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WMMHC Prevention Services Team has developed evidence-based toolkits to help parents, caregivers, and friends identify the signs of substance use in someone they care about and what they can do to help, as well as contact information for your local Montana prevention specialists.  Prevention Toolkits WMMHC Prevention Services Team has developed evidence-based toolkits to help parents, caregivers, and friends identify the signs of substance use in someone they care about, what they can do to help, and contact information for your local Montana prevention specialists. These toolkits are free for distribution and can be used by anyone, with attribution. Toolkits are intended only as a guide and are not a substitute for emergency, clinical, or professional care. No toolkit can cover every scenario or be specific to any person. For questions on toolkits, to request guidelines for other conditions, or to request specific lectures or training sessions, please get in touch with us. BINGE DRINKING Download METHAMPHETAMINE (CRYSTAL METH) Download OPIOIDS Download CANNABIS (MARIJUANA) Download VAPING Download Prevention Services Home >> Tool Kit References >> Parent Resources Parent / Caregiver Resources Youth Connections Youth Connections Lincoln County Unite for Youth Coalition Lincoln County Unite for Youth Coalition MT Prevention Needs Assessment MT Prevention Needs Assessment BRFSS Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Youth Risk Behavior Survey Youth Risk Behavior Survey CONNECT Electronic Referral System CONNECT Electronic Referral System PAX Tools PAX Tools SAMHSA (Talk. They Hear You.) SAMHSA (Talk. They Hear You.) NIDA NIDA Parenting Montana Parenting Montana DPHSS DPHHS Prevention

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If you are a veteran living with mental illness or struggling with addiction, we can help. Get the help you deserve. Request a free confidential callback within 1 business day. Get Help Now If you are having a medical emergency call 911. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please call 988. If You are a Veteran or Know a Veteran Living with Addiction or a Mental Health Condition, We are Here to Get You the Help You Deserve. Returning to civilian life after active duty can be difficult. Your experiences stay with you; for some, this can lead to post-traumatic stress and evolve into substance abuse or addiction. Western Montana Mental Health Center is here to provide the help you deserve. We collaborate with the Veteran's Administration and offer community-based services, outpatient services, inpatient addiction recovery services, and housing options. Reach out to us and see how we can help, please call: 406-541-0024 Connect wiht Us Today at 406-532-8400 1 in 5 Americans experience some form of mental illness in any given year 1 1 in 25 Americans live with a serious mental health condition or long-term recurring major depression 2 1 in 7 Americans will misuse alcohol and/or drugs in their lifetime 3 Facts How do you know if you or someone you care about has a mental health condition or addiction? Contact us for a free, confidential assessment. Our team will contact you within one business day to discuss the issues you or your loved one are experiencing and how Western Montana Mental Health Center can help. Get Help Now Get the help you deserve. Insurance & Payment What to Expect Get Help Now All information submitted is 100% confidential. 1. Any Mental Illness (AMI) Among Adults. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2019, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml#part_15478 2. Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Among Adults. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2019, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml#part_154788 3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Surgeon General, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. Washington, DC: HHS, November 2016. https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-generals-report.pdf

We are here to provide access to hope, meaningful life choices and better outcomes. Get The HelpYou Deserve If you are having a medical emergency call 911. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please call 988. Get The Help You Deserve! Finding help may seem difficult, and we're here for you. High quality, caring, compassionate, and confidential care is available to you. Request a free confidential callback within 1 business day. If you need assistance in filling out our intake paperwork call 406-541-0024 For appointment or referrals information, please call (406) 541-0024 or email us .

