During his State of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Steve Bullock said that he "cannot tolerate that Montana leads the nation in youth suicide."
The youth suicide rate is particularly concerning for legislators. Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, is sponsoring House Bill 265, a bill that would provide a limited number of grants to schools to help them implement suicide prevention programs.
Dunwell also introduced House Bill 176, which would require primary care physicians to give depression screenings to patients 12 years or older as part of general wellness exams. The bill would apply to all state-run health programs.
Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, is sponsoring House Bill 23, which would create a pilot program for reservation communities to combat youth suicide. Native American youths are the demographic most likely to commit suicide in Montana, according to the DPHHS report.
To read more of Michael Siebert's article, please visit: http://mtpr.org/post/montana-l...evention-legislation
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