Providence St. Joseph Medical Center 2025

Journey of Hope Continuation

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center serves the Polson area and delivers on average 220 babies annually. This project will continue developing the center's participation in The Meadowlark Initiative. The center will refine clinical processes, workflows, policy, and funding options to sustain the Meadowlark care model beyond the grant term. Partners include the Lake County Health Department, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Health and Social Services, the Families First Learning Lab, YWCA, Flathead Maternal Mental Health Coalition, and St. Luke's Community Hospital. Grant funds will provide partial salary support for key Meadowlark positions and support for training and travelling to meetings.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2025

PureView Health Center 2025

Collaborative Care Management & Chronic Care Management Implementation

PureView Health Center is a federally qualified health center that serves Helena and neighboring communities. With this grant, PureView will expand its integrated behavioral health program to include chronic care management (CCM), transitional care management, and collaborative care management (CoCM) services. PureView has provided integrated services for over 10 years, but patients’ needs exceed the available resources. CCM/CoCM offers the team a population-level approach to managing behavioral health and chronic medical conditions. Grant funds will support the upfront investment in staffing, infrastructure, and workflow integration. Primary project partners include Big Sky Psychiatry, Helena Indian Alliance, and St. Peter's Health.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

12 month

2025

PureView Health Center 2025

PureView School Based Health Four Georgians Elementary School

PureView Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center serving Lewis and Clark County and Lincoln. PureView provides behavioral health services in three schools in the Helena School District. With this grant, PureView will expand services to an additional school, Four Georgians Elementary School (4 G's). Helena School District identified this school as a priority for services, and has agreed to contribute funds and support to support the project. Grant funds will be used towards the salaries of the clinicians and project supplies.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2025

Ravalli County Council on Aging 2025

Victor Senior Center Freezer Repair

The Ravalli County Council on Aging provides critical services to seniors to support their independence and quality of life. This small grant will provide funds to repair the broken commercial freezer at the Victor Senior Center. This freezer is crucial for storing meals for the Meals on Wheels and Congregate Meals programs. Regular meal service supports not only nutritional health, but also community and connection to seniors and individuals with disabilities who frequently suffer from isolation and loneliness. Foundation funds will be used to purchase the parts needed to repair the freezer.

Grant Amount

$4,500

Term

12 month

2025

Red Ants Pants Foundation 2025

Red Ants Pants Foundation’s Women in Agricultural Communities Well-being Program

Red Ants Pants Foundation, based in White Sulphur Springs, works throughout rural Montana to develop and expand leadership roles for women, to preserve and support working family farms and ranches, and to enrich and promote rural communities. This Rural Health Small Grant will support the Women in Agricultural Communities Well-being Program. This program works to foster healthier, more connected, and more resilient rural communities across Montana by reaching individuals in communities most affected by the social factors linked to suicide, including social isolation and rural residency. Participants attend three-day retreats that equip them with tools to support their own mental health and resilience, as well as the well-being of their families, neighbors, and broader community networks. Bi-monthly Cultivating Connections calls help sustain relationships and reinforce tools introduced in the retreat. Montana Healthcare Funds will primarily support retreat lodging, facilitation, and the quarterly virtual meetings.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2025

Red Shield 8 Nations, Inc. 2025

RS8N Start-Up Operations

Red Shield 8 Nations (RS8N) is a newly formed nonprofit created by seven tribes and the Montana Consortium of Urban Indian Health Centers (MCUIH) for the purpose of building a tribally-led regional healing center. This grant will support RS8N’s initial steps of organizational development, which include hiring an interim executive director; developing and implementing policies and procedures; building basic operations infrastructure including branding, website, and accounting and office systems; planning and initiating a capital campaign; securing funding committed by the Little Shell Tribe; and establishing and maintaining effective communications with member tribes.

Grant Amount

$190,000

Term

24 month

2025

Red Shield 8 Nations, Inc. 2025

RS8N Facility Project Management and Pre-development

Red Shield 8 Nations (RS8N) is a newly formed nonprofit created by seven Montana tribes and the Montana Consortium of Urban Indian Health Centers (MCUIH) to build a new, tribally led regional healing center. This two-year grant will support RS8N to conduct pre-development, capital financing, and site improvement activities at the Great Falls site. Tasks to be completed include the property survey, completion of the property transfer from the Little Shell Tribe to RS8N, hiring a construction project manager to oversee the planning, pre-development, and eventual construction of the site improvements and facility, and hiring a consultant to manage the capital financing. Grant funds will be used for the property survey, owner’s representative contract costs, architecture and engineering, regulatory fees, and a capital financing consultant. These professionals will work on behalf of RS8N to ensure that the facility development and fundraising efforts are seamlessly coordinated, resulting in the timely completion of the facility.