Brandi's Story I was about 11-12 years old when I started to drink and smoking marijuana. I was born in Butte and we moved to Missoula when I was five. My mom left when I turned two and my dad raised me. He was involved with drugs and tried committing suicide twice. For three years as a child, I was sexually abused by a friend of the family. My dad was a truck driver and he didn’t believe me. Nobody believed me. The people were very involved in their church and didn’t believe it was happening. My dad was physically abusive and even with that he told me to stay quiet about it. So I stayed quiet about everything. I wanted to do what dad was doing. I was in the car shop or the bar, and he looked like he was having fun. I was shy and quiet and drinking gave me more of a voice and made me more accepting of myself. It felt like dad didn’t know who I was. He didn’t listen to me so I stopped trying to tell him and put on a show. He was pretty crazy at times. He encouraged the violence so if I got a good grade, it was oh, good job. If I got in a fight at school and he had to pick me up, it was “that’s my girl” and we’d go out to eat. When I was 13, he attempted suicide twice in that year. I went to Butte and lived with my grandma and my uncle. I came back after I turned 14. My dad lost the house and everything. We were living at a hotel. He became physically abusive again and I ran away and started using meth. He never reported me. I ended up finding my mom when I was about 12 and she still lives in North Carolina. I ended up telling her that I was on the run and she reported me to the police. I ended up staying on the run in Missoula, using meth until I was about 15. I stole from stores, sold drugs to survive. Stayed in hotels or at a few houses, couch surfing. I would get arrested and taken to the attention home. I ran away from there, I think three times. I went to juvenile incarceration at County and got out and ran away again. My boyfriend said he loved so we just ran and did drugs. I felt that no one cared. Your mom and dad are supposed to take care of you so when they let you down, who do you count on? Your partner – so that’s what I was in search of. I had a probation officer who was looking for me and I was arrested and sat in juvenile on my sweet 16th birthday and I was sentenced to Cinnamon Hills in Utah. They didn’t want to lock me up in Montana. I ended up going there and completing their program. My dad wasn’t doing anything to get me back. I reunited with my mom and wasn’t supposed to come back to Montana until I was 21 because I had some assault charges and was labeled dangerous. That was who I was. I ended up moving to North Carolina and met my step-dad. I have 4 siblings, 3 brothers and a sister. I wasn’t there for too long. I think I moved there right after Christmas of 2000 and I was back in Missoula by April 2001. I didn’t get the help there. I went from an only child, with a single parent, to a whole family and my mom accused me of using drugs when I wasn’t. I was trying really hard to not use. I ended up claiming I was suicidal so they took me out of the home and put me in a group home. I ended up coming back to Montana and my CFS caseworker said, “Well what do you want to do?” I had met this caseworker at Talbot House, and I wanted to go where she was. When I ended up staying in the attention home for a week, we celebrated because I had stayed longer than 2-3 days. I went through the Talbot and I was in Tom Roy and I met a guy in high school. This guy was using and on 4/20 right before my 18th birthday, I relapsed. I drank and smoked marijuana. I was sober maybe a year and a half that time. I ran away and got into using meth again. I ended up pregnant and miscarried in 2002. Then I ended up pregnant again. It was the first time I used cocaine and I kept throwing up and that’s how I found out I was pregnant. My first son was born in 2003. I quit using meth as soon as I found out. I drank a couple of sips of wine cooler when I was pregnant. Then after I had my son, the father was abusive and selling drugs. I ended up leaving him and started to go to the bar a lot. I was a single mom and knew that I needed to take care of this child but I didn’t know how. That’s when I started drinking again, used meth a few times after he was born. I started cocktailing and got into a relationship with the manager when my son was about 1 1/2. I ended up moving to Arizona. I was drinking a lot. I became operations manager of a dog kennel and didn’t see my capability in it. My boyfriend hit me once; so I packed up my son, dogs and came back to Montana. I automatically jumped into a relationship with another guy. I ended up moving to Butte pregnant with my second son. The relationship became abusive, both drinking, both abusive to each other. My dad ended up moving down outside Vegas and he had pancreatic cancer, so I went down there and picked him up and brought him to Butte where my aunt, my uncle and grandma lived. We did hospice care in the home or at the hospital. I was taking some of his morphine and drinking. When he died, I started to give up. I didn’t know how to cope. I didn’t want to admit that I was drinking because of my problems not that my problems were coming from my drinking. We both received a partner family assault and going in and out of court with him on custody of my second son. Also, I had my first son the whole time and he was