School-based therapist donation part of a larger effort by Intermountain St. James to expand behavioral health support for students in Butte‑Silver Bow

(PRUnderground) January 21st, 2026

Southwest Montana Community Health Center recently received a $30,000 donation from Intermountain Health St. James Hospital to support a behavioral health therapist on campus at East Middle School for the 2026 school year.

The check presentation marked part of a larger effort by Intermountain St. James to expand behavioral health support for students in Butte‑Silver Bow.

“School-based services, like having a therapist available, help our students navigate their day-to-day,” said Collette Chorney, a pediatrician at Intermountain Health St. James Hospital. “By spearheading school-community partnerships with our Butte Schools, we continue to support our students through the mental health services they need.”

Laurie Andrews, the behavioral health therapist for Southwest Montana Community Health Center working at East Middle School, emphasized how placing behavioral health providers in schools removes barriers for students.

“The barrier of the kids having accessibility to these services is kind of taken away when we are here in the schools,” Andrews said. “They are able to just come out of class, have a session, and then go back to class.”

The need for enhanced behavioral health support in Butte remains significant.

In Butte-Silver Bow County, 23.9% of students have reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, compared to the 15% Montana state average.

“Suicide is now one of the leading causes of death among students, which is a reality that calls us to listen more closely and provide support and understanding,” said Karen Costello, president of Intermountain Health St. James Hospital. “Through this funding, which will help bring a therapist to campus for the 2026 school year, we continue to place our students’ well-being and mental health at the forefront.”

Intermountain St. James has continued to work with the community of Southwest Montana to provide behavioral health support to students across our region.

At the end of 2025, Intermountain St. James Hospital donated $25,000 to support the implementation of Hope Squads in schools across the Butte School District, providing peer-to-peer support and suicide prevention for our students. For more information about Intermountain Health St. James Hospital and its support in the community, please see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/intermountain-health-st-james-hospital.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.

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Original Press Release.