Resilient Communities

Montana, and indeed the entire West, is in transition.  On one hand economic growth outstrips all expectations in many of Montana’s “urban” counties while many of the state’s rural counties languish. All counties along the economic and social spectrum face challenges to their infrastructure and schools, housing and healthcare, traditional values and future expectations. Core rural values are at stake as an increasing number of people unfamiliar with agriculture and resource extraction, like mining and timber, and a growing recreational interest threaten rural economies and cultures. 1MT is responds to these trends and working with communities providing guidance around preserving core rural values while adapting to new economic and cultural realities.

1MT has been working closely with the community of White Sulphur Springs in an ongoing community resiliency project since 2018. The Black Butte Copper Mine is in the final permitting stages and if/when the mine is in operation, it will have a significant impact on the county and watershed. 1MT has played the lead role in developing and organizing the Meagher County Stewardship Council (MCSC) to “watchdog” the mine’s operation to ensure a healthy and vibrant watershed and community both before and after the mine’s operation. With 1MT acting as the major advisor to MCSC, its work, in part, entails the development and implementation of a Community Benefits Agreement much like the Good Neighbor Agreement put in place 18 years ago between the Stillwater River watershed communities and the Stillwater Mine in southcentral Montana. The committee is exploring a variety of ongoing concerns and solutions. Core rural values, a rural community and a pristine environment are at stake both during the mine’s operation and when it is no longer operating.

We are beginning discussions with other communities addressing issues of rural health, renewable energy, education, and potentially other extractive industry issues.

Mental health is one of the most pressing issues facing Montanans.  1MT has been working for more than three years with MSU’s Center for Mental Health Research & Recovery (CMHRR) and MSU Extension to develop and implement iCBT programs for adults and teens with anxiety and depression symptoms. 1MT has played a lead role in helping Extension and the CMHRR to implement the Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM)’s suicide prevention programs in over 20 rural high schools, and Thrive, a sophisticated iCBT program, using a video-centric platform for adults with depression symptoms. Along with CMHRR, and Extension, we are now developing “Thrive for Adolescents”. 

Building on this work, 1MT is developing a comprehensive program to help expand behavior health services offered in rural Montana communities which also represent one of the highest suicide rates of all working aged adults in the US.  Education and training programs in Montana’s rural communities are desperately needed because so few people are sufficiently trained to screen and respond to mental health issues.  Our objectives and strategies will strengthen the work that is already occurring and a help to coordinate evidence-based approaches to reducing suicide in our state.

1. Establish an education and training platform to expand crisis intervention services. This will include implementing QPR (Question, Pursuit, Respond) and Zero Suicide trainings statewide, and developing programs to integrate with existing programs such as Responsible Alcohol Server trainings for all bartenders.

2. Develop youth education and training: Establish peer to peer support program by training youth leaders in schools (Advanced Placement classes).

3. Create opportunities for financial assistance, such as insurance costs, academic incentives, mental health residency.

4. Integrate a mental health component to all of 1MT’s existing programs.