Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana 2020

Planning Grant to Develop an Online Certificate Program & CME Opportunities in “Climate and Health”

The Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana used this grant to offer a semester-long pilot course on climate change and health to undergraduate and health profession students at the University of Montana and Montana State University. The goal was to equip these students with practical tools to address the health impacts of climate change-related issues (such as more frequent and intense wildfires and heat waves) on Montanans, especially vulnerable and underserved populations. The project team conducted a needs assessment to inform the curriculum, reached out to a wide range of content experts and stakeholders, and promoted and raised awareness of the course. More than 50 participants enrolled in the course and provided very positive feedback. The course has been approved as an elective option for those pursuing an “Interprofessional Education” micro-credential, and it was approved as an Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) Scholars course for students at the University of Montana. The team plans to continue offering the course every one to two academic years. In order to serve the needs of practicing health professionals and trainees who might not have time to attend the course, the team designed a self-paced, asynchronous "Climate Change and Human Health in Montana" webinar series that is being offered through the Montana Public Health Training Center. It is free of charge and participants can earn continuing education credits. Future offerings of the course will be supported by academic registration fees.

Grant Amount

$24,984

Term

12 month

2020

Flathead City-County Health Department 2020

Developing a Plan to Transform the Behavioral Health System through Mapping

The Flathead City-County Health Department (FCHD) used this grant to map the behavioral health system in Flathead County in order to identify what community resources exist, understand the current gaps in services, and develop a strategic plan for improving specific treatment needs. FCHD created a coalition of stakeholders that included experts in mental health, substance use disorders, law enforcement, housing, health, and social services, as well as individuals directly impacted by mental health disorders. Grant funds were used to hire a consultant, and a modified sequential intercept mapping (SIM) process was used. The SIM process produced a finalized Mental Health Services and Funding Maps of Flathead County, which provides an in-depth analysis of the county’s capacity for behavioral health and crisis services. This will aid in the development of additional capacity building projects for improving the county’s behavioral health services.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2020

Flathead Community Health Center 2020

School Based Health Centers – Primary Care

Flathead Community Health Center (FCHC) will implement school-based medical services at Linderman Alternative High School and Evergreen Schools in Kalispell. Through a previous grant, FCHC is already providing behavioral health services at both schools and has built strong relationships with each school's administration. This project will expand the services the health center offers to include medical care for students, school staff, and the surrounding community. Both schools have begun remodeling to create space for the health center to provide medical services on the school campuses. Grant funds will support staff salaries, including a school-based health center coordinator and primary care provider.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2020

Fort Belknap Tribes 2020

Billings Area Community Health Aide Program

The Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) used this grant to support its efforts to implement the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) in Montana. CHAP began in Alaska to allow community health aides to provide community, behavioral, and dental care alongside licensed providers, with the goal of expanding these services to rural tribal communities. The Montana Legislature passed a law in 2019 allowing for the establishment of CHAP in Montana, but the planning for and implementation of CHAP is still in progress. FBIC partnered with all Montana Native nations, state government, Billings Area Indian Health Services, tribal colleges and universities throughout the state, and others. The project made progress in the establishment of the Billings Area Certification Board (BACB) and the Academic Review Committee (ARC), an essential step in the process. Significant progress was made in developing CHAP standards and curriculum in medical, dental, and behavioral health, as well as the procedures for certifying CHAP providers. The project also succeeded in raising awareness of CHAP and its benefits among BACB and ARC members, tribal elected officials, Indian Health Service staff, and Montana state officials.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

12 month

2020

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2020

Kaiser Health News Montana Health News Partnership

This project will support the launch of a Kaiser Health News (KHN) bureau in Montana. The bureau will increase Montana-centered health journalism and provide high-quality, relevant coverage of important health care, public health, and health policy issues free-of-charge to print, radio, and television news outlets throughout the state. This grant will enable KHN to hire an experienced, full-time, Montana-based health journalist; provide access to the full range of editorial, production, and research infrastructure of the national KHN newsroom; and allow for contracts with freelance journalists to extend the reach of the project in rural Montana. KHN's editors will work with these journalists to produce stories for and about Montana residents which will be widely distributed through media partners across the state, region, and nation, as well as through social media. The goal of the project is to increase both the quantity and quality of health journalism for and about Montana residents, helping them understand the policy, industry, and social factors that impact their health and well-being.

