Intermountain to maintain 1 residential cottage beyond Nov. 30; seeking more staff

The Intermountain Residential program is maintaining one cottage after earlier reports were to end the program by the end of this month.

“We hope to continue to build from there,” Intermountain spokeswoman Erin Benedict said in an email, adding the future of the program will “depend on our ability to hire staff and open more cottages.”

“The Intermountain Staff and Board of Directors remains committed to Intermountain Residential and all of our programs, which serve hundreds of clients in Helena and across Montana,” Benedict said.

There are now eight children in the open cottage at the residential facility, she said. Eight children were discharged since the board’s announcement and one of those children has returned.

Intermountain’s residential facility in Helena’s South Hills.

THOM BRIDGE, Independent Record

There are 40 staff members at residential, including some part-time and intermittent staff.

People are also reading…

“We will need 11 more staff members to be able to open a second cottage,” Benedict said.

She said to her knowledge there has been no notable shift in staffing over the

View Source