Southwest Montana News

Governor Greg Gianforte and key stakeholders gathered at the Capitol Rotunda to celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The event highlighted ongoing efforts and achievements in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.

"Montanans with intellectual and developmental disabilities are a key part of our communities," Governor Gianforte stated. He emphasized the historic investments made in recent years to support these individuals, acknowledging both past progress and future opportunities for improvement.

Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton spoke about raising awareness for developmental disabilities. "Our administration is making historic, systemic changes to the service delivery system in order to better support and serve Montanans with developmental disabilities," he said.

Director Brereton praised the work of the BHSFG Commission, which focuses on long-term strategic plans developed with stakeholder input. Near-Term Initiatives aim to enhance access and quality of services immediately. These include a Residential Grant program designed to increase residential bed capacity for behavioral health or developmental disability providers, as well as funding aimed at strengthening the Direct Support Professional workforce.

The Alternative Settings initiative involves stakeholders providing recommendations to improve community-based services, aiming to reduce reliance on state institutional settings.

Further efforts include projects stemming from HB 952 and HB 922. Sponsored by Representative Courtenay Sprunger, HB 952 supports public/private partnerships focused on developing living spaces for individuals with autism within Montana rather than out-of-state. DPHHS plans to award grants related to this initiative in spring.

HB 922 mandates DPHHS develop a statewide Olmstead plan, set to begin next month.

Governor Gianforte also signed a proclamation declaring March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.