going on five when my dad died. I reconnected with his dad and thought we were meant to be. I moved to Helena with him and got a grooming position there. I got a DUI with my first son in the car. That relationship was toxic. I wrecked my car. I went into intensive outpatient at Boyd Andrews in Helena. I learned a lot, but I still didn’t have that self-worth. I dealt with a lot of shame. My second son was back and forth between his dad and me every two weeks. He was also taking my first son until he got a new girlfriend. When my first son’s dad was in the picture, I ended up signing over power of attorney. I was homeless and staying at God’s Love in Helena. Because of the DUI, I could only go to Great Falls to see my second son every other weekend for certain hours. I rescinded the POA and ended up taking my first son back and was sober for not very long, not even a year. I connected with one of the guys that worked at the shelter and got in a relationship with him. He was a very good, kind-hearted guy and moved in with him and got pregnant with my daughter. I ended up living a double life. I started seeing another guy and he didn’t know I was pregnant. We were toxic together so that was comfortable. When I had my daughter at the hospital, I sent him a picture and he still forgave me. I didn’t know how to tell my nice boyfriend, so I made up stuff and left him and moved in with the new guy. We drank all the time and took pills. I had no idea how to budget money. I started using meth again. I knew I was going back to court and just unaware of what my drinking and drug use was doing. My first son was ADHD and I had him on medication. I was so drunk and/or high I wasn’t even able to get a hold of his doctor to tell him he needed a refill, so my son was out of school. I had tax return money. I was doing dog grooming at Petco. I had an awesome job and that was too good to be true so I ended up losing that job. I knew I had a gift with dogs, They were the only being that showed me what true love and forgiveness are. After like 10 days, the schools contact police and they were going to put an alert out. They found us at a hotel and my first son was taken to my daughter’s Dad’s house. My daughter was at her dad’s house. It was the weekend and I ended up blowing my money on drugs so I couldn’t get into a place. I just stayed really high and even showed up to a visit at CFS drunk. They brought my first son’s dad back into his life. I ended up coming to Missoula and got another DUI and PFA. He ended up beating me up at my dad’s grave and we ended up fighting. They ended up placing my first son with his dad and I gave up. It really hurt because I did have times where I was good mom. I ended up pregnant with third son. His dad ended up in prison for selling drugs. I ended up selling drugs. I was using while I was pregnant. I got so involved with selling drugs that I was leaving the state to pick up large quantities. They took my son at the hospital. I ended up walking out and I was homeless. I manipulated my grandma for money and was going to move to Wisconsin. I started selling again. I had a name in Helena for dope dealing and thought that’s who I was. I ended up getting arrested for dangerous drugs a month after my third son was born. I got out on bond and the person ended up robbing me and I went right back to selling drugs. I ended up in debt to my drug dealer. I was two days late contacting my bondsman and I was set up and the friend I was with was wanted for murder. The police arrested us and I got a max sentence for felony possession of dangerous drugs. I was released on probation and then I got a suspended sentence. I went to check in with my PO and she wasn’t in so I was supposed to check in Monday, but by then I was already in another state picking up drugs. Things got dangerous and scary. When with my drug dealer, people jumped in the backseat of the car in front of a casino, broke a beer bottle over his head, stabbed him in the face and was shaking us down for money. I still felt like this was where I was supposed to be. I got in an accident and wouldn’t talk to the police. I got revoked and went to Passages alcohol and drug treatment with a suspended sentence. Because of what happened to me as a child, I didn’t believe in God unless it was to think that he hated me. There was a thing in my room with my roommate that was like I’ll carry your worries today. And I really opened my heart to the idea that maybe who I thought God was, was not who he was. I came to the pre-release in Missoula. I was afraid of what people would think of me. When I had been pregnant with third son, I received paperwork on my second son and I was too afraid to look at it, so I lost rights to him and he was adopted. I ended up relinquishing rights to my 3rd son. I was in touch with my daughter’s dad and then he stopped communicating with me. He moved to Michigan which I found out later. I didn’t want to talk about my childhood rape. Why bother? I didn’t want to look weak in front of other people. My case manager/CP&R instructor said, “You’ll probably never see these people again. Use this as your dumping ground.” That’s when I started putting work into it. I came to pre-release here in 2014. I started working with dogs again. I really started to do some work. I was seeing a counselor. I even did EMDR therapy. I also went to that church and I wanted to face it. I stood outside