mental health

Teton County residents report struggling more with their mental health and loneliness since the pandemic began. That's according to a community behavioral health assessment .

Wyoming has entered the world of sports betting. Earlier this month the Wyoming Gaming Commission kicked off online betting in the state, while the Wind River Casino in Riverton became the state's only facility where people can bet in person due to its tribal affiliation.

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, the Wyoming Department of Health presented a proposal to redesign the state-funded behavioral health system. This past legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill to change who community health care providers can serve.

This past legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that will change who community health care providers can serve. Throughout the summer, stakeholders are now figuring out how to actually implement these policy changes on the ground. Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska spoke with Andi Summerville, the executive director of the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers, on the current process. Summerville said the new system involves priority groups that so far have been separated into three tiers.

A recent survey by the national nonprofit the Trevor Project found 42% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year and young people of color face disproportionate mental health challenges.

This week Corporal Derek Colling from the Albany County Sheriff's office resigned. Colling shot and killed Laramie resident Robbie Ramirez during a traffic stop in 2018. Ramirez was unarmed. Colling was hired after having been fired from the Las Vegas police department following an altercation with a photographer. He had also killed two people while working for that department and many objected when former Sheriff Dave O'Malley hired him.

Farmers in parts of the West are experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in nearly two decades. The dryness presents challenges in keeping a farm or ranch viable, and in how farmers deal with mental health concerns.

Wyoming-based mother and son duo published their first fiction novel, titled A Divided Mind, together back in 2019. The book largely centers around topics and impacts of mental health. Now, Mary Billiter and Kyle Thomas are back with a sequel and shared how they got started as well as why this was important to them.

After months of increased crisis calls, Jackson Hole's Chief of Police, Michelle Weber, has decided to create a new position in the force: a social worker.

This past legislative session, the Behavioral Health Division's budget was cut by $7.5 million. These cuts need to be implemented by July 1.