Grant Amount

$110,000

Term

24 month

2025

Richey Public Schools 2025

Scratch Cooking Equipment Upgrades for the Kitchen

Richey is a community of about 200 people in Dawson County, located about 45 minutes from Glendive and Sidney. Richey public schools serve meals to about 100 students and staff. Funds from MTHF will be used to replace the food service department's oven and sink and make space for the addition of a proofing cabinet. These replacements and additions will allow for full implementation of the school's scratch cooking program, including homemade bread. The school will collaborate with the Montana Project to End Childhood Hunger's food service directors' cohort, which supports rural scratch cooking in schools across rural Montana. This initiative provides healthy, locally grown foods for students and staff, resulting in cost savings and improved nutrition.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2025

Rocky Boy Health Center 2025

Professional Leadership Project

Rocky Boy Health Center (RBHC) is a non-profit, tribally led facility serving the Chippewa Cree community on the Rocky Boy Reservation in northcentral Montana. Through its Professional Leadership Project, RBHC will integrate an award-winning integrated behavioral health model -- the Alaska Southcentral Foundation's Nuka System of Care -- while building a system of care that integrates the Chippewa Cree Tribe’s principles and traditions. RBHC aims to improve patient care and staff efficiency, enhance workplace culture, increase professionalism, define roles, and advance operational procedures that support quality of care and quality improvement efforts. Grant funds will support consultation with experts for structured training, coaching, and mentorship to the medical director and healthcare staff. Leadership and administrative staff will visit the Southcentral Foundation in year one and the Seattle Indian Health Board in year two to gain knowledge and insight into the Nuka and other integrated care models. Primary project partners on this project include SouthCentral Foundation and Mountain-Pacific Quality Health.

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

24 month

2025

Rocky Boy Health Center 2025

Rocky Boy Health Center Integrated School-Based Healthcare

Rocky Boy Health Center is the tribal health system for the Chippewa Cree community, providing comprehensive health care to over 5,000 people with a staff of more than 200 employees dedicated to patient care, prevention, and community well-being. This project will support expansion of school-based services to 4 schools that serve youth in the Chippewa Cree community. Through a contract with RBHB, Montana Pediatrics curently delivers telehealth counseling services to students in two of these schools. The goal of the project is to expand school-based health services to include other service lines including medical services, family counseling, dental, optometry, speech therapy, occupational therapy and peer support. Grant funds will be used towards staffing, staff training and supplies. Rocky Boy School District and Box Elder School District have confirmed their support for this project.

Grant Amount

$300,000

Term

36 months

2025

Roosevelt Medical Center 2025

Culbertson School Based Behavioral Health

Roosevelt Medical Center (RMC) is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Culbertson and serving neighboring communities including Bainville and Froid. RMC offers hospital, outpatient, emergency, ambulance, and ancillary services. The project aims to address the emotional, social, and psychological needs of students in the Culbertson School District and, in turn, improve academic success and overall well-being. Through this project, RMC will work with the district to implement school-based services, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and strategies to promote positive behaviors. RMC will provide a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) on-sight once or twice a week to implement this project. Providing these services in the school setting will make them more accessible and minimize school absenteeism. Grant funds will be used to offset the school's behavioral health provider's start-up cost and the supplies needed to start the services. The confirmed partner for this project is Culbertson School District.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2025

Saddlehorn Apartments, LLLP 2025

Saddlehorn Apartments

Saddlehorn Apartments is a proposed 30-unit Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) new construction project in Miles City. The development will include a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments that are affordable to households earning less than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with seven units affordable to very-low-income households earning less than 30% AMI. A preliminary market study for the project found a demand of 149 new units at the proposed rents to meet community needs. Miles City has not developed new rent-restricted affordable housing using LIHTCs since 2006. MTHF's $500,000 loan will leverage approximately $6.7 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and over $2.3 million in funds from Montana’s Housing Trust Fund and HOME Investment Partnership programs. This project will carry a 51-year Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA), ensuring long-term affordability. New units built using LIHTCs in Montana are required to comply with accessibility and adaptability requirements, in addition to indoor air quality standards that result in healthy living environments.

Grant Amount

$500,000

Term

Other

2025

Seeley Lake Community Foundation 2025

Love Where You Live: Resident Engagement & Visioning Sessions for Seeley Lake

The Seeley Lake Community Foundation (SLCF) engages philanthropy, provides leadership, and enhances the quality of life and economic vitality of Seeley Lake. This project will support SLCF in the development and completion of comprehensive Community Needs Assessment (CNA). SLCF will achieve this by working with an experienced facilitator to help staff engage with community members to conduct surveys, interviews and focus groups, compile statistics and local indicators for the rural Seeley Lake area, and develop strategic partnerships to help SLCF plan for the future and strengthen this rural, unincorporated community. Funds from MTHF will be used to support staff and facilitator costs. A key outcome of the project is partnership development, and through this project SLCF will engage Missoula County's health and planning departments, healthcare providers serving the community, and local businesses.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

18 month

2025

St. Peter's Health Foundation 2025

Addressing Unmet Behavioral Health Needs in the Greater Helena Area

St. Peter’s Health is a nonprofit health system based in Helena, Montana, serving a rural five-county region that includes Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, Powell, Meagher, and Jefferson counties. The goal of this project is to increase access to behavioral health care by implementing group therapy within primary care practice. To do this, St. Peter's Health will train staff on group therapy, develop workflows to embed group therapy offerings in primary care clinics, and integrate data tracking to assess outcomes and ensure adequate revenue to sustain the practice beyond the term of the grant. Funds will be used to cover startup costs including staff time for planning, training, and creating workflows and data dashboards. St. Peter’s Health will collaborate with the local housing and frequent user coalitions to develop offerings that address the needs of their clients.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