of the house where most of it happened and those memories don’t really haunt me so much anymore. I started seeing a guy in the pre-release and he was in pre-release too. He was a very good looking guy and he thought I was pretty, which was a very new concept for me. So I stopped seeing him and then started seeing a bondsman. I ended up pregnant and I had an abortion. I didn’t know how to cope with that and all these new perspectives and not knowing how to implement my skills. I started going back to drinking, gambling and got back together with the boyfriend who I knew was toxic for me from the pre release. I ended up getting high with my toxic boyfriend, and I lied to my current boyfriend so he threw me out and I immediately started living with toxic guy and using meth every day. I lost my job and everything I had just learned. I was so ashamed and so depressed. I started having contact with my daughter and then stopped right before Christmas of 2015 because I was high. It was the most scary time of my life. I ended up pregnant again. I found out I was pregnant with my daughter when I went septic and I was in the ICU in the hospital. The toxic boyfriend only came about twice to see me. I still didn’t want to believe that he didn’t love me. I stayed home with his kids and I stayed high. I believed we had this “connection.” I would not use for a while and then I would start again to cope with what was going on. I still was just starting to work on my feelings about what happened with my three sons. I felt like I didn’t deserve this child either, but I wanted it to be different. Then one night, I was at home and about five months pregnant and I had stopped going to the doctor. The toxic boyfriend raped me and I ran out of the house and I didn’t go back. He stalked me where i was staying. I stayed as high as I could. That was early September of 2016. In later September, he ended up getting arrested so I went back to the house. I used really hard and had to go to the PO the next day and thank God, I had a dirty UA. So I had to go to jail for 30 days. When I got out of jail, my PO said she’d let me go to Wisconsin. My grandmother ended up driving in. That was very unhealthy. She didn’t tell anyone she was coming to get me. She wrecked in South Dakota and didn’t tell anybody and blew all the money a friend had sent to her. I called my PO and said I wanted to pursue treatment and I followed my CD eval and started at Turning Point. I applied at Carole Graham and I did not want to lose my baby. I did not want CFS to come in and take her. Carole Graham said I had to go to inpatient so I came to Recovery Center Missoula. A lot of what I had learned was reinforced and there was more stuff like communication skills and boundary setting and thoughts that I was afraid to share because I thought they were crazy. It was the first time in my life that people related and I felt equal and kept sharing. I had my daughter in January of 2017 and they discharged me and CSF didn’t show up so I came back to RCM with her. I ended up getting into emergency housing through the YWCA and was doing outpatient here until I could get into intensive outpatient at Turning Point and kept working through stuff. I did everything opposite. I asked for help. I would actually call and go to a meeting and not because I had to. I didn’t have to be the Lone Ranger. I could let people in. I was always worried about judgment. CFS came every week or called on the phone. I ended up telling her what I was doing. I got denied at Carol Graham because of my violent crimes. My PO appealed it and I went into Carole Graham in March 2017. I was afraid my daughter’s dad was going to come after me. I didn’t want him in the picture at all, no child support, nothing. Now I am at a place where I can start to deal with everything about abandoning my children. I am now 19 months clean. I have had such momentum. Fear has always crippled me. I learned that courage is not the lack of fear, but acting in spite of it. I don’t worry so much anymore about what people think. I read my bible every day because I now have a higher power and it took that rape to gain a relationship with God. I still have the letter where CFS closed the case on her and she’s with me. I had never really lived sober so how to fit in with people and not be so hard on myself. The cravings and old tapes that I’m not good enough come back so I’m so grateful that I had Carole Graham because I don’t know how to go out and live normally. I’m starting to work on reuniting with my first son and first daughter, and I got some rejection there. My first daughter refuses to talk to me. I haven’t been able to see her. I’ve never been sober this long without incarceration. That double life is what addicts do! It keeps you so alone. My doctor said he had another woman who was really in a hole and he was able to say to her, I know someone who did it, and it can be done. He meant me! That’s amazing to me. I Just feel more at peace. < Previous Story Next Story>

Contact Us by Email, Phone, or Fax Western Montana Mental Health Center Administrative Office 1321 Wyoming St, Missoula, MT 59801 Phone: (406) 532-8400 Fax: (406) 356-5213 Email: administration@wmmhc.org Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 Contact Other Service Locations Seeking Help? If you are seeking services or a referral, please call 406-541-0024 or submit an online request form.

