Holy Spirit in Action

Here is the f irst look at the Republican approach to Medicaid Expansion , based on an interview by NPR with GOP Rep. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls, who is leading his party's effort. As expected, Buttrey's bill proposes some contributions from recipients, what Republicans call "skin in the game." There would be an  80-hour per month requirement to enroll in community engagement for certain people covered by the program. Buttrey anticipates that this requirement would cut the number of enrollees, but not by a lot. "Community engagement" could be hours worked on the job, or hours spent in a substance use disorder treatment, or in different types of counseling. And there would be some exemptions for people, such as for full-time caregivers, people with disabilities, people over the age of 65, pregnant women in their last trimester. Medicaid enrollees would have 180 days to comply.  To help pay for the higher cost for tMedicaid Expansion (and slightly lower f...

Here are a half-dozen super-helpful websites for understanding the Montana Legislature and what's going on this session: A good place to start is the Montana Legislature's website . It's deep, comprehensive, timely, informative and easy to navigate. It's the best way to stay up-to-date on bills, hearings and budget details, and great for finding and contacting legislators. There's also excellent explanatory information about how the Legislature works. That's also the mission of Ripple Rousers --lots of practical information about the Legislature. If you want to stay up-to-date on the issues for which we are advocating, these organizations and their websites are excellent: • Montana Budget and Policy Center focuses on families and economic security, children and education, health care, housing and state-tribal issues, as well as revenue and tax policy pertaining to all of these areas. Great reports, fact sheets and analyses. • Montana Women Vote has be...

Our rector's message in the 2018 Annual Report of Holy Spirit Parish underscores the importance of our advocacy work: "What’s ahead in 2019? As I said in last year’s report, the wider culture at home and worldwide is rapidly changing. Christianity has had to adapt in response to changing needs throughout its history. We must as well. We best serve as stewards of God when we responsibly carry on the work of Jesus with joy and hope. What is that work? To love as he loves us; to notice inequity and injustice, and act for change; and most importantly, to be open to what God is calling us to do today so that the message of Good News is effectively shared and received. When we pause and listen to those around us, seek the heart of their stories, their yearnings, their fears, we are already bringing Good News and the presence of God’s love into their lives. Jesus met people where they were and lifted them up by his very presence, a point from which much more would come. It ...

Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier, daughter Liezel Strohmaier and The Rev. Gretchen Strohmaier at MAC Day at the Legislature. Gretchen testified before the legislature in support of case management. By bus and by car, a dozen or so Holy Spirit parishioners made their way to Helena on a snowy Martin Luther King Jr. Day to attend hearings, meet legislators and participate in activities hosted by MAC, Montana Association of Christians. At the Capitol, many in the Holy Spirit delegation attended portions of a budget hearing focusing on funding on programs for the developmentally disabled. They heard impressive testimony from Missoulians, focused on the need for better case management, better overall funding for the behavioral health management system and continued Medicaid expansion. Holy Spirit is advocating this year on these issues and it felt good to have so many standing together. It was a good example, parishioners said, of the Holy Spirit in action...

What's it like for a family with a severely autistic son in rural Montana when budget cuts hit? Here's a powerful video just posted by the Montana Budget and Policy Center.  MBPC worked with the family to create the video and posted it to coincide with the Joint Health & Human Services Appropriations Committee hearings this week.  The Janssen family story focuses on the impact that the 2017 state budget cuts had to limit badly needed services for Rich & Julie’s adult son, Jake. His  story, MBPC says "is a powerful reminder of why we need to invest in our communities, our people – and ultimately pass a strong state budget that serves all Montanans."

We've changed the name of this blog to "Holy Spirit in Action:  Holy Spirit Episcopal's Social Advocacy Initiative in Montana" because we want to more accurately reflect our goal and mission. While this blog originates from Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Missoula, we welcome participation in this initiative by our brothers and sisters across the state, particularly because we are advocating for statewide change. You'll also notice that there's a subscription button under the title. Of course, there's no cost to this, just an invitation to be notified by email whenever there is a new post! 

Our own Helen Matveyeff, prepping food at the Pov This op-ed, written by Jill Bonny, director of The Poverello Center 's veteran's services, further underscores the need for case management and mental health counseling for homeless veterans (It was published in last Sunday's Missoulian but not online): Impact of Case Management & Mental Health Cuts on Homeless Veterans It was a cool September morning when Max was dropped off at the front door of the Poverello Center with only the clothes on his back. Max served our country during Operation Iraqi Freedom and suffers from severe mental health conditions, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to his service. After spending several weeks at the Montana State Hospital, Max had nowhere else to go. Like 30% of the Veteran’s we serve here at the Poverello Center, Max does not qualify for healthcare or mental healthcare benefits through the US Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA). When he was d...