24 month

2025

The Children's Museum of Northeast Montana 2025

After-school Program

The Children's Museum of Northeast Montana, located in Glasgow, serves children in Daniels, Phillips, Roosevelt, Sheridan, and Valley Counties, including children from the Fort Peck American Indian Reservation. The project will host an After-School Program for 25 children ages 5-12. The museum will provide a safe space, offer mentoring for older students, create jobs by hiring part-time employees to supervise the program, provide dynamic age-appropriate programming, academic assistance, special projects, and healthy snacks. Grant funds will be used to support personnel in overseeing the project throughout the school year. Although no partners were indicated in this project, the museum is governed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of parents and professional community members.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2025

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2025

KFF Health News Montana News Partnership

This project will support the continuation of the Kaiser Health News (KHN) bureau in Montana. The bureau increases Montana-centered health journalism and provides high-quality, relevant coverage of critical health care, public health, and health policy issues free of charge to news outlets throughout the state. The continuation of this partnership will fund a Montana-based health journalist who will continue producing impactful stories on the important issues affecting Montanans, which will be widely distributed through media partners across the state, region, and nation, as well as through social media. The project aims to increase the quantity and quality of health journalism for and about Montana residents, helping them understand the political, economic, and social factors that impact their health and well-being.

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

24 month

2025

The Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger Inc. 2025

Increasing Fresh Quality Food in School Meal Programs

The Montana Project to End Childhood Hunger (MT-PECH) creates collaborations and partnerships across Montana's food system to maximize community-based resources to increase access to nutrient-rich, locally grown food. In recognition of schools' critical role in meeting community nutrition needs, MT-PECH has engaged four cohorts of rural food service directors (FSDs) representing 58 schools to implement scratch cooking and local food sourcing in Montana schools. Over the past year, MT-PECH helped cohort members identify equipment needs for the successful implementation of scratch cooking in their facilities. Through this grant, MT-PECH will support cohort schools in sourcing and purchasing equipment. Additionally, MT-PECH will develop a K-12 contract with a distributor supplying Montana-sourced foods to schools and, in partnership with Abundant Montana, create regional producer lists for schools and other institutional buyers. Partners include Abundant Montana, cohort schools, and producers across the state. Funds from MTHF will be used to support identified purchases, MT-PECH staff time, and travel to cohort schools.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

12 month

2025

Wibaux County Health Department 2025

Garden to Table Program

This grant supports Wibaux County Health Department to partner with Wibaux County Extension Office and community members to create a community garden. This project strengthens local food systems by engaging residents in the production of nutrient-dense food and builds community connection in Wibaux through hands-on collaboration. Local residents who have completed the Master Gardener Education Series will guide the project in conjunction with the extension office's soil scientists. The project also engages Wibaux County High School, where students will start and nurture the seeds in the greenhouse, and will provide produce grown in the public garden to Wibaux County Schools, the food bank, and Wibaux County Nursing Home. Grant funds will be used to purchase a shed, garden supplies and equipment.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2025

Winnett ACES 2025

Winnett/Petroleum County Rural Healthcare Needs

Winnett ACES is a community-led 501(c)3 that focuses on rural vitality in central Montana communities. The project will serve Winnett/Petroleum County, and the communities of Grass Range and Sand Springs, all frontier areas. The grantee will conduct a health care needs assessment in these remote central Montana communities, residents of which must currently travel long distances to access any health care services. Grant funds will allow Winnett ACES to support the work of a Community Enhancement Coordinator to conduct the assessments, purchase supplies, and host two public input sessions.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2025

Yarrow, LLC 2025

Addressing Human Trafficking Response in the Healthcare Setting – Part II

This grant will support Yarrow -- an Montana-based public health consulting organization -- to train hospitals to identify and respond more effectively to human trafficking. The project builds on an MTHF planning grant through which Yarrow surveyed hospitals to understand how they are addressing human trafficking, and developed a training curriculum based on the findings. Through this project, a cohort of hospitals will participate in a quality improvement cohort wherein the participating facilities will pilot the training and toolkit. This project will help hospitals develop and implement policies and staff training to more consistently identify and respond to instances of possible human trafficking among patients presenting to for care. Funds will be used for staff and consultant time to complete project deliverables. Hospitals that have agreed to participate include Bozeman Health, Logan Health Kalispel, Intermountain Health - St. Vincent's, Billings Clinic, and Benefis.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2025

Yarrow, LLC 2025

Addressing Human Trafficking Response in the Healthcare Setting

Yarrow is a Montana-based consulting organization whose mission is to empower public health systems with evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and contemporary practices to meet the needs of their vibrant communities. The goal of this project is to conduct an assessment of how larger Montana hospitals address human trafficking and, based on the assessment, develop a training curriculum to improve hospital awareness of and effective responses to human trafficking. Grant funds will be used for staffing, travel, and assessment design. This work will be accomplished through a strategic partnership between Yarrow and independent consultant Shannon Brown, RN. Partners to be engaged will be healthcare staff from larger Montana healthcare facilities (located in Billings, Great Falls, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, and Kalispell) that voluntarily commit to joining this project.