Access WMMHC via telehealth video conference. Zoom for Clients From a Web Browser Note: if this is your first time joining a meeting, you will need to download the Zoom app . Option 1: Click the Zoom link from an email invitation. If you have a headset or want to use your computer’s built-in microphone and speakers, choose Join audio conference using the computer . Otherwise, select Phone Call , to dial the phone number. Download and install Zoom: Option 2 : If you know the Meeting ID, browse to https://zoom.us > Choose Join a Meeting > Enter the Meeting ID . If you have a headset or want to use your computer’s built-in microphone and speakers, choose Join audio conference using the computer . Otherwise, select Phone Call , to dial the phone number. From the Zoom Desktop App 1. Select the Start menu. 2. Search for and open Zoom . 3. Select Join a Meeting . 4. Enter the Meeting ID . 5. If you have a headset or want to use your computer’s built-in microphone and speakers, choose Join audio conference using the computer. Otherwise, select Phone Call , to dial the conference phone number. From the Mobile App 1. Download the Zoom Cloud Meetings app for iOS or Android from the from the App Store/Google Play store. 2. Open the Zoom app. 3. Choose Join a Meeting . 4. Enter a Meeting ID and type in your name . 5. Select Join.

Lisa's Story I grew up in domestic violence. Since I can remember I used alcohol from a very young age in grade school. My mom always provided us with a home and structure, but no emotional support. She wasn’t there emotionally for us, which I think is what led to me drinking and using drugs. I was never happy at home so I ran away and got in trouble a lot. I was really smart in school. They wanted to advance me to the 2nd grade, but my mom didn’t. By the time, I was in middle school, I think I was bored. I dropped out of school and started getting in trouble. I never went to high school. By 18, I had my first baby. She passed away. From 16 to 18, I wasn’t too heavy into drugs. But after 18, I had my baby and I really wanted a baby. I was with the kids’ dad. He’s the father of all my children and we have seven kids now. She passed away at 11 months old. I didn’t know how to deal with that. I was very unhealthy emotionally. I didn’t know that then. I didn’t know how to have relationships or communicate. I started using drugs heavily after I lost my baby. I went to treatment when my two oldest kids were about 1 and 2. I went to treatment in Seattle, but I never really worked on myself. I just went through the motions and tried to do what people wanted me to do. Ever since I was little, I just wanted to be okay. I wanted people to be happy with me. I never felt okay with myself until I started here with Kim. I’ve only been sober for about three years out of my life except for now. I got my GED really easily and took the test without studying. I’ve always been really smart and logical and independent. When I set my mind to it, things came really easily. In 2012, I went to the University for about three years. Then I got back with my kids’ father and started using drugs again. We had three more kids. We were just using heavily and drinking. I never knew what a healthy relationship was. I repeated what I grew up with and my mom lived in domestic violence. I saw the same cycle with me. Eventually I got to the point where I left and wanted help. I started doing outpatient. I knew I needed help and knew I needed inpatient. I was at a very low point in my life. I still continued to use and I was only sober for a few months. Then CPS took my three little kids and that was devastating. They’d never taken my kids. I grew up here my whole life. They had my kids for two months and then I got them back. Maybe that’s what I needed, but it was really hard. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been working on myself a lot. Kim has really helped me with both mental health and addiction. I’ve been through a lot of addictions and trying to come off of drugs and be sober and have a good life for my kids. You can’t do it unless you take a look at yourself and be accountable for the damage you’ve done to yourself and your kids. You can’t get past it unless you own it and be accountable for it. I want to break the cycle of addiction in my family. I have an 18 year old. On her birthday, she made the decision and she and her daughter moved into a group home. She had started using meth and I was scared and didn’t know what to do. I had to get myself healthy. I didn’t want my kids to start using. Now, I’m 40 years old and just getting the skills I need. I knew I needed help. My daughter was out there using and she lost her daughter. She got an opportunity to be responsible. On her 18th birthday, she took that opportunity and went to a transitional living center in Missoula. I am so proud of her. My other daughter is very proud of me and I see the hope in their eyes again, because I’m here in recovery and sober and doing what I need to do. I’ve always wanted to break the cycle of dysfunction in my family. You just need to work on it honestly and work on