In this episode, Colleen Rahn and Matt Kuntz of NAMI Montana discuss how important flexibilty is to successful advocacy campaigns. Colleen asks Matt to illustrate some examples of this from Veterans Mental Health, Mental Health Parity, and Research Grants. At the end of the episode, Colleen and Matt mention that the Montana NAMIWalk is coming up on September 19th.  Sign up or donate today at https://www.namiwalks.org/montana  

Hannah Clemenson hosts this episode with Colleen Rahn. They discuss NAMI Montana's Education programs and support groups, including the relatively recent addition NAMI Friends and Family. Listen to this episode to learn more about programs to help support you and your family.

In this episode, Hannah Clemenson and Matt Kuntz discuss how important meaningful work is to mental health and how disability systems need to be structured in a flexible manner that makes it possible for people to work towards meaningful employment without putting their disability benefits at risk during the process. Hannah and Matt go into additional depth on NAMI Montana's efforts to address vocational gaps for veterans and native youth.

In this first episode of the Second Season, Hannah Clemenson asks NAMI Montana Executive Director Matt Kuntz about "Decriminalization of Mental Illness in Montana. Hannah asks Matt about the broad issue of NAMI Montana's multi-year successful effort to create a new forensic hospital. Hannah then goes more specifically into the day-to-day issue of how NAMI Montana advises families with public defenders on what steps they can take to help ensure their representation goes as well as possible.

Mark Lukach is a teacher and freelance writer. He is the author of the international bestselling memoir My Lovely Wife in The Psych Ward. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Pacific Standard, Wired, and other publications. He is currently the Ninth Grade Dean at The Athenian School, where he also teaches history. He lives with his wife, Giulia, and their son in the San Francisco Bay area. Mark first wrote about his family’s story in a New York Times “Modern Love” column and again in a piece for Pacific Standard Magazine, which was the magazine’s most-read article in 2015. He has also shared their story at The Moth Main Stage, and at a TEDx conference. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

Miriam Feldman is an artist, writer, and mental health activist who splits her time between her Los Angeles workshop and her farm in rural Washington state. She has been married to her husband Craig O’Rourke, also a successful artist, for 34 years and they have four adult children. Their 33-year-old son, Nick, has schizophrenia. Miriam’s novel He Came In With It is the legacy of, and for, her son Nick. https://www.miriam-feldman.com/ Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

This podcast episode is from Jordan's Brown webinar for NAMI Montana. Jordan has been a long-time friend and ally of NAMI Montana and we are delighted to have Jordan share his journey on the podcast. Jordan utilizes his combined experiences as a caregiver, social worker, and someone who has personally faced mental health challenges to create authentic mental health content that has been read by people around the world. Jordan writes The Mental Health Update newsletter. Over 30,000 people receive his mental health insights on Twitter and he has recently released the book, In Search of Happiness: Healing Through Mental Health Poetry. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

Matt Kuntz, NAMI Montana's Executive Director, talks to Laura Sebulsky of Charlie Health about their innovative online care platform for Montana. You can find more about Charlie Health and their services at https://www.charliehealth.com/ Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

Special addition to the podcast from a public webinar. Many mothers suffer in silence from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, which can lead to tragic consequences. Join this panel of experts and a survivor share their knowledge, compassion and experience. Moderator: Dana Hillyer Panelists: Dr. Robert Caldwell Pam Ponich-Hunthausen Kelsey Kyle Stephanie Morton Sheri Walker Sponsored by NAMI Helena Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

In this episode, Matt Kuntz and Hannah Clemenson talk about how valuable it can be for mental health advocates to have an understanding of history. The historical realities and context of these conditions are valuable whether people are trying to come to grips with their own mental health conditions or struggling with large national policy issues. Hannah is interning with NAMI Montana and we are delighted to have her for this episode. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

This is a shorter episode than usual. In this episode, Matt Kuntz highlights the "Six Hour Rule for Navigating Crises" that we recommend to people on the NAMI Montana phoneline. It is not for acute life-and-death situations, but fits more into less acute situations that are still intense enough that the regular day-to-day pattern of thinking and responding won't work. We hope you find this episode to be helpful. Thank you! Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

In this episode of the NAMI Montana Podcast, Matt Kuntz and Colleen Rahn talk about the graphic novel just published by NAMI Montana. "Illustrated Journey Through Bipolar Disorder: Combining Analytics, Research and Personal Insights." The book was written by Matt Kuntz and Jason DeShaw. It was illustrated by Samuel Bermudez and edited by Dr. Christophe Lambert Ph.D. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

In this episode Matt Kuntz and Colleen Rahn talk about NAMI Montana's efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation covers both NAMI Montana's statewide efforts to provide healthcare supplies and the more local efforts to keep support groups going virtually. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

In this episode, Matt Kuntz and Colleen Rahn of NAMI Montana talk about Treatment Scout, the online review website for inpatient and other intensive treatments (mental health, substance abuse, dementia, etc.) Matt and Colleen talk about why NAMI Montana developed Treatment Scout, basically to provide more insights to people making the expensive and potentially life-saving decision to attend inpatient treatment clinic. This later was broadened to include other types of care that are more specialized and expensive than traditional outpatient care. (We think that Google Reviews, Yelp, etc. are the best way to find reviews for tranditional therapy and psychiatry.) We then go through a few of the reviews to give people an idea of why the reviews are important and how big of a difference they can make. You can find the website at www.treatmentscout.com. If you've had experience (either personal, as a family member or as a clinician/treatment navigator), please consider writing a review on this link. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

