MHA Past Projects
Child-Center Community Based Mental Health Initiative
Bozeman Health approached Mental Health America of Montana to convene key community stakeholders to participate in a “community conversation” regarding the development of a strategic community based child-centered mental health delivery system. MHA of MT agreed and formed a “Work Group” to include Vickie Groneweig – Chief of Nursing Operations for Bozeman Health, Deborah McAtee – Chairwoman of the Gallatin Mental Health Local Advisory Council, Shellie Aune – Director of Prevention Services for MHA of MT, Christine Powell – CEO of the Help Center, Carol Townsend – Former Gallatin Area United Way Director and Dan Aune – Executive Director for MHA of MT. The Work Group determined to have an informed discussion there is a need for the following:
Provide a gap analysis of children’s mental health and substance use treatment services
Engage key stakeholders and families
Research communities who develop a progressive child-center community-based plan
Provide as a deliverable a child-center service delivery plan to address how best to serve our children and families in the greater Gallatin medical community
Project work group meets bi-weekly and includes the following members:
Carol Townsend – retired Greater Gallatin United Way, CEO
Deborah McAtee – Gallatin County Local Advisory Council on Mental Health, Chair
Vickie Groeneweg – Bozeman Health, Chief of Nursing Operations
Christina Powell – Help Center, Executive Director
Shellie Aune – Mental Health America of Montana, Prevention Services Director
Dan Aune – Mental Health America of Montana, Executive Director
Key stakeholder meetings have been held with the following:
Bozeman School District Leadership
Gallatin County Local Advisory Council on Mental Health
Madison County Local Advisory Council on Mental Health
Park County Local Advisory Council on Mental Health
Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office
Eric Higginbotham, Children’s Mental Health Bureau, Chief
Project Outcomes:
Work Plan with an end date of June 15, 2017
Focus group questions
Contact list of key stakeholders
Initial Focus Groups scheduled
Research of 5 to 10 communities and their children’s mental health delivery system
Key Insights from current work:
Develop a delivery system that is transparent – meaning anyone wanting to access it knows how (parents, youth, educators, law enforcement, healthcare providers, clergy)
Delivery system must be child-centered and community-based understanding the communities in the greater Gallatin medical area are unique
Delivery system must be trauma informed with an emphasis on minimizing trauma at point of entry into the delivery system
Develop a provider registry which “vets” provider credentials
Financial sustainability is key
Needs to be a “consented” referral model/system to insure children are not lost or dropped in the delivery system
Collaborative partnership is critical with the primary goal being the care of the community children
Upcoming Activities:
Focus Groups being scheduled for Bozeman, Belgrade, Three Forks, Livingston and West Yellowstone
Meetings to be held:
Beaverhead County Local Advisory Council on Mental Health
Madison County Children’s Services Task Force
Park County Task Force on Mental Health
Addictive & Mental Disorders Division
Broadwater County Local Advisory Council on Mental Health
Compelling Issue
The greater Gallatin medical community lacks a strategic and transparent service model to care for children and youth experiencing a mental health crisis. The current system often exposes them to more trauma forcing access to services through the Bozeman Health Emergency Department (ED). The ED, while suited to triaging emergency physical needs, can be a stark medical environment adding to the crisis and exacerbating the mental health symptoms.
Bozeman Health has identified a growing trend for children and their families seeking psychiatric and/or mental health crisis services in the ED. The ED’s initial assessment has revealed that many of the children presented do not meet the criteria for emergent care and the ED staff are often attempting to find less restrictive community based services. No current child/youth serving agency responds to crisis in the ED.
The best entry-point for children in crisis and their families would be community-based services which engage the family and community resources to meet immediate needs while developing continuum of care that is child-centered and trauma-informed.
As a pre-initiative process, MHA of MT has established a key stakeholder list, identified a convening process and has initiated a formal pre-initiative stakeholder meeting to finalize commitments, complete the key stakeholder list, determine desired outcomes and complete the initiative timeline. The key theme of the proposed work is to address how best to serve our children and families in the Greater Gallatin community has the following four components:
Component One: Engage key stakeholders through Focus Group meetings
Component Two: Provide a gap analysis of children’s mental health and substance abuse services
Component Three: Research 5 to 10 communities nationally that have a progressive child-centered mental health delivery system
Component Four: Develop a sustainable child-center community-based plan
The Focus Groups would be led by Dan Aune, Executive Director of MHA of MT with an emphasis on the following Talking Points:
Catalog current services and gaps
Identify readily available data on children’s psycho/social needs or development in our community
Understand current road blocks from a child & family perspective
Understand current road blocks from a first responder perspective
Understand current road blocks from a provider perspective
Determine the want or ideal child-centered community-based solution (one that looks like Bozeman)
Convene focus groups representing a diverse stakeholder group
Identify sustainable funding
Develop an on-going evaluation process for insuring the plan meets the needs and identifies strengths and areas of development
Provide a 3 to 5-year plan of action
The final plan document will include the following:
Executive Summary
Technical Assistance Goals
Findings of Key Operational Activities
Recommendations
Recommended Child-Center Community Based Mental Health Delivery System
Next Steps – Plan Management