Grant Amount

$25,994

Term

12 month

2025

Action Inc. 2024

Butte Permanent Supportive Housing Planning and Development

Action, Inc. is the Community Action Program serving Butte-Silver Bow County, providing a wide range of anti-poverty programs, including housing, energy, and case management. This $40,000, one-year proposal will support Action, Inc. in implementing the community's first purpose-built permanent supportive housing (PSH). PSH serves people with complex medical conditions who are chronically homeless. The model links housing with on-site services such as tenancy support, employment assistance, and medical and behavioral health care to improve health outcomes and reduce the need for high-cost emergency services. Action, Inc. has developed a robust Coordinated Entry System (CES) with 15 community partners actively participating. The group will identify frequent users prioritized for the new units using CES and case conferencing. In response to community input and available property from the County, Butte's PSH will be built in a series of five fourplexes (four units in progress with an estimated 2025 completion and 20 total units planned). The units will be owned and subsidized by the Butte Housing Authority, with property management and tenancy support provided by Action, Inc., and healthcare services provided by the Federally Qualified Health Center Southwest Montana Community Health Center. Funds from MTHF will be used to support project staff responsible for onboarding the first four units and architectural services for the remaining fourplexes.

Grant Amount

$40,000

Term

12 month

2024

Apsaalooke Nation Housing Authority 2024

Needs Assessment/Capacity Building

The Apsaalooké Nation Housing Authority (ANHA) is the tribally-designated housing agency for the Apsaalooké (Crow) Tribe. This grant will support a comprehensive housing needs assessment for the Apsaalooké Nation, build staff capacity for conducting needs assessments, and help AHNA develop programming for the planned permanent supportive housing hotel in Hardin, Montana. ANHA will hire a consultant to plan and design the survey tool. The consultant will train staff to conduct the survey on the Crow Reservation, collect and analyze survey results, and share the results with stakeholders and the community. The assessment results will be used to apply for funding to meet the housing needs on the Crow Reservation. MTHF funding will be used for consulting costs and staff time and training. To complete these tasks, ANHA will partner with the Crow Tribe and Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation. The Crow Tribal Health Department will also be a pivotal partner in developing a plan to provide health and related services for the permanent supporting housing project in Hardin.

Grant Amount

$104,181

Term

12 month

2024

Arlee Community Development Corporation 2024

Building Organizational Resilience

The Arlee Community Development Corporation (ACDC) seeks to address social needs and increase resiliency and self-suficiency for residents of the Jocko Valley and the Flathead Indian Reservation. This grant will support staff and board capacity building and development of a strategic plan, with a focus on ensuring the organization's long-term sustainability in preparation for the current Executive Director’s planned retirement. ACDC will recruit and train a Leadership Advisory Board, which, in turn, will lead the recruitment, selection, and training of a new Executive Director. MTHF funds will be used to support staff salaries to lead this effort. Partners include the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), CSKT Tribal Health, CSKT Food Sovereignty Program, Salish Kootenai College Extension, and Mission Mountain Food Enterprises.

Grant Amount

$30,000

Term

12 month

2024

Big Sandy Medical Center 2024

Rural Health Center Integrated Behavioral Health Project

Big Sandy Medical Center (BSMC) is a 25-bed critical access hospital with a rural health clinic that has served northcentral Montana since 1965. The clinic cares for 2700 patients annually from the Big Sandy community and surrounding rural areas, including the Rocky Boy’s reservation and Hutterite colonies. This project aims to integrate behavioral health services into the standard care provided at BSMC, enhancing its ability to address the community's mental health needs. BSMC will recruit and onboard a part-time mental health professional (LCPC/LCSW) to improve outcomes for patients with identified mental health conditions or those at risk for such conditions. It will also employ an RN as a care coordinator to optimize care for patients identified as ‘at risk’ of mental health concern development or crisis. Grant funds will support a portion of the salary for a part-time behavioral health provider and RN care coordinator, staff training, the development of mental health screening protocols, and the establishment of a sustainable framework for ongoing mental health care within the facility. Primary partners are the Chouteau County Health Department and Big Sandy Public Schools. BSMC also partners with AWARE's medical director for supervision of its psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

36 months

2024

Billings Clinic 2024

Expanding Empaths: Implementing Collaborative Care in the Perinatal Care Setting

Billings Clinic is a not-for-profit, community-owned and governed, multi-specialty group practice serving multiple regions throughout southeast and south-central Montana, including Crow and Northern Cheyenne Tribal Members. This project will expand and transition Billings Clinic's current reproductive behavioral health care program to an integrated behavioral health model. Billings Clinic will implement Collaborative Care services in its OB/GYN clinic to provide routine screening, care management, peer support, and therapeutic and psychiatric services for perinatal women. Grant funds will support a full-time behavioral health care manager and a portion of the project director's salary. Billings Clinic actively partners with One Health, which provides a recovery doula to OB/GYN patients.

