Health officials pitch millions in funding priorities for Warm Springs, other state facilities

Lawmakers on a key budget committee heard requests Thursday from health department officials and consultants that they say will help stabilize the struggling Montana State Hospital and other public facilities that care for veterans, seniors and people with intellectual disabilities and substance-use disorders.

Department of Public Health and Human Services director Charlie Brereton told legislators on the bipartisan and bicameral budget subcommittee that the department is requesting at least $300 million, spread across a variety of bills, to fund ongoing investments in the state psychiatric hospital, other public health care centers and growing the state’s behavioral health network...