Tidbits
From Governor Gianforte:

I am pleased to share my Path to Security and Prosperity Budget fully funds all Phase 1 foundational recommendations contained in the Commission's final report.

Pursuant to the statute, I authorize up to $100 million to implement the following recommendations contained in the final report.

• Refine and Refigure the Current 0208 Comprehensive Waiver Services Rates.

• Expand the Service Delivery System to Support Individuals with Complex Needs. 

• Redefine and Reopen E&D Clinics to Support Families Effectively.

• Enhance the Targeted Case Management Program.

• Implement a Care Transitions Program.

• Adopt Electronic Bed Registry and Enhance 988.

• Redesign Rates to Improve In-State Youth Residential Services.

• Invest in School-Based Behavioral Health Initiatives.

• Incentivize Providers to Join BH and DD Workforce.

• Expand and Sustain Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. 

 

Prison Policy Initiative - https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2024/12/02/medicare-probation-parole/​

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SAMHSA - Evidence-Based Guide: Suicide Prevention Strategies for Underserved Youth     

• Announcing the Launch of the Center for Addiction Recovery Support (CARS)

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Office of Recovery, in partnership with One World Recovery Network (OWRN), is excited to announce the launch of the new Center for Addiction Recovery Support (CARS)! CARS is ready to provide essential training and technical assistance (TTA) to help organizations better provide recovery supports to individuals facing substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges. In 2021, the Office of Recovery was established to advance recovery across the nation. Since that time, we have been working diligently – in collaboration with the recovery field – to forge partnerships to support all people, families and communities impacted by mental health and/or substance use conditions to pursue recovery, build resilience, and achieve wellness. And one of the many invaluable ways to do this is through the design and delivery of training and technical assistance (TTA) that meets the needs of our local, state, and national recovery partners

• SAMHSA National Guidance on SUD Care - National Guidance on Essential Specialty Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Care | SAMHSA Publications and Digital Products

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• ​The Montana Board of Crime Control invites you to participate as a sponsor for the 2025 Montana Crime Prevention Conference, which will be held October 28-29 at Billings DoubleTree by Hilton. We had an excellent in-person turnout this year, and we expect to see an increase in participation this year.

• Our sessions focus on improving the criminal justice system through understanding and developing collaborative partnerships in responding to reducing crime, substance abuse, treatment courts, victim services and juvenile justice. Your support enables our conference to continue to provide key educational sessions to law enforcement professionals, state, local and tribal government, probation, victim service providers, educators, and leaders from the public and private sectors across the state.

• As a sponsor, you will have the option to use an exhibitor table in the main registration area throughout the conference. Your logo, website, and contract information will be printed in the conference program, in marketing materials, and on the conference webpage.

• For more information about our general sponsorship levels, including the exhibitor opportunities associated with each level, please click here. Sponsorship outside of these levels is also allowed and appreciated. This is a wonderful event that provides invaluable opportunities for furthering education and networking with colleagues and exhibitors. For more information about the conference, please visit the 2025 Montana Crime Prevention Conference webpage.

• MBCC will notify selected sponsors and collect payment in summer 2025.

• If you have any questions or need more information, please email Angie Woodrow at angie.woodrow@mt.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!

• Montana Board of Crime Control

• mbcc@mt.gov 
  https://mbcc.mt.gov
  (406) 444-3604

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Governor Roy Cooper announced North Carolina's first Reentry 2030 Progress Report. It highlights accomplishments on the state’s Reentry 2030 Strategic Plan, showing 50 of 133 strategies started or completed. These achievements are the result of close collaboration among state agencies, reentry organizations, and the Joint Reentry Council subcommittees, working together across sectors and levels of government. 

 “The Reentry 2030 Initiative is both the right thing and the smart thing to do for our state,” said Governor Cooper.

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Catalyst Montana

• After decades of work as Montana Human Rights Network and Montana Women Vote, these two organizations are merging to create Catalyst Montana: Organizing for Justice.  

• Our new name reflects what we have always known: that community organizing is the starting place to realize a future where there is justice, safety, and dignity for all. We seek to be a catalyst for collective power and meaningful change by and for low-income and marginalized Montanans. Learn more about the work of Catalyst Montana by visiting our website.

 

HRSA Announces New Funding and Policy Change for Health Centers To Support Care for People Reentering the Community After Incarceration

On November 22, HRSA announced nearly $52 million in awards for 54 HRSA-funded health centers to increase access to high-quality primary care for people soon to be released from incarceration and reentering the community. The funding enables health centers to use innovative approaches to support these individuals before their release to address health risks during reentry.