Grant Amount

$149,987

Term

24 month

2024

Billings Clinic 2024

Expanding Empaths: Implementing Integrated Behavioral Health and the Collaborative Care Model in the Pediatric Setting.

Billings Clinic is a not-for-profit, community-owned and governed, multi-specialty group practice serving multiple regions throughout southeast and south-central Montana, including Crow and Northern Cheyenne Tribal Members. Billings Clinic will implement Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) within the pediatric primary care department using the Collaborative Care (CoCM) model to serve vulnerable patients' needs better. The goal of this project is to routinely screen all patients ages 11-18 for mental health conditions, social determinants needs, and substance use concerns. Billings Clinic will implement a team-based approach as a best practice model of care. The funding provided by MTHF will support personnel dedicated to the project, including an additional 1.0 FTE behavioral health care manager and a portion of the project director's salary. Many of the partners for this project include internal Billings Clinic departments that will be cross-trained to work with the perinatal and pediatric departments and the psychiatry residency program to provide psychiatric consultation for the CoCM implementation. Billings Clinic will also partner with graduate social work and/or counseling programs to host practicum students, generating further revenue to support program sustainability.

Grant Amount

$174,592

Term

36 month

2024

Billings School District 2024

Improving Systems and Sustainability for Mental and Behavioral Health

Billings Public Schools (BPS) serves 16,675 students in grades pre-k through 12th grade across thirty-three school buildings, educating 10% of all K-12 public school students in the state. This project will implement a sustainable multi-tiered system of support for behavioral health to proactively address students' needs by aligning academic standards and behavioral expectations. BPS will do this by engaging with a consultant to develop a vision and comprehensive implementation plan based on assessing the needs for improving student wellness and behavioral health. Grant funds will support the consultant, staff time to support the project, supplies, and meetings. BPS will partner with Riverstone Health, which operates two school-based health centers and provides behavioral health support through another grant-funded project; they also hope to strengthen their partnership with the Billings Urban Indian Health Center through this project.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

24 month

2024

Bitterroot Health 2024

Maintenance and Expansion of Integrated Behavioral Health

Bitterroot Health is a critical access hospital in Hamilton with 24 acute care beds, more than 90 medical providers, and 14 associated primary and specialty clinics. Since 1931, its mission has been to provide quality, accessible, and personalized healthcare to Bitterroot Valley residents. This grant will enable Bitterroot Health to expand its integrated behavioral health project from two to five rural health clinics in Ravalli County. It will hire a behavioral health care manager in the first year of the grant and two more in the second year. It will also establish new partnerships for psychiatric consultation and clinical supervision to support its program objectives, community needs, and patient volumes. Grant funds will primarily support the behavioral health staff positions, with a portion used for developing and sustaining integrated care in Bitterroot Health's clinics.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

24 month

2024

Butte Native Wellness Center 2024

Strategic Planning

The Butte Native Wellness Center (BNWC) is an urban Indian health center based in Butte. This project will help the organization develop a strategic plan and will support training for its staff. Strategic planning is a top priority for BNWC, which has a new executive director, nine new staff members, and three new board members. A comprehensive strategic plan will allow the organization to plan, implement, and evaluate its programs in a more effectively to achieve better outcomes for the community it serves. The grant will support a site visit to Southcentral Foundation, emphasizing learning about integrated care teams, workforce development, data and information management, and integrated behavioral health. A consultant will work with organizational leadership to develop the strategic plan.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2024

Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribal Health 2024

Reservation School Based Behavioral Health Services

The Confederated Salish & Kootenai (CSKT) is located on the Flathead Reservation in Western Montana and is home to three tribes: Bitterroot Salish; Upper Pend d’Oreille; and Kootenai. CSKT Tribal Health offers both in-person and telehealth services, and provides wrap-around services including audiology and speech therapy, behavioral health, dental, medical and community health, optical services, pharmacies, physical therapy, radiology, and health and wellness. The goal for this project is to establish a comprehensive school-based behavioral health care program to improve the mental well-being of students and school staff by providing accessible, on-site services throughout the Flathead reservation. They will start their school-based program by serving Polson School District, Ronan School District, Charlo School District, and St Ignatius School District. In the initially proposed service area, there are 15 schools identified as high priority schools. Polson includes five Title I schools and one Targeted school, Ronan includes two Title I schools and one Targeted School, Charlo includes 2 Title I schools and one Targeted School, and St. Ignatius includes three Title I schools. They will accomplish their goal by developing a school-based health program and hiring a full-time behavioral health provider to serve the schools. As part of their project, CSKT will also partner with Logan Health. Logan Health will provide medical services to two of the school districts, Charlo and St Ignatius with their mobile medical unit. CSKT and Logan Health will participate in joint planning to serve those two districts together to provide both medical and behavioral health services. Grant funds to CSKT will be used for towards the salary and fringe for the new full-time behavioral health provider that will serve the schools.

