Jefferson County is temporarily without an official prevention coordinator due to reduced federal funding for Montana’s public health services.
Since Oct. 1, the position has been filled piecemeal by multiple prevention coordinators in neighboring counties, according to Miles Benton, program administrator for Butte Cares, the anti-substance abuse organization awarded the state contract to organize prevention coordination in the region.
Madison County Prevention Coordinator Esther Lince said she expected to pick up some of the slack in Jefferson County as she and her colleagues wait to receive their new assignments from Butte Cares, which is finalizing its prevention plan.
Barb Reiter served as Jefferson County Prevention Coordinator for more than 17 years, helping organize an array of events like substance-free Super Bowl parties at Jefferson High School to encourage teens to enjoy the big game sober.
Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services now plans to cover the entire state with just 9 prevention coordinators; previously, 15 covered Southwest Montana alone.
The federal agency responsible for mental health and addiction treatment has terminated $1.7 billion in block grants for state health departments this year, sharply reducing prevention assistance. “It’s been cut back a lot,” Reiter said last week. “We’ve lost a lot of good folks who really knew what they were doing.”
Reiter will continue to lead the DUI task force, a county entity funded by DUI fines and license reinstatement fees. The task force sponsors billboard campaigns and radio ads promoting alcohol and driving safety and works to raise awareness of seatbelt safety and underage drinking.