As part of the announcement, HRSA Administrator Johnson held a roundtable with community leaders in Boston, Massachusetts, to discuss how HRSA-funded health centers provide care for justice-involved individuals as they return to their communities. Administrator Johnson joined staff from the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program on a tour of their facilities, highlighting their efforts to meet community health needs, including primary care, chronic disease management, treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and overdose prevention.

BJS Releases Federal Prisoner Statistics Collected Under the First Step Act, 2024

      OJP Communications sent this bulletin at 12/11/2024 12:20 PM EST

      BJS Releases Federal Prisoner Statistics Collected Under the First Step Act, 2024

• JAMA Network Open

Recent Incarceration and HIV Risk Among Women Who Use Heroin

Kaitlyn Atkins, PhD, MPH; D’Andre Walker, PhD, MS; Kathryn Noon, MSPH; et al

 

• Hope Center Ministries (HCM) – 2025 January Newsletter​

 

• JAN & JANF Release New Report on Criminal Justice Reform and Re-entry Reform Laws in 17 States - JAN + JANF State Report: Re-entry Reform

 

• MT DPHHS Office of Faith and Community Based Service - Winter 2025 - https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MTDPHHS-3cb72d1?wgt_ref=MTDPHHS_WIDGET_76

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A recovery and reentry program provides community for those struggling with addiction

By Yonat Shimron

 

A ministry in North Carolina supports people recovering from addiction or incarceration with jobs, resources and relationships.

Leadership questions

In your community, where are people working to support each other through difficulty?

What are the opportunities to work together in these efforts?

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My name is Willy Johnson, director of the Montana Re-Entry Program, and I’d like to personally invite you to help create opportunities for individuals transitioning from incarceration back into society.

T.E.A.M. Mentoring, which began nearly 30 years ago under Larry and Linda Gaalswyk, has been re-established with new leadership, new vison, and a new name: Montana Re-Entry. Larry and Linda are grateful for all those years serving the men and women in prison.

Why help men in prison and those being released? Simply put, God calls us to. As a former prisoner, I know the impact of receiving help. At Montana Re-Entry, we believe no one is beyond God's reach, and together we can disrupt the cycle of crime and transform generations.

Our team works with inmates weekly, focusing on mental health and spiritual guidance. Participation is voluntary, and our primary requirement is a genuine desire for change through God's word. After release, we continue supporting these men with mentorship, housing, job training, and spiritual care.

Why are you receiving this letter? We believe you could be a valuable part of this mission. Your support—whether as a volunteer, donor, or advocate—can transform lives.

Visit montanareentry.org or call 406-812-7235 to get involved.

In Kinship,

Willy Johnson, Jr.

Director, Montana Re-Entry

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Three Mentor States Provide Critical Support for Medicaid and Corrections Policy Academy Participants

The CSG Justice Center and the Center for Health Care Strategies are pleased to celebrate Arizona, Montana, and New Hampshire for participating in the BJA-funded Medicaid and Corrections Policy Academy as mentor states. These states bring valuable experience in leveraging Medicaid to support reentry services for people returning to their communities. Learn how they are embracing Medicaid Section 1115 Reentry Demonstration opportunities and inspiring other states to do the same. INSIDE: Substance Use Treatment Month; Housing Solutions; and more

 

• Annie E. Casey Foundation – Juvenile Justice News - TheAnnieECaseyFoundation_email

• New Prison Policy Initiative report explains notoriously bad correctional healthcare

February 19, 2025 - https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/02/19/healthcare_report/

YD

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 Forensic Peer Support and its role in strengthening reentry services in Montana. Forensic Peer Support connects justice-involved individuals with trained peers who have lived experience, providing mentorship and guidance on housing, employment, and other reentry challenges.

RAM sees forensic peer support as a vital component of successful reentry. As you know, many individuals leaving incarceration face unstable housing, employment barriers, and a lack of community support, which increases the risk of relapse and recidivism. Peer support specialists who have walked this path can provide critical guidance, helping to improve long-term reintegration outcomes. We are working to expand access to forensic peer services statewide by identifying needs, securing funding, and ensuring these services are integrated into existing recovery and reentry programs.

To better understand the demand for forensic peer support in Montana, we’ve put together a Forensic Peer Support Needs Assessment survey: Survey Link

Would you be willing to share this survey with the Montana Reentry Coalition? Your input, along with the coalition’s, will help shape the development of future programs and funding for forensic peer support in the state.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and discuss how RAM can collaborate with the Montana Reentry Task Force on this effort. Let me know if you’d be open to a conversation.

Peter Maney

Executive Director

Recovery Access Montana

Recovery Residence Alliance of Montana

☎️ (406) 272-3603

📫 pmaney@rramontana.org

💻 rramontana.org

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COCHS WEEKLY UPDATE: April 01, 2025

 

• Prison Policy Initiative - https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/04/01/april-fools/

 

• Second Chance Month - Second Chance Month Starts Today!

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