United Way of Yellowstone County 2023

Yellowstone County CoC Site Visit to Boise

United Way of Yellowstone County serves as the lead convener for the Billings area Continuum of Care, which is considering options for creating permanent supportive housing in Billings. This grant will support a site visit to a high-performing permanent supportive housing program in Boise, Idaho. The Boise visit, planned in partnership with our technical assistance provider, Corporation for Supportive Housing and staff from the City of Boise, includes visits to permanent supportive housing projects and panel discussions regarding service packages with local organizations. Representatives will attend from Billings Clinic, the City of Billings, Yellowstone County, Community Crisis Center, Downtown Billings Alliance, HomeFront (the local housing authority), the Billings Continuum of Care, Riverstone Health, Gratitude in Action, St. Vincent’s, and United Way. The site visit will support this group in developing a feasible plan to create and staff permanent supportive housing for the Billings community.

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2023

University of Montana 2023

MPAS Clinical Training Network Development

The University of Montana College of Health will develop a new physician assistant training program to address Montana's health care provider workforce shortages. This project will support the university in building a diverse network of clinical training sites, a core element in creating a new graduate program in physician assistant studies. The university will hire a project director and support staff to lead the development of the clinical training infrastructure and curricular development, focusing on reaching rural areas. Grant funds will be used towards the project director and support staff’s salaries. The university is actively building preceptor partnerships with health care providers, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices in Western Montana.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

24 month

2023

University of Montana Foundation 2023

Establishment of the University of Montana Eating Disorder Training Clinic

The Department of Psychology at the University of Montana in Missoula is establishing a multidisciplinary eating disorder training center to increase the number of behavioral health providers in Montana trained to treat eating disorders. This project will improve access to eating disorder care in Montana, including rural regions of the state. The training center will emphasize early intervention with services targeted at pediatric and young adult patients. It will train licensed behavioral health clinicians and student trainees by offering an online training curriculum, weekly session-by-session guidance, multidisciplinary treatment team meetings, group supervision, and ongoing consultation. MHCF funding will support salaries and fringe benefits for faculty who will teach the coursework and Graduate Research Assistants who will assist in recruiting trainee participants, preparing training materials, and delivering training. Primary partners include the UM Clinical Psychology Center, Curry Health Center and Curry Counseling Services, and Providence Women’s Care and Family Wellness.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

University of Providence 2023

University of Providence Care Coordinator and Campus Advocate Project

University of Providence (UP) is a private four-year institution of higher education serving the Great Falls community and the greater North Central region. UP aims to develop on-campus services supporting students' mental and physical health care needs through this grant. The project will catalyze building a team-based well-being initiative for the UP community. The initiative will rely on clinical interns from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program to provide counseling services in person and via telehealth. UP will establish on-campus medical services with a community provider in year two. UP will hire a care coordinator/campus advocate through this grant to focus on student advocacy, mental health resources, and student health care. The licensed behavioral health provider will be part of the student engagement team embedded in the wellness suite located in the Student Center. Grant funds will be used to hire and onboard this position, with matching funds to support the retention of this individual over two years. Project partners include Benefis, Providence, the County Health Department, NAMI, and other health care providers in the area to ensure students can access and connect with critical services.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2023

Valley Felon-Aid 2023

Peer Support Program

Valley Felon-Aid is a nonprofit in Ravalli County that provides services to ensure a successful reentry to community following incarceration. This project will implement a peer support program, offering returning citizens a new resource to help overcome barriers and stigma post-incarceration. Reintegration services and support systems are lacking for many reentering individuals, leading to high recidivism rates and high community expenses for re-incarceration. Through this grant, peer support specialists will connect clients to Ravalli County community partners for housing, health care, jobs, education, and basic needs. Grant funding will support two peer support specialists, supervision by a Licensed Addiction Counselor as required by the state, and travel expenses for the peer support certification training and visiting pre-releases, prisons, and jails around the state. Project partners include the Western Montana Mental Health Center, Sapphire Community Health Center, Summit Career Center, Accelerate Montana, homelessness service providers, local churches, Ravalli County Courts, Probation and Parole, the Department of Corrections, and the MT Reentry Task Force.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

Vaughn Public Schools 2023

School Based Health Center Awareness and Enhancement

The Vaughn School District is a K-8 school district that educates approximately 150 students. Vaughn School District is located 14 miles from Great Falls and does not have health services available in the community aside from the school-based health center. This project will enhance the partnership between the district and the school-based health center that is operated by Alluvion Health. Grant funds will be used for partial salaries of staff positions that will support increased communication about the available services, district participation on the advisory committee, and the development of tiered systems of support for students that includes the school-based health center.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

24 month

2023

Veterans Navigation Network 2023

Building a Sustainable Future for Montana Veterans

The Veterans Navigation Network (VNN) serves Montana’s Veterans by facilitating the smooth transition from military service to civilian life through one-on-one resource counseling, case management, peer mentorship, and advocacy. This planning grant will help VNN develop a business and sustainability plan to ensure that its services are sustainable as it expands from its office in Billings to support Veterans and their families statewide. VNN will collaborate with veterans, the 80 different service partners it works with, and the communities it currently serves to find viable ways for VNN to maintain and expand its services sustainably. Grant funds will be used to survey partners, organize a focus group, and map a sustainability plan.

