development

By Reverend Chris Haughee It was a sunny fall afternoon a few years ago. A friend posed a very interesting question as we ate our dinner on the deck at a local restaurant. “What do you think, Chris, about the possibility of a whole group of people experiencing a reaction to trauma? Like, maybe our … Read more

Kimberly Gardner, LCSW, LAC “Kid’s will be kids, right?”   I’m often asked about how to know whether a youngster is truly struggling with something significant or if they’re just “being a kid.”   Sometimes it’s hard to tell. While we all do our best to raise them to grow up well, there are those moments when … Read more

by Sami Butler, RN As I walk down the halls of Intermountain school on our residential campus in Helena, I am struck by how creative and passionate our teachers are about providing a safe, fun and stimulating academic environment in which to learn. Many children who come to Intermountain have not found school to be … Read more

By Phillip Quinn, M.Ed. “Let’s do Family Therapy” Ten years ago, before I started working day to day in the mental health field, I likely would’ve laughed at those words. I might have dismissed the idea as ridiculous and unnecessary. I almost certainly would have mocked the suggestion, citing the ‘family therapy’ from season one … Read more

By Katie Harlow, LCSW Life often feels like a competition, and unfortunately so does parenting at times. How do you know if you are doing the right things when there are so many different opinions being thrown at you via our ever connected world every day? How do you respond when there is always a … Read more

By Tracie Dahl, LCPC Cool clothes. Good grades. Lots of friends. The pressures of being an adolescent have always been great. However, there seem to be an increasing number of demands, stressors, and fears being experienced by youth today which are affecting their ability to socialize, attend school, and prepare for the future. It’s often … Read more

By Marvin Williams, MA, Intermountain Director of Education When a child begins a transition back to school from a long summer break most parents can find this to be a difficult time. But for parents of a child with a disability the experience brings even greater stressors. There are three key phrases to remember to … Read more

By Jerilyn Leece, MOTR/Licensed When Lisa Sommers, certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA), was first interviewed for her position at Intermountain, she was asked the question “What is your dream for this department?” Having been a COTA working for the school district for the previous 15 years, Lisa had been saddened by the fact that many … Read more

By Intermountain Chaplain Chris Haughee, D.Min, M.Div. Cutting. Self-harm. It is a phenomenon much more common today than twenty-two years ago when I entered children’s and youth ministry. It’s certainly not uncommon behavior in the emotionally disturbed children that Intermountain works with. That’s why I want to share a little with you from a conversation … Read more

By Steffani Turner, LCSW, Community Services Director at Intermountain Well, it happened again last night . . . and we both went to bed feeling terrible.  I said NO! Again. For the umpteenth time. It seems like I say NO every day, all the time, in fact.  One little, teeny word is so powerful. In … Read more