Grant Amount

$600,258

Term

36 month

2020

Human Resource Development Council of District IX, Inc. 2020

Partnerships for Permanently Supportive Housing Phase II

With this grant, the Human Resources Development Council of District IX (HRDC) and its community partners joined the Housing is Health Care Initiative. The goal was to develop permanent supportive housing units for homeless people in Bozeman who have complex medical and behavioral health conditions in order to improve health outcomes for individuals and reduce costs for the community. HRDC and its partners, including the Gallatin County Detention Center, Bozeman Health, Community Health Partners, the City of Bozeman, and mental health providers, completed the first phase of the first single-site supportive housing development. The project hired several staff members to provide tenancy support services, trauma-informed property management, health resources navigation, case management, and additional services. This included a supportive housing coordinator, a recovery specialist, a case manager, and a part-time health navigator. The project has successfully housed 13 residents who were identified through the frequent user system engagement (FUSE) data match process. In the first six months, residents achieved a 100% rate of maintaining housing. Preliminary data shows a significant reduction in costs for Gallatin County Detention as well. The project has catalyzed funding totaling $1,033,000 from several sources to support and sustain the project, including SAMSHA; Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Addictive and Mental Disorders Division; Yellowstone Club Community Foundation; and Fannie Mae.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2020

Lewis and Clark County Public Health 2020

Designing A More Effective Behavioral Health Service Continuum in Lewis & Clark County

Lewis and Clark County Public Health created this project to redesign the behavioral health crisis system in Lewis and Clark County. The goals were to reduce emergency department admissions, reduce and de-escalate behavioral health-related criminal justice encounters and recidivism, and optimize crisis response with a Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) in order to improve the overall behavioral health and public safety in the county. A Behavioral Health Systems Improvement Leadership Team, which included a newly hired behavioral health program specialist, worked to identify needs and gaps in the current system and recommend improvements. The team developed a strategic plan, completed a comprehensive data analysis, and set priorities for implementation. The project successfully launched the MCRT, which served 172 people and diverted 102 from the emergency department, for an estimated savings to the system of more than $212,000. The project secured an $11,000 county tribal matching grant and technical assistance to guide crisis stabilization and receiving facilities in the county. The program was recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo) with a 2021 NACo Achievement Award. Having established a formal charter with St. Peter's Health, the county sheriff, county commissioners, Shodair Children's Hospital, and PureView Health Center, the program is well-positioned to continue its work into the future.

Grant Amount

$78,598

Term

12 month

2020

Logan Health 2020

Integrated Behavioral Health for High Risk Pregnant Women Phase II

Logan Health Medical Center used this grant to bring integrated behavioral health (IBH) services into its obstetrics clinic in order to better serve at-risk mothers in Flathead County, the Flathead and Blackfeet reservations, and the surrounding area. Logan Health implemented The Meadowlark Initiative® team-based care model into its services. The clinic now universally screens all prenatal patients for depression, anxiety, and substance use, and patients who screen positive are referred to the care coordinator. Staff members forged a relationship with Child and Family Services and are developing a bi-directional referral agreement to improve the implementation of the Family Plan of Safe Care. Hiring behavioral health professionals has been a challenge, but Logan Health is working hard to recruit candidates through hiring bonuses, incentives, and networking channels. The care coordinator participates in two state-level coalitions to further the reach of The Meadowlark Initiative® and improve patient care locally and statewide. Logan Health is committed to continuing to provide excellent patient care and bolstering its care coordination across the organization.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

24 month

2020

Logan Health 2020

Integrated Behavioral Health Outreach

Kalispell Regional Medical Center (KRMC) will serve as a hub to support the implementation of integrated behavioral health (IBH) across its growing network of affiliate hospitals. Two affiliate hospitals that have already implemented IBH – Cabinet Peaks Medical Center and North Valley Hospital – will receive ongoing technical assistance to improve their IBH practice. Northern Rockies Medical Center and Pondera Medical Center are just beginning the IBH implementation and will use the funding to hire a full-time behavioral health provider at each location. Marias Medical Center will participate in a planning capacity, with a goal of beginning to implement IBH at the same time as they begin offering primary care services. KRMC will provide leadership and oversee all IBH implementation activities, including universal screening for depression and substance use disorders, care coordination, psychiatric consultation, and rural site training. The National Council for Behavioral Health will provide technical assistance. Expected outcomes include universal screening for behavioral health conditions in the primary care setting, improvement in depression and substance use disorder outcomes, decreased emergency room visits related to mental illness and substance use disorders, and improved coordination of care between participating facilities.