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2023

West Yellowstone Foundation 2023

West Yellowstone Housing Coalition

The West Yellowstone Housing Coalition will address the pressing housing challenges community members face, particularly emergency responders, health care workers, educators, and public works personnel. The project will commence with a comprehensive housing needs assessment, followed by developing and implementing a housing strategy plan tailored to this rural, tourism-based community. To achieve the project goals, the West Yellowstone Community Foundation will collaborate closely with the Town of West Yellowstone and HRDC IX, engaging a wide range of community members through facilitated community meetings. Grant funds will be primarily utilized to complete the housing needs assessment and hire a part-time housing manager responsible for implementing the identified housing solutions.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2023

YWCA Missoula 2023

Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse & Targeted Case Management Capacity Building and Revenue Expansion Initiative

YWCA Missoula operates a new facility -- "The Meadowlark" -- that provides housing and supportive services to families and survivors of domestic violence. This grant will support planning to expand services to include mental health, substance use, and case management. By creating a pathway for the shelter services to receive Medicaid reimbursement, the project will create financial sustainability while contributing to a knowledge base that other shelter providers across the state can draw on to expand services for their clients. The project will examine service delivery models of immediate interventions for families in crisis, with long-term programming provided through the establishment of permanent housing. Grant funds will be used to hire a consultant to lead the process of determining the feasibility of offering additional services and a Medicaid reimbursement structure. They will also support an outcomes evaluation by the University of Montana School of Social Work.

Grant Amount

$47,663

Term

12 month

2023

Alternatives, Inc. 2022

High-Risk Targeted Case Management Pilot Project

Alternatives, Inc. will improve behavioral health outcomes and recidivism in Billings by hiring two case managers to coordinate care for high-risk offenders, focusing on individuals discharged from Montana State Prison, Women’s Prison, and other secure correctional facilities throughout the state. The case managers will be embedded with probation and parole offices in Billings, ensuring a team-based approach to care. Over the course of the project, the case managers will coordinate care for up to 140 offenders and connect them to treatment and community support. Grant funds will be used to offset the onboarding of the case managers. Project partners include the Department of Corrections, Rimrock, RiverStone, and Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center. The Department of Corrections is dedicating probation officers and space to ensure a team-based approach to working with offenders.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2022

Barrett Hospital and Healthcare 2022

Behavioral Health Consolidation Grant

Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is an 18-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Dillon, serving several rural communities in southwest Montana. This consolidation grant will build on Barrett’s previous successful integrated behavioral health implementation grant. It will allow Barrett to develop consistent screening protocols, pathways, and processes for anxiety and suicide risk; build psychiatric collaborative care management services; drive practice change through ongoing data analysis; optimize technology and electronic medical record tools to facilitate and deliver behavioral health care. Barrett will also implement social determinants of health (SDOH) screening to allow them to identify unmet needs like housing or transportation that impact health and well-being, and they will develop a referral system to connect patients to available community resources to address those needs. Barrett will also increase access to behavioral health services by adding another licensed clinical social worker or coordinated care staff member to its primary care team and pursuing a contract with existing partners for psychiatric consultation. Funding will support an additional full-time team member, consultation services for collaborative care, and direct expenses, including education, electronic medical record tools, and marketing. Barrett will complete the project in close collaboration with current partners, including social services and mental health agencies serving low-income community members and families struggling with food and housing insecurity, drug and alcohol use, suicidal ideation, and other needs.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

36 month

2022

Benefis Health System Foundation 2022

Advancing Integrated Behavioral Health in North Central Montana

Benefis Health System in Great Falls will integrate behavioral health and primary care. This project will improve behavioral health access, care delivery, patient outcomes, and patient and provider experience in Benefis' women's health, pediatrics, and family medicine clinics. The project will move forward in four phases: laying the foundation, planning for clinical practice change, building clinical skills, and fully implementing the integrated model. Funding will support project staff – including a coordinator, data manager, counselor, and case manager – and education for leadership, providers, and patients. Benefis will also partner with Benefis Teton Medical Center, a critical access hospital and rural health clinic in Choteau, to implement integrated care there.

Grant Amount

$300,000

Term

36 month

2022

Bitterroot CASA, Inc. 2022

Peer Advocate Model – Train, Pilot, and Transition

The Bitterroot Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will train and utilize seasoned volunteers to support, coach, and supervise new CASA volunteers. Bitterroot CASA, located in the Bitterroot Valley, recruits and trains volunteer advocates to reduce trauma for children and advocate for the child's best interests in court. This project will allow the program to serve more children, support volunteers, and increase the retention of volunteers. The program has strong partnerships in the community and the court system, including the 21st District Court and community volunteers.