yourself. What keeps me sober is the desire to have a good life and I don’t want my kids to go through what I went through. My mom did the best she could with the tools she had. I know if she had better tools that she would have used them. I’ve used drugs a long time in my life and I’ve had a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but nothing feels better than being sober and in recovery and celebrating life. Nothing feels better than being proud of my part in my kids’ lives and I want them to be proud of me. It feels a lot better than drugs. I’m learning the skills and using them and passing them on to my kids. Everyone makes their own choices and they’re going to do what they want, but at least I know I did my part. It’s all about empowering myself and my kids. It’s about being assertive and setting boundaries. It’s usually been easy for me to get back on my feet but I finally got to the point where I couldn’t do it anymore. I was doing it for everyone else and couldn’t do it for myself. All I’ve ever wanted was to have my family together, have a piece of land, and have a house. I had all of that and I wasn’t happy, my family wasn’t happy, so I had to make the decision to let it go. If you’re not healthy, it’s not going to work. From here, I want to finish school. I just have a couple of semesters to get my business degree. I want my own business. I want to be able to support myself and be there for my kids and my life and my granddaughter. I think God sent me a gift right here. My tubes were tied and I still got pregnant with her so she’s a miracle baby. If it wasn’t for the Nest, I don’t know where I would be right now. I was angry, upset, and I needed help and somewhere safe to be with my kids. There need to be more programs like this because there are a lot of mothers who want to be with their kids and they don’t know where to go to get clean and be with their kids. I want the other mothers to know that there is help out there. I know a lot of people feel hopeless, but there needs to be more help like this. I didn’t realize how I wasn’t a good mom until I came here and realized how much they were missing. Just the reality of taking my kids from me, it made me work harder at getting to where I am today. I couldn’t stand life without my kids. It’s not easy, but it’s a lot easier than doing drugs the rest of my life. I have 18-year-old, a 17-year-old, a 15-year-old and one that’s 12. These two are five right now and then the baby. I can call them at night and tell them I love them and I’m proud of them. The 17 and 15-year-old are with my mom until I get out of here. I thought maybe I needed to get away from home for treatment but I’m actually glad I stayed, because I grew up in this area and I feel really comfortable here. It’s nice to have this opportunity to get help here. Having the services right here on the Reservation is really awesome. I want to be around my family so I’m happy I’m getting the help here. I want to help people express themselves and their artistic abilities. I’m going to help people make clothing and jewelry to express their own artistic abilities. There are a lot of people with a lot of skills who don’t use them. I know how to bead and make jewelry, and I know a lot of people who know how to do that and they deserve credit for that. I want to give back to the community. So I want to learn grant writing and give back to the community. I felt hopeless. I was in a relationship that was going nowhere. We were miserable. We love each other, but we were miserable. We were both using. I didn’t want to live this life and see my kids suffer. I was losing all my self-respect and confidence. I tried on my own and I couldn’t do it. I learned about the programs through word of mouth and then Kim told me about the Nest where I could have my kids. I thought I was going to have to go out of state. I had no strength, no hope, no self-esteem and I knew I needed help. If this wasn’t here, my kids would have been in foster care longer because I really didn’t know where to go or where to turn. I was losing myself. My cousin was just honest with me and said if you don’t straighten up and do this, you’re going to lose everything. I knew it was true. I was going to lose my kids and I feel so bad for women who have lost their kids. They just don’t know where to go for help. I found the help I needed and I wasn’t going to stop until I did. My kids love it here. They feel safe. They’re happy. They’re just happy to be here with their mom and be safe. They weren’t safe when I was using. I feel like there is hope now. My older daughter is following my example. This was what I needed to do to become the mom I needed to be. If I was still using, she’d probably be following me in those footsteps. I want to be a support for my kids and other women. I don’t know one woman who lost their kids who would choose that if they had their kids. They just don’t know what to do or where to go. They don’t know how to deal with their lives. Some of them have been through so much trauma and abuse. I was lucky to have role models for morals and values. My grandpa was a really good man and he was always there for us, but some people don’t have that. If I stay honest and accountable then my kids will respect me and look up to me. I’m really excited about my life now. I’m excited to see what we’re capable of. We need to break the cycles of our families’ addictions and dysfunction. < Previous Story Next Story>

