Montana State Rep. Bill Beck has introduced a treatment reform bill (H.B. 612).
The legislation, if approved, will improve the Montana treatment law so that a person with severe mental illness who is having an “emergency situation” no longer has to wait until they are in “imminent danger.”
“We can no longer allow people who are ill to navigate the system for years before they can access appropriate care,” said NAMI-Montana president Gary Mihelish in endorsing the legislation. “The earlier an individual can access treatment, the better the prospect of recovery.”
Note: The Montana Mental Health Association occasionally receives calls from family members desperate to help loved ones who are not considered by law enforcement to be a danger to themselves or others, but who the family members feel are in a crisis situation and need help right away. This bill, if passed, will help lessen the angst of those concerned about people with severe mental illness in crisis.
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