Local officials call for more support for behavioral health services from governor

Dec. 6—Representatives of Helena and Lewis and Clark County law enforcement, municipal government and a nonprofit discussed efforts to combat behavioral and mental health crises with Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday as part of his ongoing statewide tour focusing on public safety.

Local officials, who met with the governor during the afternoon in Helena's Law and Justice Center, noted success in many regards, but called on the governor to provide more funding for critical services and programs to continue those successes.

First Judicial District Court Judge Mike McMahon, who heads the district's family treatment court, encouraged Gianforte to increase funding for interventions such as treatment courts and in-jail mental health and chemical dependency evaluations.

McMahon also advocated for the establishment of a behavioral health court in the county.

Gianforte touted his proposed investment in the Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment (HEART) initiative, funded partly through recreational marijuana tax revenue, calling it the single largest expenditure in his budget. The new distribution model proposed by the Governor's Office would change the HEART fund allocation to 11% of the annual tax revenue of recreational and medical cannabis sales.

The state is projecting tax revenues on cannabis sales to reach $50 million in fiscal year 2024 and $57 million in fiscal year 2025.

Gianforte said he believes in the benefits of local interventions like treatment courts and that sending people away from their support networks to correct a behavioral or mental health issue is often far less successful than treating them in their community.

Helena Police Chief Brett Petty noted his force continues to put an emphasis on domestic violence and crimes against children.

Petty called the Lewis and Clark Children's Advocacy Center a vital asset in that work and said it has "needed funding for years."

Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins, who works for the state's Child and Family Services as his day job, told Gianforte it is "getting more difficult to get children into the Child Advocacy Center."

"I'm pleading with you, please fund those centers," Collins said.

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said fentanyl from the southern border has reached the county and drug related offenses are up.

Dutton estimated about 95% of all felony arrests now in the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center are alcohol- or drug-related.

Helena City Attorney Rebecca Dockter said the majority of cases coming through municipal court are alcohol-related and suggested more success might be found outside the purview of law enforcement and the courts.

Dockter said the lack of affordable housing exacerbates behavioral health and addiction problems.

"It's something that can't be solved by focusing just on the criminal justice system," she said.

Gianforte said the lack of affordable housing is the top issue facing Montana presently, citing a supply problem.

He touted recent legislation that loosened apprenticeship requirements for would-be trades workers in the state.

"The themes I'm hearing today are the same I'm hearing across the state," Gianforte said. "This is the beginning of the dialogue."

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