The Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim committee will meet in Billings Nov. 14-15 to focus on three of its interim studies and tour programs related to the studies.

The committee will:

• hear about topics of interest to nursing homes and assisted living facilities and visit some of those facilities as part of its study of senior and long-term care services;
• learn about the Montana Perinatal Behavioral Health Initiative as part of its prenatal drug use study and visit St. Vincent Healthcare to see how the initiative's principles are put into practice; 
• hear about the impact that child abuse and neglect cases have had on the Yellowstone County judicial system as part of its study of the child protective services system;
• hear updates on Department of Public Health and Human Services activities and a legislative study of the state budget; and
• visit Passages community correctional facility to talk with offenders whose children are in the foster care system, tour the Billings Clinic youth psychiatric center, and visit the Billings Community Crisis Center.

The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 14 at the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, 2535 St. John's Ave. Members will recess around noon on Nov. 14 for their site visits and reconvene at the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation at 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 15. 

The agenda provides several opportunities for the public to comment on the committee's study activities and on other, general health and human services topics. Some of the site visits are open to a limited number of noncommittee members on a first-come, first-served basis. People interested in participating in the tours should contact Sue O'Connell, committee researcher, by Friday, Nov. 8, at 406-444-3597 or soconnell@mt.gov.

The agenda for each day and related meeting materials are available on the committee's website. 

Committee Website:  www.leg.mt.gov/cfhhs
Committee Staff: soconnell@mt.gov or 406-444-3597

People interested in signing up for electronic notification of the activities of the Children and Families Committee and other interim committees may do so at: https://leg.mt.gov/lyris-list.