Grant Amount

$17,266

Term

12 month

2022

Blackfeet Tribal Health 2022

RAVE Emergency Notification System Coordinator

The Blackfeet Tribal Emergency Response recently purchased an Emergency Notification system for the Blackfeet Reservation. The goal is to implement a critical communication and collaboration system to improve incident response. The RAVE alert system provides the ability to send mass notifications and targeted messages to connect and inform the community, local organizations, schools, and other institutions with critical information at critical times. To accomplish this project, the Blackfeet Tribe will hire a RAVE Coordinator to train, data coordinate, and educate other administrators with the funds. The Blackfeet Tribe, Blackfeet Homeland Security, Blackfeet 911, Blackfeet Tribal Health, Blackfeet IT Department, Blackfeet Community College, and Blackfeet Emergency Preparedness are collaborating on this project.

Grant Amount

$60,000

Term

12 month

2022

Blackfeet Tribal Health 2022

Southern Piegan School Health – TeleHealth

Blackfeet Tribal Health's school-based health center, Southern Piegan School Health, will implement a telehealth program to increase access to medical and behavioral health services for students and staff. Southern Piegan School Health provides school-based health services to rural communities throughout the Blackfeet Reservation. This project will increase access to services in Browning, Babb, Heart Butte, and East Glacier. This project will implement telehealth services to enhance the services provided by the physical school-based health center. Funding will support a nurse and software to run the telehealth program. Project partners include the Blackfeet Tribe and the Browning and Heart Butte School Districts.

Grant Amount

$300,000

Term

36 month

2022

Blackfeet Tribe 2022

Blackfeet Responsible Parenting Project

Blackfeet Manpower’s Child Support Program will partner with the Aspen Institute Center for Native American Youth to create a standardized curriculum to educate teens and young adults on parenthood, and to support informed family planning, with an emphasis on prioritizing education, stable employment, and healthy relationships. This project will support the creation of a culturally appropriate standardized curriculum to share with young people on the Blackfeet Reservation and the facilitation of youth groups that will teach cultural traditions and crafts. The project will provide educational opportunities for youth ages 13-25 with an emphasis on building self-esteem, communication skills, problem-solving skills, and setting personal and community goals. Funds will be used to support the development of the curriculum, youth group gatherings, and incentives for attendance. Partners include schools located on the Blackfeet Reservation, Blackfeet tribal and family courts, Blackfeet Crystal Creek Treatment Center, and Blackfeet Community Hospital.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

24 months

2022

Bozeman Health Foundation 2022

Perinatal Substance Abuse in Southwest Montana: An Integrated Model

Bozeman Health will support pregnant women with behavioral health issues by expanding and strengthening The Meadowlark Initiative model of care in its Women’s Specialty Clinic. The Meadowlark Initiative provides routine screening in prenatal care for mental health issues and substance use disorders and prompt access to treatment and additional community support if needed. Building on a previous grant, this project will focus on implementing collaborative care and building partnerships with community organizations that serve pregnant women and families. Grant funds will support staff salaries and a consultant who will help Bozeman Health implement the Meadowlark Initiative model of care. Community and organization partnerships will be developed throughout the course of the project.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2022

Browning Public Schools 2022

Browning Public School staff & students Wellness Project

The Browning School District will host monthly holistic wellness activities for students and staff to improve the school wellness climate. These activities will be done in collaboration with community partners, including Blackfeet Tribal Health and the on-site school-based health center. These monthly activities aim to increase awareness and access to services, including the school-based health center. Browning School District is located on the Blackfeet Reservation; the school district serves approximately 98% American Indian population and is the largest geographical school district in the state of Montana. Grant funds will be used for consultants' participation in the events, supplies, and outreach. The primary partners for the project are Browning School District, Blackfeet Tribal Health, Blackfeet Crystal Creek, Honor Your Life programs, Fast Blackfeet, Blackfeet Manpower, Blackfeet Native Connections Culture and Hope and Rise above Stigma, and Blackfeet Tobacco Prevention Program.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

24 month

2022

Butte SPIRIT Center 2022

Women’s Substance Use Disorder Recovery Home Planning

With this planning grant, the Butte SPIRIT Center (BSC) will develop a business and operations plan for a residential treatment home for women recovering from substance use in Silver Bow County. BSC provides supportive housing and services to those recovering from substance use disorders. The organization creates an accessible drug and alcohol-free environment, supports fellowship, and builds partnerships among the recovery community. This proposal builds on successful planning and implementation grants for the men's home, which is now fully operational and sustainable. BSC will use grant funds to hire a consultant and work with other women’s residential facilities in the state (including Carol Graham House, Michel’s House/Willow Way, YWCA-WINGS, Florence Crittenton, Rimrock, and Mountain Home) to gather information, produce financial models, and develop an operating plan for the Butte women’s home. Partners include MCDC, Southwest Montana Community Health Center, Action Inc., Montana’s Peer Network, and representatives from existing women’s facilities.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Carroll College Master of Social Work Program 2022