Welcome to WMMHC! Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Client Consent Form Please complete the electronic form below. All fields marked ( * ) are required fields. All information submitted on our website is private and confidential. Your treatment experience is strictly private and confidential, protected by federal and state law. If you need assistance in filling out our intake paperwork call 406-541-0024 To complete the application by hand: Please call 406-541-0024 to request a paper application be mailed to you. You may also download this application, scan and return via Email: referrals@wmmhc.org or Mail to: Western Montana Mental Health Center 1321 Wyoming St, Missoula, MT 59801 Please wait while we load your application

Western Montana Mental Health provides comprehensive health services and housing options to people of all ages facing mental health and substance use disorders. Who We Are Western Montana Mental Health provides comprehensive behavioral health services to people of all ages facing mental health and substance use disorders. We meet you where you are, and we do not turn away. We are here for those who need the kind of care that only we can provide, the way we provide it, where we provide it. We are here to support every person’s potential to dream more, achieve more, and be more. We are here to provide access to hope, meaningful life choices, and better outcomes. At Western Montana Mental Health Center, we meet people where they are, and we do not turn away. Mission & Vision Our Mission Our Mission: At WMMHC our mission is to build thriving communities through compassionate, whole-person, expert care. Our Vision: Our vision is to serve as a premiere community provider, employer, and partner in comprehensive behavioral health services. Our Values: Empathy. Integrity. Respect. Impact About About Since we opened our doors in 1971, we have been driven by the unwavering goal of providing behavioral healthcare that meets the needs of the people we serve throughout Western Montana. We've stayed true to our commitment to providing person-centered and evidence-based care in community settings. We've remained dedicated to doing what is right, not what is easy or profitable. As a licensed community-based mental health center, we have fulfilled our unique role – to be Western Montana's behavioral healthcare "safety net." We tirelessly advocate for the rights of individuals to have access to integrated services that help people overcome despair and choose hope. The only thing that has changed since our inception almost 50 years ago is how much we've grown. Provided by staff representing a diverse mix of skills and backgrounds, we have a much more comprehensive offering of services with 25 programs to meet the needs of people across the continuum of age and need. And, since 2016, we can now provide services using telemedicine technology, meaning better access for clients and more effective use of scarce resources. History History Initially, the State Department of Institutions funded and administered five community mental health clinics. One of the clinics was located in Missoula and was housed in the basement of the Student Health Center at the University of Montana. This clinic, with a staff of six, was responsible for serving the counties of Western Montana. Services were almost exclusively outpatient, and due to the limited team, outreach efforts throughout the Region were minimal. The expectation was that clients would commute to Missoula, where services would be provided within the clinic. There are old records suggesting that the clinic opened in 1942. Employees of this clinic were all staff members of the State of Montana, and they answered directly to the superintendent of the Warm Springs State Hospital. There was considerable isolation of the staff as direct contact with the State Hospital was minimal. Federal Involvement Federal Involvement Montana's interest in developing comprehensive community mental health centers was sparked by the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health that Congress established under the Mental Health Study Act of 1955. Montana received funds to study its mental health needs and resources, and for five years, effort was devoted to the development of a plan that would provide adequate services to the residents of Montana. With the passage of federal staffing and construction grant programs by Congress in 1963, the Montana State legislature passed complementary bills that enabled the State to become a responsible partner with the federal government in establishing regional mental health centers. Five mental health regions were established within the State and Boards, comprised of a county commissioner from each county within the Region, designated