
Montanans know the statistic: our state has the second-highest rate of suicide in the country.
According to NAMI Montana, over half of the state lives in a community that does not have enough mental health practitioners. Almost half of Montanans who were not able to receive needed mental health care did not do so because of the cost.
While Montana has multiple existing programs to make mental healthcare accessible, we need legislators who see the big picture — mental health is a holistic issue.
It is not just about the body or mind, but about poverty level, health of our communities, and access to resources.
Similarly, mental healthcare should be seen as a community issue. Mental illness vastly increases the likelihood of a student dropping out of high school, of an individual losing their home or being incarcerated. These outcomes negatively affect not just the individual but their community and the economic health of our state.
Montana Board of Crime Control: Crisis Intervention Team