A Community Collaboration to Advance Integrated Behavioral Healthcare to Montana’s Indigenous Communities

Carroll College will develop an educational track to train graduate-level social workers in integrated behavioral health settings, directly serving Native American populations. Carroll College is a liberal arts Catholic college in Helena, MT. The goal of this project is to address the shortage of behavioral health providers using integrated care principles and practices and serving Native American individuals, families, and communities. In collaboration with consultants, nonprofits, and health care centers, college faculty will develop training specific to the needs of Native American populations, services, and care systems. The training will focus on integrated care, cultural humility, and understanding pathways towards healing. The project will conduct outreach with federally qualified health centers, urban Indian health centers, and tribes implementing integrated behavioral health to establish affiliation agreements and recruit potential students to the Carroll College Master of Social Work Program. Grant funds will support curriculum development, technology needs, travel stipends, and collaborative meetings. Partners for this project include Lacey Alexander, Director of Integrated Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorders at the Montana Primary Care Association, and Stephanie Iron Shooter, American Indian Health Director for the State of Montana.

Grant Amount

$49,692

Term

24 month

2022

Children's Clinic of Billings 2022

Expanding Behavioral Health Services for Children’s Clinic’s 12,000+ Pediatric Patients

The Children's Clinic of Billings will expand its primary care to include integrated behavioral health services. The Children’s Clinic is a physician-owned, independent outpatient pediatrics practice that serves more than 12,000 patients at two locations in Billings, Montana. Through this grant, the Children’s Clinic will hire a pediatric social worker and implement new care pathways and workflows to integrate that position into the clinic. The new pediatric social worker will enhance current mental health screening and provide brief interventions and a bridge to care for patients who need to be connected to counselors in the community. The project will also offer clinical supervision for the clinic’s recently hired psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Funding will support startup costs for the social worker and nurse practitioner positions while the clinic gains the expertise to bill for their services and sustain the project independently. Primary project partners include Shodair Children’s Hospital, the Behavioral Health Integration Collaborative, and Youth Dynamics.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

36 month

2022

Chippewa Cree Tribe 2022

Chippewa Cree Tribe Sustainable Food Systems Project

The Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy Montana, located in North Central Montana, will create a sustainable food system on the Rocky Boys Indian Reservation. Through this grant, the tribe will hire a consultant to map the landscape of food projects and food resources in the community and draft food code regulations. The Chippewa Cree Tribe will administer the project through a partnership with the Tribal and Food Sovereignty Coalition and the tribe's planning department leadership.

Grant Amount

$24,500

Term

12 month

2022

Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana 2022

Supportive Housing Units for FUSE or like populations

Community Action Partners of Northwestern Montana (CAPNM) will lead efforts to develop permanent supporting housing in Kalispell, joining several larger Montana communities in the development phase of the Montana Healthcare Foundation's our Housing is Healthcare initiative. CAPNM has purchased 18 rental units and is working to obtain 17 additional units, which will be used to provide housing and supportive services for homeless people who frequently require emergency department care and hospitalization. This project will allow CAPNM to support the building and delivery of supportive services in these units. CAPNM will provide pre-tenancy support, tenancy support, and case management for participants. CAPMN will work with local partners to develop a service delivery plan for residents of the new units and work with CSH to develop a quality delivery model and sustainability framework. Funds will be used for consultation with Corporation for Supportive Housing and project management expenses. Current core partners include the community health center and city commissioners.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2022

Confluence Public Health Alliance 2022

Confluence Startup Support

This grant supported the initial startup and operations of the Confluence Public Health Alliance, a newly created nonprofit that houses Montana's three public health associations: the Association of Montana Public Health Officials (AMPHO), the Montana Public Health Association (MPHA), and the Montana Environmental Health Association (MEHA). During the grant, Confluence carried out unified strategic planning, resulting in a plan adopted in 2023; developed a logo and branding; carried out the first unified state conference of the three associations; and drafted a memorandum of agreement between the Confluence organizations. Confluence also hired new staff and developed initial organizational operations during the grant.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2022

Crow Tribe Health & Human Services 2022

Crow Tribal Finance Specialist – Medical Billing and Coding

Crow Tribe Health & Human Services is a tribal health department that supports the physical, behavioral, and cultural health of the Crow Tribe. This project will enable the health department to establish an effective tribal health finance department capable of billing and coding, records management, and procedure analysis. Revenue from health department services will provide a foundation for the Crow Nation to build effective, sustainable health care and public health programs. The grant will also support the development of the Crow Tribe’s Medicaid Tribal Health Improvement Program (THIP), a critical opportunity to create effective, tribally-led disease prevention programs. Grant funding will support a new finance specialist position salary and necessary training. Primary partners include the Crow Nation leadership and members of the finance team.

