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MONTANA STATE LEGISLATURE

August 22, 2022

Director Charlie Brereton

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services

111 N. Sanders St.

Helena, MT 59601

Dear Director Brereton:

On July 25, 2022, the Montana Free Press published an article regarding Montana’s recent

Institutions of Mental Disease (IMD) waiver and the impacts that would have on Montana’s

mental health system, including the Montana State Hospital (MSH). In that article, you, as well

as former Director Adam Meier, are quoted as indicating that DPHHS may not pursue a Centers

for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) re-accreditation of MSH. We write to express our

deep concern at your lack of commitment to recovering millions of dollars in federal funding for

MSH, and to urge you to immediately and publicly commit to pursuing CMS accreditation as

soon as possible.

CMS re-accreditation for the State Hospital could go a long way towards stabilizing MSH’s

financial situation and secure its long term viability as an important component of our mental

health care system. MSH is losing nearly $8 million annually in federal funding in the absence of

CMS accreditation. These federal funds not only could help ensure that MSH is fully funded at a

level sufficient to ensure the facility operates properly, but could free up state general fund

dollars to invest throughout the continuum of mental health care, shoring up community-based

care in addition to MSH. It is irresponsible for the State to continue funding MSH completely out

of the state budget when federal funds could be drawn down for this purpose.

Beyond the financial implications, pursuing re-accreditation is an important step in

demonstrating to the State Hospital’s patients, staff, and the community at large that the State is

committed to correcting the serious wrongs that led to MSH losing its accreditation to begin

with. Montanans deserve to know that patients committed to the State Hospital are being treated

humanely and with a high standard of care. The staff of MSH deserves to know their workplace

is safe and that they will be treated with respect and dignity. With DPHHS unwilling to commit

to re-accrediting MSH, it raises questions as to DPHHS’s commitment to the State Hospital as a

whole.

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Director Brereton

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DPHHS must be transparent with regards to its goals for the State Hospital. If you indeed do not

intend to seek re-accreditation for MSH, you must clearly say so and present publicly your plans

for the future of MSH. From the beginning of MSH’s loss of accreditation, there have been

significant concerns that DPHHS seeks to privatize or close the State Hospital altogether. We are

asking you today to tell us clearly that there are no such plans and, further, to definitively

commit to seeking re-accreditation of the facility by CMS.

Sincerely,

SEN. JESSICA WICKS REP. SARA NOVAK

Senate District 39 House District 77

SEN. MARY MCNALLY REP. MARY CAFERRO

Senate District 24 House District 81

SEN. JEN GROSS

Senate District 25