Grant Amount

$300,000

Term

24 month

2024

Day Eagle Hope Project 2024

Feeding Our People White Clay

The Day Eagle Hope Project is a Native nonprofit organization addressing food security in the Fort Belknap Indian Community. This planning grant will be used to complete a business plan to sustain the Fort Belknap Indian Community’s bison herd as an ongoing food source for the community. Our funds will be used for a consultant and the Day Eagle Hope Project Director's salary. This organization worked with the tribe to develop the proposal and included a letter of support from the Fort Belknap Indian Community. 

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2024

Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center 2024

Crisis Response in Frontier Regions

This is an invited proposal from Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center (EMCMHC) to expand their crisis work in the Eastern region. EMCMHC is the primary mental health and substance use organization in 17 Eastern Montana Counties. The proposal seeks to add two additional counties (Rosebud and Treasure) to the existing five counties that are currently being served with a mobile crisis platform. Other counties in the region are either already using or will be using the platform through other private and public grants. The proposal will also utilize funds to expand FTE for the existing coordinator and care manager. These two positions will work in tandem to ensure clients are connected and the communities and their stakeholders/coalitions are supported. Eastern will contract with a company called Avel, which will train 1st responders on utilizing mobile tablets to connect to on-call psychiatric nurses.

Grant Amount

$70,700

Term

18 month

2024

Elmore Roberts Community Partners, LP 2024

Elmore Roberts

Elmore Roberts is a historic commercial and residential building with 60 units located in downtown Great Falls. The tenants living in Elmore Roberts all earn less than 50% of the Area Median Income. Through this program-related investment (PRI), we will support the acquisition, preservation, and rehabilitation of these affordable housing units. The renovations will include low VOC vinyl plank flooring, formaldehyde-free cabinets and counters, low VOC paint, and low flow plumbing fixtures, along with exterior improvements such as updated energy-rated windows, paint, roof replacement, and siding repair. The renovation will also enhance ADA accessibility. The project will carry a 51-year Land Use Restriction Agreement, which ensures long-term affordability. This PRI will leverage nearly $12 million, including $5 million in private loan funds, $5.6 million in Low-Income Housing Credits, more than $900,000 in historic tax credits, and an investment of $130,000 from the Great Falls Tax Increment Financing District which demonstrates strong local commitment to the project. Partners include NeighborWorks Great Falls and the City of Great Falls.

Grant Amount

$600,000

Term

Other

2024

Emma's House - Bitterroot Valley Childrens Advocacy Center, Inc. 2024

Acute Intervention Medical Clinic

Emma’s House is a nationally accredited Children’s Advocacy Center in Ravalli County, serving as a resource for children and adolescents who have experienced abuse. Through this grant, Emma’s House will plan and begin to implement acute medical exams for child and adolescent victims of sexual and physical assault and drug endangerment. The grant will allow Emma’s House to obtain additional equipment, training, and certification to conduct acute exams within 72 hours of incidents of abuse. Grant funds will support a portion of project staff time, contracts for on-call providers, training, and a limited pharmacy license. The project relies on and benefits from partnerships with Bitterroot Health, FirstSTEP Resource Center, Sapphire Community Health, Ravalli County Attorney and Sheriff’s Office, DPHHS Child and Family Services Division, and Bitterroot Drug.

Grant Amount

$35,840

Term

12 month

2024

Florence Crittenton Home & Services 2024

Establishing Youth Maternity Home as a Licensed Medicaid Residential Setting

Florence Crittenton provides trauma-responsive care, family-centered support, and services to parents and children throughout Montana. Through this grant, it will work to improve Medicaid reimbursement for their youth maternity home, which serves young mothers aged 12-21 and their children. Establishing a reliable funding source will allow Florence Crittenton to fund these services and expand the number of clients the program can serve. The grant will support staff time to carry out the analysis required to establish a new Medicaid rate and engage DPHHS and critical partners in serving this population. Primary partners include the DPHHS Child and Family Service Division, the Early Childhood Services Bureau, the Montana Board of Crime Control, and Youth Courts and Juvenile Probation.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2024

Friends of the Children - Eastern Montana 2024

Public Partnerships & Sustainability for Long Term Youth Mentoring

Friends of the Children (Friends-Eastern) provides intensive youth mentoring services in Eastern Montana, with a primary location in Billings. Friends-Eastern is currently primarily reliant on private donations. With this grant, Friends-Eastern will hire a contractor to explore the potential for reimbursement for mentoring services through public agencies and programs, with a goal of securing at least 30% public, sustainable revenue. The executive director and board will work with the contractor during 2025 to identify and hire the contractor, then launch funding partnerships that best fit with their mission and model. Funds will be used to pay for a contractor and the partial salary of the executive director to oversee the project. Friends-Eastern will partner with Billings and Lockwood public schools, and DPHHS Child and Family Services (Region III), to enroll and serve Eastern Montana children.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2024

Good Housing Partnership 2024

Preservation of Eight Affordable Housing Properties

This PRI to Good Housing Partnership (GHP) will provide $500,000 in predevelopment financing to assist in acquiring, renovating, and preserving affordability for 321 housing units in eight existing housing developments in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Deer Lodge, and Libby. The PRI will fund the assessments required for each property to access Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), which are reimbursed at the closing of the LIHTC partnership. Of the 321 units to be preserved, 148 serve families, and 173 are for seniors and people with disabilities. Rents are targeted to be affordable to people earning less than 70% of Area Median Income. HUD subsidies are available to ensure that households do not pay more than 30% of their income toward rent, regardless of their income. The $500,000 PRI will be repaid with 2% interest at the closing of the LIHTC deal, which will happen within 12 months of the date of this PRI. The PRI will leverage $62.4 million in bond financing and LIHTCs that make up the full financing package for this multi-site project.

