Montana Launches its Statewide Initiative on Tobacco-Free Recovery
Reposted from Smoking Cessation Leadership Center
The state of Montana is a paradigm for providing low cost/no cost cessation services and resources, however cessation efforts are limited by the systematic barriers including beliefs, lack of time, staff training and reimbursement. On March 21st, Montana launched its first state Leadership Academy for Tobacco-Free Recovery. Funded by the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with SCLC, SAMHSA, and the CDC’s National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco and Cancer Control (NBHN), the Academy brought together a distinguished group of Montana partners to work together and identify measurable goals and strategies to reduce the prevalence of smoking and nicotine dependence among people living with mental illness and substance use disorders.
Given the novel collaboration, the action plan resulting from this meeting is a thorough report indicating consensus on measurable goals, barriers and gaps, along with strategies and resources to address this epidemic in the state of Montana.