Grant given to allow Hill County jail inmates to receive therapy

Hill County, along with 15 others, has been chosen to receive a grant that will allow Hill County Detention Center inmates to seek out mental health resources while incarcerated.

Hill County will receive $70,350 from the state to continue its mental health program at the detention center.

Michelle Hill, the rural director of services with the Center for Mental Health, said this is the second year the county has received the grant.

“It basically gives them funding to contract mental health services in the community so that we can provide medication management for inmates as well as just mental health evaluations,” Hill said.

The grant is a 70-30 match between the state and county, respectively.

The Center for Mental Health will go into the jail, where inmates can request their services, whether it be medication evaluation or therapy.

The main goal of the program is to provide mental assistance to those within the jail who need it, Hill said.

“A lot of the inmates or people who are within the jail system don’t have access to mental health services and it’s really a population that’s in need of those mental health services, nor do they have a way for paying for it” Hill said.

She said sometimes an inmate will be uninsured and might not be able to subscribe to mental health services outside of jail.

The funding comes from a bill that is designed to lower the rate of people repeatedly going back to jail.

“Too many Montanans are suffering with mental illness without access to the help they need,” said governor Steve Bullock in a press release about the grants. “I’m pleased to support these innovative community solutions and investments that will treat people before they end up in jails and prisons.”

The Center for Mental Health’s services are open to any inmate to sign up for, Hill said, whether it’s a one-time appointment or weekly therapeutic session