Grant Amount

$500,000

Term

Other

2024

Helena Indian Alliance 2024

The Resilience Lab

Helena Indian Alliance will partner with Helena High School to plan and pilot the “Resiliency Lab,” an innovative solution to the growing mental health crisis among Montana youth. The project will create a trauma-informed eight-week curriculum for staff, weekly educational offerings, and evidence-based therapeutic modalities for students. The project is coordinated with a new school-based health center run by Helena Indian Alliance. The Resiliency Lab program will help the school implement supports that benefit all students, allowing the clinic to focus on students needing a higher level of care. The project aims to improve academic and health outcomes across the student body. Grant funds will be used for staff salaries, supplies, travel, contracts, and communications. The partner for this project is Helena School District, specifically Helena High School.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

24 month

2024

Helena Indian Alliance 2024

Facility Improvements

The Helena Indian Alliance (HIA) is an Urban Indian Organization and a federally qualified health center look-alike that serves the Native American population in Lewis and Clark County. This project will support renovating and expanding HIA's behavioral health clinic space and implementing a new electronic health records system. Together, these improvements will help HIA expand access to behavioral health services and improve their ability to deliver integrated behavioral health in the primary care setting. Grant funds will support consultants for the facility design, and electronic health record data migration and implementation. Partners include SMA Architects for the behavioral health unit expansion and eCW for the electronic health records systems.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

12 month

2024

Human Resource Development Council of District IX, Inc. 2024

Park County Housing Coalition Capacity-Building and Sustainability

This grant will support staffing costs for the Park County Housing Coalition as they implement the 2022 Park County Housing Action Plan. HRDC IX currently staffs the Coalition, which intends to become an independent organization. MTHF funds will support two primary activities outlined in the Community Health Improvement Plan. The first is facilitating collaboration among local healthcare and social service providers to improve the community's use of Coordinated Entry Systems (CES) to assist people experiencing homelessness. Like many rural communities, the use of CES is inconsistent and does not include the local hospital emergency department, where many people experiencing homelessness or unstable, unsafe housing often require care. Adding Livingston Health Care to CES addresses a gap in the data used to guide emergency housing decisions. MTHF funds will also support staff responsible for developing the organizational capacity for the coalition to successfully and sustainably operate as an independent organization and continue to build effective programming to serve the needs of people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

Grant Amount

$24,999

Term

12 month

2024

Human Resource Development Council of District IX, Inc. 2024

Housing First Village Supportive Housing Project

HRDC IX is a nonprofit Community Action Agency serving Gallatin, Park, and Meagher counties with programming that includes housing, energy, food, community transportation, early childhood education, and services for the elderly. HRDC IX has particpated in MTHF's Housing is Healthcare initiative since 2018. In that time, they planned, financed, and built, and began to house clients in the "Housing First Village." This innovative program permanent supportive services to people who are chronically homeless and require frequent emergency medical care and corrections interventions. This grant will help HRDC enhance the services provided on site through new and expanded partnerships with clinical providers as well as through exploring the feasibility of providing certain Medicaid services directly. Specifically, HRDC will explore providing the tennancy support services (newly approved for Medicaid reimbursement) and other Medicaid services independently. In addition, HRDC will work to expand the current partnership with Community Health Partners for medical and behavioral health services, and work L'Esprit to secure services from its newly-formed PACT team for residents in need of intensive services. MHCF funds will support staff time to develop onsite services with CHP and L’Esprit and explore the implementation of Medicaid billable services, including the upcoming tenancy support services waiver.

Grant Amount

$45,000

Term

12 month

2024

L'esprit 2024

Program for Assertive Community Treatment

L’espirit is a licensed mental health center based in Park County and serving Park, Sweet Grass, and Gallatin Counties. L’esprit will implement an assertive community treatment (ACT) team in Gallatin County. L’esprit has an existing ACT team that serves Park and Sweet Grass Counties, and they also have outpatient and school-based services in Park County. L’esprit will utilize its existing ACT team and expand its services into Gallatin County. MTHF funds will offset start-up costs for new staff to expand the team. L’esprit will work closely with the Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition and, specifically the Human Resource Development Council and One Health.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

24 month

2024

Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana 2024

Self-Governance Annual Tribal Conference & Training

The Little Shell Tribe (LST) is planning to assume governance of the Little Shell Tribal Health Clinic and Service Unit from the Indian Health Service (IHS) and is working to develop member housing. LST used this grant to send its tribal council and key leadership staff to the annual Tribal Health Self-Governance Conference, a week-long event where participants can learn about self-governance and innovative approaches to service delivery, network with other tribal members, and meet with federal agencies to identify top priorities and challenges in self-governance. The group also had the opportunity to visit the River People Health Center and housing development operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, where they could see the design and operation of a patient-centered health clinic that integrates traditional healing practices with modern health care. They learned about eco-friendly building practices, safety and security, and funding and financing models at the housing development site.

