Rimrock and EMCMHC Expand Services

Rimrock, located in Billings, and Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center (EMCMHC) have announced an expansion of their services in eastern Montana. The two organizations will be offering Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) as an option for individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD).

A press release on the service expansion notes that SUD is a chronic illness and needs to be treated as such. MAT involves prescription medications for patients who are facing alcohol and opioid addiction while also using behavioral therapy and counseling to manage the illness with an individualized treatment. Clinical teams from Rimrock and EMCMHC locations across eastern Montana, including the one in Glasgow, will be collaborating with local primary care providers in an effort to identify individuals who may benefit from participation in the MAT program.

The partnership between Rimrock and EMCMHC allows providers to create individualized treatment plans from a spectrum of services including detox, inpatient care, short- and long-term residential and outpatient care. CEO of Rimrock Foundation Lenette Kosovich told the Courier, “The partnership provides additional opportunities for people in Valley County to have the benefit of Medication Assisted Treatment as an adjunct therapy for alcohol and opioid use disorder.”

Not all services will be offered locally despite the partnership, but patients will have the option of a more expansive treatment between the locations. “Part of the value of the partnership with Rimrock is they do provide medical detox and then the patient can return to Glasgow/Valley County for the continuation of care including counseling and MAT,” according to Kosovich.

Rimrock and EMCMHC recognize that SUD often affects more than the individual diagnosed, as increased exposure to criminal activity, risk for infectious disease and difficulty maintaining employment are associated with the diagnosis. Offering more treatment options is a way to help individuals manage their illness as well as improve conditions for family and community members, with the goal of making Montana a healthier and safer place for everyone.

With regards to improving local services offered in rural communities with fewer resources, Kosovich said, “Services can be improved because we have more resources and types of services to offer through the partnership.” The press release notes that MAT provides “life-saving benefits including decreasing the risk of overdose, aligning people with counseling and behavioral therapies, and creating a foundation for managing the chronic illness of substance use disorder.”

In addition to the above services, Kosovich told the Courier, “Our partnership also includes the introduction of peer support services to Eastern Montana.” Each patient’s individual needs will be taken into account to create a treatment regimen offered through the partnership.

For more information MAT contact Christi Beals, RN, MBA, chief nursing officer and senior director of admissions/inpatient Services for Rimrock at [email protected], 406-248-3175 or Amanda Brown, EMCMHC client services navigator at [email protected], 406-234-0234, ext. 500.