Grant Amount

$300,000

Term

36 month

2022

District XI Human Resource Council 2022

Community Engagement Specialist, Ravalli County

The District XI Human Resource Council (HRC) will develop a detailed housing and service coordination plan for implementing supportive housing in Ravalli County. HRC will contract with a community engagement specialist to convene local government and health, housing, and social service providers. This group will develop a community action plan that identifies the need for housing and supportive services and the resources available in the community. Funding will support the project coordinator, provide administrative and technical assistance resources, and cover convening expenses. The Steering Committee of the Bitterroot Affordable Housing Coalition (BAHC) is a partner for this project; its membership includes leaders from human service programs, housing providers, and local government agencies. The project will result in commitments from local organizations and agencies to provide coordinated services.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Evergreen School District 50 2022

School and Health Community Liaison

Evergreen School District will improve student health and academic outcomes by connecting students and families with health services on school grounds. The Evergreen School District covers the Kalispell area and serves kids from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. This District will hire a school and health community liaison to strengthen the partnership between the school and the school-based health center run by the Greater Valley Health Center. Working closely with staff from the school district and the health center, the liaison will establish relationships with students and their families to help them better understand and access the health services provided by the district. Grant funds will support the liaison’s position and travel costs for meeting with students and families. Primary partners for this project include the Evergreen School District, Greater Valley Health Center, and Intermountain.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

24 month

2022

Flathead City-County Health Department 2022

Flathead County Implementation Grant

This grant will support the Flathead County Health Department to implement the Crisis Now Model, with the goal of decreasing the number of behavioral health crises resulting in emergency room visits, hospitalization, and incarceration. The Flathead County Health Department (FCHD) leads a coalition that includes critical stakeholders in Flathead County, including Greater Valley Health Center, Flathead County Sherriff’s Office, Kalispell Police Department, Logan Health, Flathead County Commissioners, Western Montana Mental Health Center, Montana Public Health Institute, and other supporting agencies. This grant will support the implementation of a crisis line (988), expand the community's mobile crisis team, and create a crisis-receiving facility as a more effective alternative to hospitalization or incarceration for people in crisis. The coalition will use the grant funds for a coordinator to oversee the project, expansion of the mobile crisis team, and plan for the crisis-receiving facility.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

36 months

2022

Fort Belknap Tribal Health 2022

School-Based Health Program: Pearson Project

The Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) Tribal Health Department, in partnership with the Harlem, Dodson, and Hays-Lodgepole school systems, will begin providing school-based health services. The project aims to improve the health, wellness, and educational systems to support higher academic achievement among all students attending each school. The Tribe will provide behavioral health services and primary care in school-based health centers. The project seeks to improve the overall school climate, enhance the classroom experience for teachers and students, and ultimately reduce student disciplinary referrals and improve academic and health outcomes. Funding will support the contracted position with Xanovea to lead the project and a salaried behavioral health psychologist position. Primary partners are the Office of Public Instruction, the FBIC Tribal Health Department, the FBIC Tribal Council Education Committee, and the Dodson, Harlem, and Hays Lodge Pole Schools. 

Grant Amount

$300,000

Term

36 month

2022

Four Bands Community Fund 2022

Regional Revolving Loan Fund

This Program-related Investment (PRI) will support the Mountain|Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition to establish a Regional Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). Access to capital, a core tenant of the Indigenous finance industry, is the seed for growth strategies designed to lift struggling Native economies and close the racial wealth gap. This MHCF investment is part of the Foundation’s support for the Coalition’s successful application for $45 million in funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). The project will strategically deploy financial investments into Native CDFIs in Montana, including Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation and NACDC Financial Services, Inc. The RLF will act as a vehicle of economic growth that drives business development and quality job creation. The project will amplify the capacity of coalition members not only by expanding their balance sheets and lending portfolios but also by unifying action and creating opportunities for peer-to-peer learning as they engage in more complex financial deployment strategies. Coalition members will collectively leverage partnerships and networks to attract additional investments, sustaining their work long-term. Replicable models and case studies will be developed and shared in collaboration with the Regional Indigenous Finance Industry Growth Plan and Non-Physical Infrastructure projects. The Regional Revolving Loan Fund will contribute to the other Montana CDFI's sustainability through earned interest revenue and access to additional loan capital.

Grant Amount

$800,000

Term

60 month

2022

Gallatin County 2022

Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition

The Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition (Coalition) will decrease the number of behavioral health crises that result in incarceration or hospitalization by implementing the Crisis Now Model. The Coalition is focused on building a more complete behavioral health continuum in Gallatin County. Its members include Gallatin County, Bozeman Health, the City of Bozeman, the Help Center, Community Health Partners, Connections, Montana State University, Bozeman School District, the Yellowstone Club Foundation, the Bozeman Health Department, advocates, and those with lived mental health and addiction experiences. This project will support the implementation of the crisis line (988), expand the mobile crisis team, and implement a crisis receiving facility as a more effective alternative to hospitalization or incarceration for individuals in crisis. More broadly, the coalition will continue to plan and support the implementation of a complete continuum of community-based behavioral health services – from prevention to early diagnosis and treatment – for the region. Grant funds will support a coordinator for project management, evaluation, and communications.

