Lawmakers push legislation to address Montana's mental health crisis

When Brandi King finished a 14-month deployment with the United States Army, she returned home to Montana’s Fort Belknap Indian Reservation to heal.

King carried with her the trauma she experienced during combat in Mosul, Iraq. She began to feel anxious, hypervigilant and she couldn’t sleep at night. In rural Montana, mental healthcare resources can be scarce. King wasn’t able to see a counselor or support specialist, and her post-traumatic stress progressed.

She became suicidal and attempted to take her own life more than once.

Family and friends were supportive and wanted to help, but like a...