Hello, Beacon readers! It’s your local cops and courts beat reporter, Maggie Dresser, here to serve up some justice on this Tuesday afternoon. In the last handful of years, I’ve witnessed the increasing pressure on law enforcement and the justice system as the population grows, the supply of mental health resources dwindles, and drug and alcohol treatment centers remain limited.
As officials try to expand wraparound services for those who are caught up in the cycle of addiction and mental health struggles, I’ve heard over and over again the importance of offering local resources as one of the most essential tools for reducing recidivism.
For example, before the Montana Department of Corrections last fall opened a 90-bed re-entry center in Kalispell, Flathead County offenders were sent to other statewide prerelease centers after their release from prison. The distance often created barriers for the convicts once they returned home, forcing them to start over once again after completing the six-month program outside of their community and support network.
Flathead County District Court last year launched an Adult Drug Treatment Court, another recidivism-reduction tool that entails an 18-month intensive program that provides a team including a district court judge, attorneys, mental health professionals and program coordinators. Treatment courts offer an alternative to incarceration and are shown to be one of the most successful justice interventions for those who suffer from substance abuse and mental health disorders.
At the Center for Restorative Youth Justice (CRYJ), the Kalispell-based nonprofit works to prevent minors from entering the system altogether. For nearly three decades, the organization has offered programming for Flathead County’s youth, promoting accountability and conflict-resolution strategies. Services include community impact circles, victim-offender conferencing and life skills workshops.
The Whitefish Community Foundation last month awarded the nonprofit a $44,500 Kids Fund grant to support a new clinical services program, expanding access to on-site mental health counseling for graduates of its restorative justice and youth empowerment programs.
CRYJ Program Co-director Erin Goudreau will step into her new role as the Clinical Services Director to provide counseling, which will reduce barriers like access, transportation and the stigma associated with outside therapeutic services.
“For as long as I’ve been part of the program team at CRYJ, we have dreamed about a time where we have a therapist in-house – someone you can walk a teen down the hall to meet,” Goudreau said in a news release. “This pilot is an incredible opportunity to leverage the trusting relationship teens build with CRYJ as an institution in order to connect them to much-needed mental healthcare.”
CRYJ also recently formed partnerships in Columbia Falls with Land to Hand MT, the school district and the police department to serve the north valley’s youth at the Columbia Falls Kids Foundation building located at 540 4th Avenue West.
The partnership removes the extra transportation hurdle for Columbia Falls teenagers who would otherwise travel to Kalispell to receive services or meet in public spaces.
“In the past, a youth’s lack of transportation into Kalispell has meant meeting Columbia Falls teens at the bowling alley, coffee shops, parks (when weather allows), or the Dairy Queen, all of which lack a sense of predictability and privacy for teens,” Executive Director Catherine Gunderson said in a release. “Offering consistent local services in a dedicated space will allow us to embark on this partnership that improves fairness and equality in justice system and school discipline responses for youth in the northeast region of the Flathead Valley.”
CRYJ is hosting a Back to School Bash and BBQ in Columbia Falls today from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Kids Foundation at 540 4th Avenue West; an open house and Sweet Peaks Ice Cream Social tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its headquarters at 110 East Idaho Street in Kalispell; and the nonprofit will be featured at the Columbia Falls Community Market on Sept. 3 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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Groups Petition Montana FWP for Mandatory Bear Spray, 24-Hour Trap Checks
Advocates cite rising grizzly deaths and animal welfare concerns; critics call the rules unnecessary regulation. The Fish and Wildlife Commission has 60 days to respond.
Republicans Vote to Replace Rep. Llew Jones on the Ballot for State Senate in Response to Term Limit Dispute
The vote was spurred by a legal opinion on the state’s term limit law issued last week by Montana Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen that effectively blocked Jones from being eligible to run for the state Senate this election cycle
With few community-based mental and behavioral health resources in the Flathead Valley — and as waitlists grow at the Montana State Hospital — a vulnerable population of people with mental illness is now cycling through the streets, jail and local hospital
Whether you’ve been here for decades, or you’re new to the Flathead Valley, our reporting is here to help you feel smarter and in the loop about the issues most important to Northwest Montana. With your support, we can build a more engaged, informed community.
