I was asked by the Wyoming Department of Health director Stefan Johansson to join him and Dr. David Carrington who serves as the Chief Medical Officer at the Wyoming State Hospital to make a presentation at the request of Chief Justice Kate Fox to the judges attending the annual judicial conference in Casper today (Sept 14, 2022). Our assignment was to provide an update on the efforts made by the legislature and the Dept. of Health to establish a policy for the State Hospital and the Wyoming Life Resource Center to reflect the role of state government for the services these facilities provide to the citizens of the state. They were also interested in the implementation of the behavioral health redesign underway from the bill I sponsored two years ago to prioritize mental health services to populations often impacted by the judicial system. Forensic and civil commitments are a challenge to the judicial system, our counties and local resources. Prioritizing the resources to help divert people away from correctional facilities and the state hospital, and to provide services to individuals release from these same facilities provides a better foundation for them to stand on.

Our Community Mental Health Centers have been the key stakeholders in the implementation of this change. I appreciate the work from people like Scott Hayes from Fremont Counseling in this effort, it has been a “big lift”.