Grant Amount

$225,000

Term

36 months

2022

Great Northern Development Corporation 2022

Northeast Montana Supportive Housing Planning Grant

The Great Northern Development Company (GNDC) will implement a supportive housing learning collaborative that engages stakeholders across a six-county region of northeast Montana and the Fort Peck Reservation. Located in Wolf Point, GNDC provides housing education, first-time home buyer assistance, home rehabilitation, and affordable housing finance services in northeast Montana. The project will create a registry of tenancy support services and care management providers that serve the housing insecure and homeless population and an action plan to increase housing access and coordinate service providers with clients engaged in housing programs. GNDC intends to engage city councils, county commissions, and chambers of commerce in the region to identify key partners. GNDC will contract with the Corporation for Supportive Housing to facilitate stakeholder engagement, community education, and the development of best practices to share with the community. Funding will support the contract with the Corporation for Supportive Housing, project management, and stakeholder convenings.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Heart Butte Schools 2022

School-based Case Management Enhancement Project

Heart Butte Public Schools will enhance their collaboration with the school-based health center to promote positive health outcomes within the school and community. This project will build on the already-established relationship between Blackfeet Tribal Health and Heart Butte Schools by providing a liaison to the school-based health center. This will increase awareness and access to school-based services. Heart Butte Public Schools is a K-12 Public School located in the community of Heart Butte, Montana, which is in the southeast portion of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Pondera County. Grant funds will be used to hire and support a part of the salary of a full-time case manager. The primary partners for the project are Heart Butte School District and Blackfeet Tribal Health, which operates the school-based health center.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

24 month

2022

Helena Indian Alliance 2022

Integrated Behavioral Health

The Leo Pocha Clinic of Helena Indian Alliance (HIA) will fully implement behavioral health in its primary care practice, building on the work accomplished through a prior MHCF grant. HIA is an urban Indian health center serving Native and non-Native patients in the Helena community. This project will support the clinic as it works towards providing fully integrated care by updating its policies, job descriptions, and daily operations; training new staff from an integrated care lens; and increasing capacity for team-based care. Funding will support the director of behavioral health, a newly hired behavioral health care coordinator, and staff training.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2022

Helena School District 2022

Planning Grant for School-Based Health Center Partnerships in the Helena Public Schools

Helena Public Schools will design school-based services for school sites by partnering with community health care providers, including Pureview Health Center (Helena's federally qualified health center) and the Helena Indian Alliance (and urban Indian health center). Helena Public Schools serves 7,700 students across 15 Lewis and Clark County schools. The grantee will develop a comprehensive vision and implementation plan for on-campus, community, and virtual support for youth in need. With this planning grant, Helena Public Schools intends to identify and build partnerships with partners that will commit to participating in the implementation of school-based health services. Grant funds will be used towards the salary of a coordinator for the project.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2022

Indian Family Health Clinic 2022

IFHC IBH: Hope, Healing & Health

The Indian Family Health Clinic (IFHC) will expand on its previous integrated behavioral health project to provide accessible, culturally informed behavioral and physical health services. IFHC is an urban Indian health clinic that serves over 9,000 patients in Great Falls and the surrounding area. This project will strengthen the successful communication and service delivery components of the initial launch of integrated care, with a growth focus on building comprehensive and streamlined screening and tracking systems. IFHC will implement systemic data collection to track screening, internal and external referrals to care, and follow-up. They will establish a policy and procedure to screen patients for needs related to the social determinants of health, standardize care coordination efforts, and track patient engagement, adherence, and progress. Funding will support increased access to patient-centered navigation provided by care coordinators and managers, data consultant, health and wellness education, and services to reduce barriers to access. Partnerships include the Alliance for Youth, Sober Life, Alluvion, the county health department, and the Little Shell Tribe.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2022

Kalispell Regional Medical Center Inc. dba Logan Health Medical Center 2022

Logan Health SBHC Mobile Clinic

Kalispell Regional Medical Center dba Logan Health Medical Center (LHMC) is the medical hub of a nonprofit health system headquartered in the Flathead Valley of northwest Montana. This project will allow LHMC to begin providing primary, preventive, and behavioral health services to students in rural schools located in the communities of Kila, Marion, and Smith Valley and to expand behavioral health services to the Big Fork School District. LHMC will implement a Mobile School-Based Health Center to serve Kila, Marion, and Smith Valley rural schools that do not have the appropriate physical space for an on-site health center. They will also expand mental and behavioral health services to the Bigfork School District and provide these services on-site at the school. Medical, behavioral, and mental health care will be offered to students and staff of these rural schools. Telehealth services will be integrated throughout the school-based program to serve the target populations’ integrated health needs. Grant funds will offset medical and behavioral health providers’ salaries, supplies, and outreach and communications. The primary partners for this project are four school districts, including Kila, Marion, Smith Valley, and Big Fork.