In this episode, Colleen Rahn and Matt Kuntz discuss NAMI Montana's Legislative Priorities. **** **** ***** On December 6, 2019, the NAMI Montana Board met to set our Legislative priorities for the 2021 Legislature. While we have other bills and will support other issues, these Legislative Objectives are our rallying points. 1) Support funding for community mental health services, included integrated primary care and co-occurring substance abuse treatment. 2) Support funding for mental health crisis care for children, adolescents and adults; including community commitments for adults that meet current inpatient commitment criteria. 3) Improve transition services for children aging out of the children’s mental health treatment system 4) Oppose solitary confinement in both the treatment and corrections systems, realizing that there is still a need for short-term protective custody for the safety of the person, caregivers, and others. 7) Require transition services from public health and correction institutions into communities to prevent tragedies, improve recovery and reduce recidivism. 8) Conduct an interim study of the Montana Legislature to analyze the existing rate structure for caring for serious mental illness, analyze gaps in care for Montanans with serious mental illness, and make legislative recommendations to address issues. 9) Support research-based suicide prevention programs in all Montana schools. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

The Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery at Montana State University and the Vice President of Research, Economic Development, and Graduate Education hosted Zoe Barnard on September 15, 2019. Zoe Barnard presentation was on "Suicide Prevention and Mental Healthcare in Montana: Exploring Montana's Research Needs." Zoe's slideshow is available at this link. Zoe Barnard is the Administrator of the Addictive and Mental Disorders Division at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. She also serves as the Mental Health Commissioner for the State of Montana. Zoe’s background includes over 15 years of direct work in and oversight of adolescent and adult mental health programs. Zoe is the proud parent of a little girl. When she isn’t at work, she enjoys being outside. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

In this episode, Colleen Rahn and Matt Kuntz describe why they so often recommend that people write letters as a way to personally advocate during difficult situations. These situations generally involve someone in power needing to make a different decision to help a person or their loved one's situation. There is real power in creating a paper trail. Matt and Colleen discuss what that power is and how to use it in this episode. Support the show (http://www.namimt.org/)

NAMI Montana is honored to announce this year's NAMI Montana Hero and Exemplary Service Award Winners. We have grouped this year's recipients according to the categories of their efforts. Veterans Mental Health - Senator Jon Tester has been an amazing partner for NAMI Montana for years and is receiving a Hero Award for his work. In 2019, Senator Tester and his staff took their efforts to the next level by partnering with NAMI Montana and others to develop the bipartisan Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act. The bill has a lot of momentum moving into 2020 and could be the most influential veterans mental health initiative in a decade. Medicaid Expansion - Representative Ed Buttrey and Representative Mary Caferro are being honored for their efforts to extend Medicaid Expansion in Montana. The bill would not have passed without Representative Buttrey and Representative Caferro's leadership on both sides of the aisle. We are also giving an Exemplary Service Award to Montana Hospital Association's Bob Olsen. Bob delivered critical testimony that helped the bill get through some of the most difficult sections of the legislative process. Peer Support Services - The quest to develop peer support services as an element of Montana's mental illness treatment system has been going on for over a decade. However, it would not be until Montana Medicaid covered peer support services. Senator Jen Gross carried the bill that made this critical step possible. It was difficult effort that required navigation between a number of stakeholders to come to workable solution. Senator Gross resolutely stood up against these challenges and ensured the bill became law. Crisis Intervention Training - Representative Joel Krautter and Senator Edie McClafferty are receiving Hero Awards for their efforts to create Mobile Crisis Intervention Units. These critical crisis services can be the difference between recovery and tragedy. The legislation allows both rural and urban communities the flexibility to develop services that fit their community's unique resources. Suicide Prevention - Representative Jessica Karjala and Representative Mary Ann Dunwell are receiving Hero Awards for their suicide prevention efforts. Representative Karjala carried this session's bipartisan suicide prevention legislation. Representative Dunwell has been a staunch and passionate supporter for suicide prevention efforts for years. Their combined efforts have been critical to raise the bar for Montana's suicide prevention efforts. Community Health Aide Program - Representative Jonathan Windy Boy is receiving a Hero Award based upon his work to develop the Community Health Aide program with partners from Fort Belknap and other tribal communities. Community Health Aides can service critical roles in providing basic medical and behavioral health care services. Community Health Aides can also conduct basic preventive dental care, health screenings, in-home care, and other services. While the need for the program is clear, there were a number of legislative hurdles in navigating professional boards, supervision concerns and other processes. Representative Windy Boy's successful efforts in passing the bill were really impressive. Youth Aware of Mental Health - Elizabeth Bannister, previously with Montana State University's Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery, is receiving an Exemplary Service Award for her selfless efforts to ensure continuity in the Youth Aware of Mental Health program during the program's leadership transition in 2018. This international mental health awareness and suicide prevention program is being offered is 30 Montana schools in 2019-2020 and will serve over 3,000 students. This would not have been possible without Elizabeth's efforts in 2018 to e