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Panel hears bill renaming mental-health advisory council to behavioral-health advisory council
Summary
A bill to rename the state's Mental Health Advisory Council to the Behavioral Health Advisory Council drew support from agency staff who said the change aligns state practice with federal SAMHSA guidance and acknowledges co-occurring substance-use and mental-health needs.
A bill to change the name of Montana's Mental Health Advisory Council to the Behavioral Health Advisory Council received supportive testimony from state behavioral-health staff who said the renaming reflects current practice and federal guidance.
Senator Iacowicz introduced the measure as a straightforward alignment with SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) guidance. Jamie Hansen, prevention bureau chief at the state's Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Division, told the committee the council has been operating as a behavioral-health body since 2023 and that the name change would align statute with that practice.
Hansen described the planning-council requirements embedded in the mental-health block-grant statute, including membership balance and the inclusion of individuals with lived experience. She said many states have already combined planning councils for substance-use prevention, treatment and recovery under a behavioral-health umbrella and that the bill simply aligns Montana with that trend.
No opponents appeared and no informational witnesses were presented. Committee members had no questions during the hearing. Senator Iacowicz closed by thanking committee members and urging support for the name change.
The committee did not take a vote during the hearing.
