Substance Abuse

A Montana addiction clinic’s plan to give people with substance use disorders as much as $1,966.50 in gift cards and vouchers to follow its treatment program is raising questions about the use of financial incentives with patients.

Peer support specialists are themselves in recovery and are employed to help others.

Millions of dollars of grant funding are flowing into Montana to help health officials and tribes expand treatment for people addicted to opioids and stimulants.

State health officials say that Montanans on Medicaid will now have increased access to treatment after the federal government waived a restriction on what types of facilities can provide care for Medicaid patients.

Fentanyl has taken root in Montana and in communities across the Mountain West during the pandemic. And overdose deaths are disproportionately affecting Native Americans.

The high demand for treatment for children with behavioral and substance abuse problems has led Montana health officials to spend Medicaid funds to send kids to residential programs in other states with less stringent oversight.

The Angel Initiative requires law enforcement to change how they do business: If a person self-reports their substance abuse and turns over their drugs, police won’t press charges. Instead, they’ll help the person find treatment.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte held a roundtable in Billings last week to talk about public safety challenges and solutions.

A plan to provide better access for prevention and treatment of substance abuse is developing in Yellowstone County.

Supporters of a bill in the legislature say it would help bring justice to the families of drug overdose victims.