Tragedy and Hope
Mental illness-related tragedies were one of the first things that I had to try to wrap my arms around when I came to work at NAMI Montana a decade ago. I had lost a family member to post traumatic stress and had lost other dear friends to mental illness, but that did not prepare me for the scope of the tragedy and trauma that mental illness wreaks upon everyday Montanans from every walk of life.
Over the years, I’ve had to use our mission as a rallying point to help myself and our team continue moving on after a tragedy.
NAMI Montana’s mission is to support, educate and advocate for Montanans who live with serious mental illness and their families. We are committed to advancing Montana’s mental illness treatment through advances in science, technology, and system reform.
This is what we do. Day in and day out. Year in and year out. While we have made tangible gains, it is never enough. We will continue to move forward in memory of the loved ones we have lost. Building a better system so other Montana families don’t have to face the same black abyss of tragedy that we have become all too accustomed to.
Thank you for being a part of this critical mission in this year and the year to come.Together we are laying a foundation of hope for Montanans who live with mental illness and their families.
Sincerely,
Matt Kuntz, J.D.
Executive Director