Grant Amount

$299,993

Term

36 months

2022

Kalispell Regional Medical Center Inc. dba Logan Health Medical Center 2022

LHMC Meadowlark Phase 3

Logan Health will expand its Meadowlark Initiative from its midwifery clinic into its maternal-fetal medicine clinic and its newly acquired obstetrics practice, Logan Health OB/GYN. This project will implement Meadowlark’s collaborative care model by adding a full-time counselor and a part-time care coordinator to Logan Health’s staff to support women and families across its clinics. Funding will support the project staff and a consultant to provide technical assistance on Meadowlark’s collaborative care model. This is the third Meadowlark project supported at Logan Health since 2017. Over the years, the hospital has developed extensive partnerships with community coalitions and organizations that provide social support to pregnant women and their families. A few identified collaborators on this project include the Early Childhood Coalition of Flathead Valley and the Flathead Valley Perinatal Mental Health Coalition.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2022

L'esprit Behavioral Health Center 2022

MACT in Park and Sweet Grass County

L’espirt Behavioral Health Center will establish a new Montana Assertive Community Treatment (MACT) team to provide community-based treatment to individuals with severe mental illness and substance use disorders in Park and Sweetgrass Counties. MACT allows people with longstanding, severe, or disabling mental illnesses to live and function safely in their homes and communities rather than being hospitalized. Once established, the MACT team will help improve health outcomes and thereby decrease the number of behavioral health crises resulting in emergency room visits, hospitalization, and incarceration. Funds will offset the transition of L’espirit staff onto the MACT team, onboard clients, and technical assistance. Partners include Community Health Partners, law enforcement, hospitals, and the Human Resource Development Council.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

24 month

2022

Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana 2022

Little Shell Tribe Housing Needs Assessment

The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana will collect an accurate assessment of the housing needs and homeless situation of tribal members and develop a housing improvement plan. Because the Little Shell only recently gained federal recognition, there is relatively little specific data on the housing and health needs of enrolled members of the Tribe. To date the Tribe has relied mainly on anecdotal or derivative data to assess health status and assess the need for health and social services. This project will allow the tribe to gather quantitative and qualitative data through household surveys, focus groups, community meetings, and interviews with knowledgeable sources. Grant funds will contribute to the costs of the assessment and housing improvement plan. Expenses include consultant fees, travel expenses, household survey labor and mileage, survey equipment, outreach, and participation incentives. Project partners include Indian Health Service, Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Tribal Epidemiology Center, and all municipalities in the four-county service area.

Grant Amount

$60,000

Term

12 month

2022

LiveWell49 2022

Planning for the Financial Sustainability of LiveWell49

LiveWell49 (LW49) is a community coalition that is focused on prevention. It includes key stakeholders in Park County, including Livingston Healthcare, Community Health Partners, Livingston School District, Park County Community Foundation, Park County Health Department, and City and County Commissions. The project will expand LW49's community resilience, mental health promotion, and prevention efforts and develop a long-term sustainability plan. LW49 will utilize the grant funds for a consultant to develop a sustainability plan and administrative support to oversee the project and coordinate partnerships with community agencies.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Mineral Community Hospital 2022

MCH Integrated Behavioral Health

Mineral Community Hospital (MCH) will integrate behavioral health services into its primary care clinic to improve access to behavioral health for community members with complex social needs and patients experiencing crises. MCH is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving rural western Montana in Superior. The hospital plans to recruit a new behavioral health staff position for the primary care clinic, contract or recruit a psychiatrist to provide program oversight, and update its electronic medical records system to facilitate new screening workflows and data monitoring. Funding will support the new staff position, psychiatric consultation, and direct expenses like training, travel, and marketing. MCH works closely with the Mineral County Health Department and will collaborate on identifying community needs and expanding services.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

36 months

2022

Missoula College 2022

Community Paramedicine Curriculum

Missoula College will develop a curriculum in Community Paramedicine (sometimes referred to as "Community Integrated Healthcare” or “CIHC”). This will be the first Montana-based program that offers training in community paramedicine to emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. Community paramedicine allows EMTs and paramedics to expand their roles to provide certain non-emergency services, such as in-home follow-up visits after hospitalization, management of chronic illnesses, fall risk assessments, wound care, and limited behavioral health services. Missoula College will convene an inter-professional working group of faculty and health care professionals in medicine, paramedicine, nursing, and social work to build the curriculum. The curriculum will be delivered remotely using online modules, complemented by a clinical rotation, and is designed to provide emergency responders around the state with access to the training. Funding will support a project manager, instructional design, and curriculum development content experts. Partners include faculty from the Missoula College Health Professions Department, the University of Montana Social Work and Public Health Departments, emergency service providers, including Missoula Emergency Services, Inc., and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Community Integrated Health Program Specialist.