Our advocacy group at Holy Spirit has just finished the first batch of letters to legislators (and many thanks to Carla Mettling for birddogging this). These letters focus on restoring cuts to case management for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. They are addressed to the six majority members of the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, which is considering the governor's budget proposal for the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) for about the next month. Public hearings on the budget for the agency departments most concerned with case management will be held this coming Monday and Tuesday (Jan. 21-22, Developmental Services Division) and next Monday (Jan. 28, Addictive and Mental Disorders Division) in Room 102 of the Capitol, between 8 a.m. and noon. Although the six letters are similar in approach, each was written by a member of Holy Spirit in his or her own voice. Here is just one letter, followed by the different...

Native American pharmacist Jessi Cahoon of Missoula No population in Montana benefits more, healthwise, from Medicaid Expansion than the more than 15,000 Native Americans who are now able to access a comprehensive range of health care services across the state. Here are some of the key points made by the Montana Budget and Policy Center about Medicaid Expansion in Indian Country : ·        Medicaid and Medicaid expansion can help reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes including life expectancy. ·        Medicaid is a critical resource for eligible American Indians who either have no insurance or who are dealing with inadequate care through IHS’s rationed system. ·        Through Medicaid, American Indians can access medically necessary and preventative services at any provider participating in the state’s Medicaid program. ·      ...

The advocacy information board at Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Parish has developed the following strategy to guide our advocacy. As we develop more experience, or as the situation merits, we may modify these steps to be more effective. •We educate ourselves on laws or policies that we see hurting our needy brothers and sisters. Does the issue align with advocacy goals of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Montana and is it within Holy Spirit’s vision and mission? • We focus on 1-2 issues and hoped-for outcomes. The issue may require a legislative solution, but not necessarily. Other possible decision-makers may include the governor, the mayor, the county commissioners, government departments and agencies, or even a private company. • We obtain vestry and rector approval to advocate for these changes. • We build relationships with decision-makers and collaborate with other groups working toward the same goals. Presently, we are collaborating with MIC...

More than half of all Montana businesses employed workers enrolled in expanded Medicaid, and that percentage increased to nearly 90 percent for accommodations and food service businesses, according to a report just released by the Montana Departments of Revenue and Labor & Industry. The significant number of workers covered by expanded Medicaid means that their employers benefited by not having to pay for private health insurance and by avoiding tax penalties, not to mention having healthier employees, the report noted. Gov. Bullock touted the study as another argument, aimed at the business community, for retaining Medicaid Expansion. You can read the governor’s press release, including a link to the study, here .

Here's a good breakdown of what Gov. Bullock is asking the legislature in his FY 2020 budget proposal, including $3 billion for the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), which would fully restore the funding that was cut in 2017. Also included in that department budget is retaining Medicaid expansion, which would cost an estimated $26 million in general fund spending. As the article points out, this is just the opening salvo and the final numbers will be the result of some intense legislative battles. 

After two years of discussion, debate, workshops, panels, prayer and yes, more discussion, Holy Spirit has embarked on a journey of advocacy for those in need. We see advocacy as a new (to us) but important tool in our outreach efforts. And by doing so, we are following the lead of The Episcopal Church, which engages in advocacy on a wide range of issues, as well as the diocese of Montana. We say on our website : As written in Proverbs 31:8-9, “ Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”  The roots of our faith demand that we do no less. One of the “Five Marks of Mission,” as first laid down by the Anglican Communion, is “ to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.”   Embracing the work of advocacy as members of Holy Spirit Parish will provide a vital supplement ...

What is targeted case management? Besides close family, case managers are one of the most important persons in the life of a developmentally disabled or mentally ill person. They help them get necessary services and care, thus allowing more Montanans to live in their community instead of often expensive and isolating institutional settings. Case managers help people get and keep jobs, transition to independent living, find doctors and therapists, assist clients with finding stable housing, trouble-shooting benefits paperwork, and checking on medications. They help clients navigate the transition from high school and living at home to entering the workforce and independent living. Case managers can also help people find medical and therapy providers and make sure they get to appointments and take medication. In some cases, a person can have the same case manager for years or decades, building a relationship that creates a high level of understanding. What happe...

Welcome to Episcopal Advocacy in Montana! The purpose of this blog is to keep readers informed about the latest developments in an advocacy initiative recently begun by Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Missoula. Our initial targets are two-fold: restoring full funding for targeted case managers for the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill in the state and retaining Medicaid Expansion. Both issues affect the neediest among us and we feel compelled to advocate on their behalf during the 2019 session of the state legislature. While parishioners at Holy Spirit will be doing what they can to make sure Montana takes care of its neediest, we also hope to enlist Episcopal laity and clergy across Montana--and others--in this effort. On this blog, you will find deeper explanations of the issues on which we are focusing and links to efforts by organizations and individuals to achieve the same goals.