Montana Legislative Branch Fiscal Division Subcommittees

HJR 1 Interim Study of Public Mental Health Services

November 28, 2001
Room 102, State Capitol Building

8:00 - Call to Order

• Review Minutes of September Meeting
• Panel Discussion of Board of Visitors Review of Montana State Hospital
  • Senator Bob Keenan, Moderator
  • Gene Haire, Executive Director Board of Visitors
  • Ed Amberg, Director Montana State Hospital
    

9:15 - State Funded Public Mental Health Services – Lois Steinbeck, Legislative Staff

10:30 - Oversight Issues

• Budget Status - Service Reductions; Status of New FTE Funded by 2001 Legislature
• SB 454 – Children’s Services
  • Requirements to Competitively Procure Services; HB 2 Language;
  • Integration into New Regional System
• Other Information Requested From Department
• Report from Bonnie Adee, Mental Health Ombudsman

12:00 - Lunch

1:00 - Basic Anatomy of Veterans’ Administration, State Veterans' Services and the VA

• Mental Health System, Sheri Heffelfinger, Research Analyst, LSD

1:15 - Panel Presentations and Discussion of VA Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Services

• Sheri Heffelfinger - Moderator
• Mary Harsh, VA Montana Mental Health Program Coordinator, Fort Harrison
  (or a designee, invited)
• Bob Ross, Director, Mental Health Center, Billings
• Greg Burham, Veterans’ Center, Missoula
• Dr. Foster, Ph.D., PTSD Expert and Native American, State of Washington
• Pete Formaz, C.C.D.C, Chemical Dependency Counselor and Veteran
• Carroll Jenkins, LCSW, CCDC
• Teresa Schopp, Widow of a PTSD Veteran

3:15 - Break

3:30 - Public Comment

• Identification of Issues

4:00 - Direction to Staff

• Confirm Next Meeting Dates – February 7 in Helena and February 8 at State Hospital