NAMI Montana Podcast

In this episode, Hannah Clemenson and Matt Kuntz discuss how important meaningful work is to mental health and how disability systems need to be structured in a flexible manner that makes it possible for people to work towards meaningful employment without putting their disability benefits at risk during the process.

Hannah and Matt go into additional depth on NAMI Montana's efforts to address vocational gaps for veterans and nativ...

In this first episode of the Second Season, Hannah Clemenson asks NAMI Montana Executive Director Matt Kuntz about "Decriminalization of Mental Illness in Montana.

Hannah asks Matt about the broad issue of NAMI Montana's multi-year successful effort to create a new forensic hospital. Hannah then goes more specifically into the day-to-day issue of how NAMI Montana advises families with public defenders on what steps they can ta...

Mark Lukach is a teacher and freelance writer. He is the author of the international bestselling memoir My Lovely Wife in The Psych Ward. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Pacific Standard, Wired, and other publications. He is currently the Ninth Grade Dean at The Athenian School, where he also teaches history. He lives with his wife, Giulia, and their son in the San Francisco Bay area.

Mark first...

Miriam Feldman is an artist, writer, and mental health activist who splits her time between her Los Angeles workshop and her farm in rural Washington state. She has been married to her husband Craig O’Rourke, also a successful artist, for 34 years and they have four adult children. Their 33-year-old son, Nick, has schizophrenia. Miriam’s novel He Came In With It is the legacy of, and for, her son Nick.

https://www.mir...

This podcast episode is from Jordan's Brown webinar for NAMI Montana.  Jordan has been a long-time friend and ally of NAMI Montana and we are delighted to have Jordan share his journey on the podcast.

Jordan utilizes his combined experiences as a caregiver, social worker, and someone who has personally faced mental health challenges to create authentic mental health content that has been read by people around the worl...

Special addition to the podcast from a public webinar.

Many mothers suffer in silence from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, which can lead to tragic consequences. Join this panel of experts and a survivor share their knowledge, compassion and experience.

Moderator: Dana Hillyer

Panelists: 

• Dr. Robert Caldwell
• Pam Ponich-Hunthausen
• Kelsey Kyle
• Stephanie Morton
• Sheri Walker

Sponsored by NAMI Helena

Support the show (http://w...

In this episode, Matt Kuntz and Hannah Clemenson talk about how valuable it can be for mental health advocates to have an understanding of history. The historical realities and context of these conditions are valuable whether people are trying to come to grips with their own mental health conditions or struggling with large national policy issues. 

Hannah is interning with NAMI Montana and we are delighted to have her for ...

This is a shorter episode than usual. In this episode, Matt Kuntz highlights the "Six Hour Rule for Navigating Crises" that we recommend to people on the NAMI Montana phoneline. It is not for acute life-and-death situations, but fits more into less acute situations that are still intense enough that the regular day-to-day pattern of thinking and responding won't work.

We hope you find this episode to be help...

In this episode, Matt Kuntz and Colleen Rahn of NAMI Montana talk about Treatment Scout, the online review website for inpatient and other intensive treatments (mental health, substance abuse, dementia, etc.)

Matt and Colleen talk about why NAMI Montana developed Treatment Scout, basically to provide more insights to people making the expensive and potentially life-saving decision to attend inpatient treatment clinic. This...

In this episode, Colleen Rahn and Matt Kuntz discuss NAMI Montana's Legislative Priorities.

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On December 6, 2019, the NAMI Montana Board met to set our Legislative priorities for the 2021 Legislature. While we have other bills and will support other issues, these Legislative Objectives are our rallying points. 

1) Support funding for community mental health services, included integ...

The Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery at Montana State University and the Vice President of Research, Economic Development, and Graduate Education hosted Zoe Barnard on September 15, 2019. Zoe Barnard presentation was on "Suicide Prevention and Mental Healthcare in Montana: Exploring Montana's Research Needs."

Zoe's slideshow is available at this link.

Zoe Barnard is the Administra...

In this episode, Colleen Rahn and Matt Kuntz describe why they so often recommend that people write letters as a way to personally advocate during difficult situations. These situations generally involve someone in power needing to make a different decision to help a person or their loved one's situation.

There is real power in creating a paper trail. Matt and Colleen discuss what that power is and how to use it in th...

NAMI Montana is honored to announce this year's NAMI Montana Hero and Exemplary Service Award Winners. 

We have grouped this year's recipients according to the categories of their efforts.

Veterans Mental Health - Senator Jon Tester has been an amazing partner for NAMI Montana for years and is receiving a Hero Award for his work. In 2019, Senator Tester and his staff took their efforts to the next level ...