Grant Amount

$38,750

Term

12 month

2024

Logan Health 2024

Expansion of School Based Health Services at Conrad Public Schools

Logan Health-Conrad (LHC) is a critical access hospital and rural health clinic serving Pondera County and the surrounding areas. Through this grant, LHC will partner with Conrad Public Schools to provide a school-based health center that serves 500 students and 80 faculty in the district. This project will improve access to primary care services and behavioral health services with minimum disruption to the students, staff, and their families. Grant funds will be used towards the salaries of the nurse, medical provider, and behavioral health provider. The primary partner for the project is Conrad Public Schools.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

24 month

2024

Logan Health Foundation 2024

School-Based Health Center, St. Ignatius and Charlo School Districts

Logan Health Medical Center is non-profit health system that includes five critical access hospitals and 68 health clinics that serve Northwest and Northcentral Montana. The goal of the project is to extend Logan Health's mobile school-based model to Lake County and serve schools in St. Ignatius and Charlo. They will do this in partnership with the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), which will provide behavioral health services in these schools. There are six schools designated as high priority in the two communities. Charlo includes 2 Title I schools and one Targeted School and St. Ignatius includes three Title I schools. To accomplish the goal of the project, Logan Health will hire a team to provide services in their newly acquired mobile unit and they will bring that unit to each of the communities once a week to provide medical services in partnership with CSKT's behavioral health services. CSKT is a confirmed partner in this project. Grant funds will be used towards the salaries of the staff on the mobile medical unit and some supplies.

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

24 month

2024

Missoula County Public Schools 2024

Willard Alternative High School Recovery Program

Willard School in Missoula County Public School District is an alternative school that serves over 240 at-risk students. The goal of the project is to establish a school-based recovery program for students struggling with substance use disorders. They will do this by embedding addiction counseling within the academic day, allowing students to receive therapeutic support while pursuing their education. Grant funds will be used for staff time on the project, travel for meetings and a conference, and supplies. Partnership Health Center will provide behavioral health services for the recovery program, and the Missoula Youth Court has also agreed to coordinate with the district.

Grant Amount

$49,325

Term

12 month

2024

Montana Legal Services Association 2024

Montana Health Justice Partnership MLP+ Project

The Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) used this grant to help fund the Montana Health Justice Partnership (MHJP), a collaboration between MLSA, the Montana Primary Care Association (MPCS), seven federally qualified health centers, Providence St. Patrick Hospital, and 10 referral social service organizations. MHJP provides comprehensive legal services and wraparound social services for low-income, vulnerable, and exploited patients and their families, to improve their overall health and living situations. This grant provided matching funds to help MLSA secure a Medical-Legal Partnership Plus (MLP+) federal grant of $240,000 through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Funds were used to hire an intake navigator, who focused on strengthening partnerships, processing referrals with social service provider partners, and assisting clients with non-legal issues, as well as an attorney, who provided legal services. The funds were also used to help MLSA partner with the Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health (MCUIH) to bring the state's five urban Indian health centers into the MLP+ project, which included building a referral system, providing training to each center, and processing new referrals. To date, MLSA has successfully processed 496 referrals from its partners and provided advice and legal services to 241 clients. It also provided 58 training, outreach, and partner meetings. MLSA received an additional $200,000 from ACF in 2024, which extended the project until March 2026.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2024

Native American Development Corporation 2024

Eagle Seeker Construction Phasing

The Native American Development Corporation’s Eagle Seeker Community Center (ECC) serves Yellowstone County in South Central Montana. ECC's vision is to provide a culturally relevant space for health and wellness in the community, leaving a legacy of healing and community inclusion. This grant will support efforts to finalize a master plan for infrastructure and site improvements at ECC. Grant funds will cover the costs of consultant Enginuity, Inc. which will assess how the site development and improvements will impact each construction phase, and help alight the project phases together towards creating a permanent and welcoming space for providing urban Indian health care.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2024

Opportunities Inc 2024

Foundations for Change: Supportive Housing Initiative

Opportunities, Inc. is the Community Action Program serving Cascade County through programs that address housing, energy, Head Start, and behavioral health services for residents with low incomes. This grant will help the organization implement the service plan developed over the previous year for the community's first purpose-built permanent supportive housing, the Baatz Apartments. Using the Coordinated Entry System, Opportunities, Inc., and project partners will develop criteria for identifying frequent users, provide pre-tenancy support to individuals to be housed, and prepare the case management team for occupancy. Project partners include NeighborWorks, Great Falls Housing Authority, Alluvion Health, Many Rivers Whole Health, Indian Family Health Clinic, Veterans, Inc., and Volunteers of America. The grantee will also build partnerships with the Little Shell Tribe's housing and health departments. MTHF funds will support the staff salaries and TA for programming, service package development, and revenue opportunities. Staff will work with the TA providers to address identified system barriers, including data fragmentation, partner development, and limited community capacity.

Grant Amount

$40,000

Term

12 month

2024