Grant Amount

$54,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Center for Inclusive Education, MSUB 2022

Establishing Connections in Eastern and Central Montana: A Planning Grant for the Institute for Neurodiversity and Applied Behavior Analysis

The Montana Center for Inclusive Education (MCIE) at Montana State University Billings will work with partners in Eastern Montana to develop a plan to help rural providers effectively serve children with mental, social, and behavioral differences associated with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, and mental health disorders. Through this grant, MCIE will develop remote training opportunities for providers and establish a pipeline for referrals of young children who would benefit from telehealth applied behavioral analysis therapy. Applied behavioral analysis therapy helps kids with autism learn skills and lessen problematic behaviors like self-harm. Funding will be used for staffing, supplies, and travel.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Continuum Care Coalition 2022

Montana CES and Local/Tribal Continuum Capacity-Building and Engagement Project

The Montana Continuum of Care (CoC) will engage communities and reservations in rural Montana to identify practical, community-based solutions to homelessness. The project will perform an audit to assess whether and how the current system of care (called the Coordinated Entry System) for families experiencing homelessness is meeting the needs of local communities. Based on this information, the CoC will develop a strategy and an action plan. This plan will also engage tribal communities and develop strategies to promote newly eligible tribal housing projects. Funding will support a consultant who will provide technical assistance and help CoC develop detailed strategic and outreach plans. Partners include the Montana Youth Action Board, Native Homeownership, and the Pathways Community Network Institute.

Grant Amount

$77,400

Term

24 month

2022

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services - Public Health and Safety Division 2022

Montana Medicaid Survey

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) will survey Medicaid enrollees to learn about their ability to access health services, health-related behaviors, chronic conditions, and environmental factors related to their health. This information will be used by DPHHS, MHCF, and partners to understand and explain the impact of Medicaid on health access and to improve services and health promotion programs. DPHHS will accomplish this goal by selecting a random sample of Medicaid enrollees to complete an online or telephone-based questionnaire. DPHHS is partnering with the University of Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC) to complete this project. Grant funds will cover the survey development and implementation services that WYSAC provides.

Grant Amount

$65,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Free Press 2022

Health care reporting for Montanans

Montana Free Press will provide in-depth, ongoing coverage of health and health policy issues. These stories will be published for free on the Montana Free Press website and in collaboration with over 100 partnering news outlets across the state. Reporting will ensure that public health experts, policymakers, leaders, and Montana residents alike are aware of the policy debates and decisions made by their elected representatives and have access to the information they need to make informed decisions for their health and the health of their communities. Funding will support reporting and editorial staff positions. Partners include print and online news sites and radio stations across the state that re-publish Montana Free Press reporting.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2022

Montana Human Rights Network 2022

Transgender Community Support and Wellness Project

This planning grant will support the development of a statewide network focused on reducing isolation and increasing resilience through engaging transgender and non-binary people across Montana. The Montana Gender Alliance (MGA) – a fiscally-sponsored organization of the Montana Human Rights Network – provides community support and resources to transgender and nonbinary Montanans, as well as public education and training. MGA will complete a community assessment focused on eliminating barriers to participation for rural community members, such as lack of reliable access to high-speed internet. Funds will support hiring a project coordinator, travel expenses to carry out meetings as part of the community assessment component of the project, and marketing and advertising to promote support groups through social media. Partners include Shodair Children's Hospital, the Montana Primary Care Association, Bridgercare, Montana Legal Services Association, the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Montana Medical Association.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Legal Services Association 2022

Strategic Planning of Additional Hospital-Based Medical-Legal Partnerships

This grant will support the Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) in developing hospital-based medical-legal partnerships that address health-harming legal needs and achieve better health outcomes for low-income patients. MLSA is a nonprofit law firm that empowers low-income people by providing free legal information, advice, and other services. Over the past six years, MLSA has developed innovative, successful medical-legal partnerships that serve a network of federally qualified health centers and Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. Through this grant, MLSA will extend this model to other communities by building a sustainable hospital-based medical-legal partnership structure, identifying interested hospitals, nurturing relationships with those hospitals, building needed data sets, and finalizing memoranda of agreement. Grant funds will primarily be used for staff salaries, consultant fees, and travel. MLSA will identify and develop three primary partnerships with Montana hospitals as part of the project's outreach phase.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Medical Association Foundation 2022

Montana Professional Health and Wellbeing Program

The Montana Medical Association Foundation is joining with other health care coalition members to protect public safety by establishing a Montana program run by Montana health care professionals to assist and rehabilitate licensed Montana health care professionals who are found to be physically or mentally impaired. This coalition intends to establish a non-profit to provide these services to licensed Montana healthcare professionals and offer educational sessions with respect to recognition and treatment of alcohol dependency, and chemical dependency. The goal will be achieved through the committed work of a coalition of Montana healthcare stakeholders who will identify and bring the resources needed together for the creation of the organization and establishment of the medical assistance program. The funding will support MMA to develop a business and operations plan and establish a new organization. Partners include MHA, Montana Nurses Association, Montana Dental Association, and BHAM: broad buy-in from these organizations will be essential to successfully re-establishing services. The partners include the Montana Medical Association, the Montana Hospital Association, the Montana Nurses Association, the Montana Dental Association, and the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana.

Grant Amount

$38,160

Term

18 month

2022