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 .