HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-25-18 Public Comment - M. Foust (Gallatin Mental Health Center) - GMHC Funding RequestFrom:Agenda
To:Brenda Sweeney
Subject:FW: Gallatin Mental Health Center Funding Request
Date:Tuesday, June 26, 2018 10:16:43 AM
From: Andrea Surratt
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 3:50 PM
To: Robin Crough <RCrough@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: FW: Gallatin Mental Health Center Funding Request
Email thread. See below
From: Michael Foust <mfoust2@wmmhc.org>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 2:58 PM
To: Andrea Surratt <ASurratt@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: Re: Gallatin Mental Health Center Funding Request
Thank you for the response.
Michael
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From: Andrea Surratt <ASurratt@BOZEMAN.NET>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 12:28:01 PM
To: Michael Foust; I-Ho Pomeroy; Cyndy Andrus; Chris Mehl; Jeff Krauss; 'tcunningham@mcn.net'
Subject: RE: Gallatin Mental Health Center Funding Request
Thank you Michael. We received your request.
Sincerely,
Andrea Surratt
From: Michael Foust <mfoust2@wmmhc.org>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 6:59 AM
To: Andrea Surratt <ASurratt@BOZEMAN.NET>; I-Ho Pomeroy <IPomeroy@BOZEMAN.NET>; Cyndy
Andrus <CAndrus@BOZEMAN.NET>; Chris Mehl <CMehl@BOZEMAN.NET>; Jeff Krauss
<Jkrauss@BOZEMAN.NET>; 'tcunningham@mcn.net' <tcunningham@mcn.net>
Subject: Gallatin Mental Health Center Funding Request
Dear Mayor and Commissioners,
This past year has been a challenging year for our profoundly mentally ill neighbors in Bozeman.
State budget cuts to medicaid case management, individual therapy, medication management and
crisis services has left our most vulnerable individuals and families without, or at risk of losing ,
therapeutic community services that prevent and treat chronic/acute mental health crisis. My
concerns regarding further erosion of community mental health funding leads me to contact you
during this time of city fiscal planning.
I have great admiration for the city’s dedication to addressing conditions that lead to mental health
issues and it’s willingness to strategically prioritize improvement in the mental well-being of all
Bozeman citizens. Unfortunately, due to the state of Montana refusal to re-consider cutting
programs and funding for the mentally ill during this past fiscal year Gallatin Mental Health Center
has sustained staff reductions, a 55% rate cut to case management services and a 3.99% rate cut to
life-saving medication management and crisis services. As a result, we have over 85 individuals on a
wait list for individual therapy and case management. We have also experienced an increase in the
individuals in mental health crisis receiving services at Hope House over this past 6 months in
comparison to the previous year. This translates into approximately 5.5 beds filled per day at Hope
House compared to 4 per day the previous year.
We believe the increase in Hope House utilization is directly related to the state’s dismantling of
case management. As a result, I am requesting $18,000 for this FY 2019 to fund a part-time case
manager at Gallatin Mental Health that will work directly with clients in crisis and discharged clients
to interrupt the cycle of recidivism. As important, the case manager will also work with clients to
decrease and remove the social, emotional and economic barriers that lead to mental health crisis.
Thank you for taking time to consider my request for supporting Gallatin Mental Health Center and
your thoughtfulness in caring for all Bozeman citizens. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any
questions.
Warm regards,
Michael A. Foust
Executive Director
Gallatin Mental Health Center
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