A17 - Assertive Community Treatment in Rural and Frontier Communities: The Impossible is Possible

Monday, May 1, 2023

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Location: 309, Level 2, LACC

None of the planners/faculty, unless otherwise noted, for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Relias, LLC and National Council for Mental Wellbeing guarantee this educational conference is free from bias.

Moderator(s)

Scott Malloy, LCSW

Program Director
Montana Health Care Foundation
Bozeman, Montana

Workshop Presenter(s)

Brenda Kneeland, LCPC, LAC (she/her/hers)

CEO
Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center
Miles City, Montana
Mary Windecker, MPA (she/her/hers)

Executive Director
Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana
Missoula, Montana

Slides
Mary Hughes

Office Manager
Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center
Glasgow, Montana

Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center (EMCMHC) turned around an outdated system inhibited by geography, a 54-year-old institutional memory and a "there is no way we can do this" administrative mindset to implement assertive community services in their 48,000 sq. mi. frontier service area. Creativity, support and partnership with the State of Montana (DPHHS), Montana Health Care Foundation and the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana made this change possible.

Learning Objectives:

Identify perceived barriers to implementation of new services in frontier areas and their respective areas of service.
Recognize and identify potential internal and external stakeholders that can contribute to a joint effort in addressing barriers to service implementation and ongoing maintenance.
Identify creative ways to address internal and external resistance to model of service change and ongoing project refinement, as needs dictate.