HELENA - The head of the Montana State Hospital says he plans to retire in December after nine years of directing the facility in Warm Springs.

Ed Amberg said his last day on the job will be Dec. 23.

He has worked at the state mental illness institution for 30 years.

During his tenure, Amberg pushed toward community-based care, which tries to get help for people with mental illnesses where they live instead of in an institution. He also oversaw the transition into a new $6 million hospital building, and he was instrumental in instituting new treatment programs.

"He has been at the forefront of some very, very important changes at that facility," said Lou Thompson, head of Montana's Addictive and Mental Disorders Division. "I will miss him terribly because of his skill and his knowledge of the history of the Montana State Hospital."

The state Department of Public Health and Human Services has launched a national search for a new administrator for the hospital, which Amberg has noted houses some of the most difficult people in Montana. They include some who are admitted involuntarily and are a danger to themselves or others.