MT Budget Cuts SD2 Middle School Counselors

Budget cuts to Billings School District 2 mean Middle Schools will be without mental health counselors.  KTVQ.com reports that one of the top six actions recommended to the 2017 legislature by the Montana Suicide Mortality Review Team was mandatory depression screening for all school children ages 11 to 17 and development of school district mental health crisis response protocols.

The Rimrock Foundation said Wednesday that recent state budget cuts, which impact the Foundation’s Medicaid reimbursements, mean the defunding of three mental health counselors across the district.  Rimrock CEO Lenette Kosovich said they feel terrible about this, and that counselors were implemented in the middle schools a decade ago as a way to address mental health concerns before students entered high school.  Counselors have been designated to each SD2 high school to address mental health issues and addiction issues.