West Yellowstone, Mont. – West Yellow Stone Town is famous for its tourist attractions and one of the gateways is the national park.
But what people don’t see behind the curtains is a continuous challenge faced by a small village community like mental health.
West Yellowstone’s public safety institutions are working with the Senator to receive more mental health services for the community.
Chris Wigner Police Chief said West Yellow Stone is limited to receiving mental health services.
“Because it is a very tight community in the west, it affects us a little more. Everyone knows everyone in the west. So when someone dies, it affects not only my officer but also other members of public safety, ”WIGNER said.
The closest mental health service to West Yellowstone is located in Big Sky and Bozeman, 2 hours from an hour.
However, mental health experts drive to West Yellowstone once a week to visit patients who need services. But they provide services to eight people a day, and more people sit on the list of waiting.
“I need additional help here. We need someone who meets citizens or can see public safety right now. We don’t have any kind of problems in schools in relation to students, ”WIGNER said.
D-BOZEMAN Senator Cora Neumann recently visited West Yellowstone to learn more about the mental health problems of public safety institutions.
She has learned four suicide in the West Yellowstone region for the past five years, and the average first respondent has experienced up to 500 traumatic losses in the mission line.
Neumann said, “There are many stigma and numbers regarding mental health, and as a group, this bigger conversation shows how to keep everything necessary to keep the police and fire department healthy.
Some proposals provided by Neumann were to create an incentive program and provide an internship opportunity for local universities and high school students to spend experience at the Mental Health Center.
WIGNER said the police will continue to defend mental health awareness to educate the public.
