Superintendent Arntzen and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana Partner with Jason DeShaw to Support Student Mental Health

• Brian O'Leary
• September 26 2024

HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen has partnered with Jason DeShaw and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) to sponsor another school tour to 10 Montana high schools this fall. The Serenity in the Storm tour, which first took place in 2018, will focus on reducing mental health stigmas, increasing student willingness to seek help for mental health issues, and increasing student willingness to work in a mental health field. Serenity in the Storm is a story of hope, set to the soundtrack of DeShaw’s life. BCBSMT awarded a Blue Impact^SM grant to the nonprofit mental health organization, Realize Hope, to help fund this tour. It is one of nine grants awarded in 2024 through the Blue Impact program.

“This tour reflects my Montana Hope initiative, which focuses on improving our children’s well-being,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Last year, over one-third of our students reported that their mental health was poor nearly all of the time. I appreciate this public-private partnership that puts our Montana students’ well-being first.”

“We value the connection and purposeful work that our local community partners provide to communities across Montana”, said BCBSMT President Lisa Kelley. “These grants will help to promote lasting impact, and address concerns that aim to improve health outcomes and access to care.”

“Jason has the ability to reach out to people, connect, and engage them through compassion, honesty, and awesome country music,” said Custer County District High School Counselor Scott Rapson. “After playing to our student body, we had a flood of students come to the Counseling Center reaching out for help; they told us they wanted to change their situation and work on their depression. They said that Jason gave them the strength to do this because of his message of hope.”

The Serenity in the Storm high school tour dates, locations, and start times are:

• October 15 at Fort Benton Elementary School, 11:00 AM
• October 22 at Cut Bank High School, 1:52 PM
• October 24 at Chinook High School, 12:45 PM
• November 5 at Red Lodge Senior High School, 10:30 AM
• November 21 at Billings West High School, 1:45 PM
• December 9 at Chester-Joplin-Inverness High School, 2:30 PM
• December 11 at Plentywood High School, 3:00 PM
• December 12 at Scobey High School, 2:30 PM

 Montana State University (MSU) studied the effectiveness of DeShaw’s presentations to Montana high school students. A total of 612 students who attended his performances participated in the study. The MSU study concluded that Serenity in the Storm “provides an initial step in developing an effective mental health stigma reduction module…(that) can be easily and widely implemented into schools’ curricula for very low cost. Reducing mental health stigma will increase help seeking behaviors and treatment in youth with mental disorders. In addition, improving knowledge about mental health in all students may have long-term positive impact on affected individuals, increasing their personal, social, and professional successes.”

Born and raised in Montana, Jason DeShaw is a national award-winning mental health speaker and musical performer. He has recorded six albums, toured seven countries, and sung at just about every county fair. Behind the scenes, Jason nearly lost his life to mental illness and addiction, and he is living proof that hope is worth believing in. DeShaw received the Champions Award in Washington D.C. from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for “exhibiting courage, leadership and service on behalf of all people living with mental illness.” Please watch, Hear the Train a Comin', which highlights DeShaw's journey of mental health advocacy.

If your school would like to participate in the Serenity in the Storm tour, please contact Brian O’Leary, OPI Communications Director.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSMT is the largest and longest-standing statewide, customer-owned health insurer and full-service health benefits administrator in Montana. BCBSMT has provided high-quality health insurance plans and administrative services to Montanans for more than 80 years and is committed to ensuring its members — no matter where they are on the health spectrum — achieve maximum health. Headquartered in Helena with five regional offices, BCBSMT’s purpose is to stand with its members in sickness and in health.