as the authority for governance of the community-based mental health programs. On July 15, 1969, the Western Montana Regional Community Mental Health Center Board submitted to the National Institute of Mental Health an application requesting federal staffing grant funds under the provision of Public Law 89-105. The program was approved on September 1, 1969—Western initiated services on January 1, 1971, utilizing local, State, and federal funds. Offices were opened in Ravalli, Lake, Sanders, Flathead, Lincoln Counties, and the existing Missoula-based outpatient office. The original (1971) staff numbered 20, including 11 clinicians, seven clerical workers, a business manager, and a regional director. Meet Our Leaders Meet Our Board Contact Us Mission & Vision | About | History | Federal Involvement

WMMHC Prevention Services Team has developed evidence-based toolkits to help parents, caregivers, and friends identify the signs of substance use in someone they care about and what they can do to help, as well as contact information for your local Montana prevention specialists.   References Learn About Prevention Services Find A Prevention Specialists Prevention Toolkits WMMHC Prevention Services Team has developed evidence-based toolkits to help parents, caregivers, and friends identify the signs of substance use in someone they care about and what they can do to help, as well as contact information for your local Montana prevention specialists. References are provided below: 1 TALKING WITH YOUR TEEN ABOUT OPIOIDS: Keeping Your Kids Safe - Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/TTHY-Opioid-Broch-2020.pdf Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. 2 TIPS for TEENS: Methamphetamine- The Trun About Methamaphetamine (Meth)-Samsha.gov https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep18-03.pdf Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. 3 TALKING WITH YOUR TEEN ABOUT VAPING: Keeping Your Kids Safe - Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/TTHY-Vaping-Broch-printable-2020.pdf Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. 4 TALKING WITH YOUR TEEN ABOUT MARIJUAJNA: Keeping Your Kids Safe - Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/TTHY-Marijuana-Broch-2020.pdf Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. 5 NIDA. "What is marijuana? ." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 13 Apr. 2021, https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-marijuana Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. 6 BRINGING DOWN BINGE DRINKING - Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/nation_prevention_week/data-binge-drinking.pdf Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. 7 "Understanding Binge Drinking.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/binge-drinking 8 “Binge Drinking.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Jan. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm 9 UNDERAGE DRINKING PREVENTION NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN: HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHILD IS DRINKING ALCOHOL - Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/tell-if-child-is-drinking_0.pdf Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. 10 Dir, A., Bell, R., Adams, Z., & Hulvershorn, L. (2017). Gender differences in risk factors for adolescent binge drinking and implications for intervention and prevention. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 8(289), 1 – 17. 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Back to Prevention Toolkits

Together We Can Provide The Integrated Care Your Patient Needs. T ogether We Can Provide the Integrated Care Your Patient Needs We collaborate with healthcare providers in each community to ensure the total healthcare needs of our patients. Patient Referrals Programs / Treatment Call 406-541-0024 Western Montana Mental Health Center (WMMHC) is a community-based mental health and substance use provider that offers services in western Montana. The most effective approach to caring for patients with multiple healthcare needs is an integrated care model- a systematic coordination of mental health, substance use, and primary care services to produce the best outcomes for our patients. Our programs include the entire continuum of care, including crisis response teams in major population centers, crisis stabilization facilities, inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), adult and youth group homes, mother/child residential homes, drop-in centers, medical outpatient, independent living, chemical dependency outpatient treatment, individual therapy, group therapy, community support, and vocational services. For more information about our treatment programs, click here . Patient Referrals We welcome professional referrals and work closely with physicians, social workers, nurses, therapists, and agencies to facilitate a smooth transition into treatment services. To begin the process please phone your referral to 406-541-0024 or email referrals@wmmhc.org Referrals Make Referral Now All information submitted is 100% confidential.