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

24 month

2020

Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital 2020

Implemention of Integrated Behavioral Health

Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital will integrate behavioral health services into its five primary care clinics located throughout the Bitterroot Valley in Ravalli County. The hospital will establish a new partnership with Sapphire Community Health, the local federally qualified health center. With the new partnership, Marcus Daly will expand behavioral health screening, provide immediate access to either a behavioral health provider or telehealth appointment (depending on the location), and ultimately seek to improve health outcomes and reduce emergency department use related to behavioral health crisis. Grant funds will help Sapphire Community Health hire a care coordinator and behavioral health clinician to support patients’ needs. The National Council for Behavioral Health will provide technical assistance.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

24 month

2020

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services - Senior and Long Term Care Division 2020

Interdepartmental Housing Integration Project

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Service (DPHHS) will establish an Interdepartmental Housing Integration Project. The project will align strategies and action plans across disparate state departments, agencies, and local stakeholders to use existing resources more effectively to address homelessness, housing insecurity, and health service integration priorities. The project will create a platform that integrate three separate housing and health care data systems to share information on homeless high-utilizers, which will enable the coordination of services to improve outcomes for those individuals. The state will also evaluate and, if feasible, finalize appropriate Medicaid changes to support health-related tenancy support services. Initial partners include DPHHS; the Department of Commerce, Montana Housing Division and the Community Development Division; the Montana Continuum of Care Coalition; and the Montana Healthcare Foundation's Frequent Users System Engagement grantee communities. Grant funds will cover a full-time staff person dedicated to grant management activities, costs associated with stakeholder planning and meetings, data analytics coordination, and contracted assistance.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2020

Montana Environmental Health Association Foundation 2020

Montana Environmental Health Association Foundation

The Montana Environmental Health Association (MEHA) identified workforce shortages as a serious problem affecting the public health system in communities around the state. With this grant, MEHA completed a workforce study to guide efforts to address this problem. The results were presented at the MEHA conference in 2022 and will guide the organization’s further efforts to address workforce shortages in collaboration with partner agencies and organizations.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana Food Bank Network, Inc. 2020

Hardin Rural Health Food Box Program

The Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) partnered with Big Horn Valley Health Center’s clinic in Hardin, One Health, to screen patients for food insecurity. Those screening positive were given prepackaged emergency food boxes, grocery store vouchers for fresh foods, and referrals to resources such as SNAP and Medicaid. One Health clinic staff distributed 250 food boxes during the project period. Patients reported on follow-up surveys that being connected to long-term food assistance programs positively impacted their ability to obtain enough food more regularly. The project found that some patients did not have the ability to store and cook food, so MFBN will consider incorporating items like crockpots and hot plates in future projects. MFBN is exploring developing a Healthcare Partnerships program that would be sustained within its annual operating budget. MFBN will take a conservative approach to expansion, strategically selecting health care facilities in areas with higher-than-average food insecurity rates.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana Free Press 2020

Statewide Coverage of COVID-19 on Individuals, Communities, the Health Care System, and Legislation

The Montana Free Press will cover the impact of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of Montanans as well as the state’s response in the upcoming legislative session. For this reporting, the Montana Free Press will use their staff reporter as well as their freelance reporting team. Grant funds will be used to enable reporters to focus on the health and health policy impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The Montana Free Press has established partnerships with news organizations across the state. They will provide their stories free of charge to local and statewide news organizations, further strengthening these partnerships. The project’s overall goal is to provide high-quality, sustained, statewide coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on individuals, communities, health care infrastructure, and legislation in Montana.

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana Medical Association Foundation 2020

Improving Interoperability & Capabilities of Behavioral & Indian Health Electronic Health Systems

This grant supported the continued development of a Montana health information exchange (HIE). This $100,000 MHCF investment allowed the grantee to secure a $900,000 federal match, an important contribution to this complex, multi-year effort. Health information exchanges are a critical tool for health care safety, quality, and continuity of care. This grant sought to facilitate the connection of two key groups to the HIE: behavioral health providers and tribal, Indian Health Service, and urban Indian health systems. The grantee focused on behavioral health and was able to connect several integrated behavioral health and specialty behavioral health providers. The grantee was not able to connect tribal, Indian Health Service, or urban Indian health programs, reporting that staffing and technological challenges proved to be a significant barrier. The grantee reports continued outreach to these organizations.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana Office of Public Instruction 2020

School Wellness

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will partner with the Montana Healthcare Foundation (MHCF) to support the implementation of a new initiative focused on school wellness. This initiative will support new partnerships between schools and high-performing health care providers (including federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, tribal health departments, and behavioral health providers) to create school-based health centers. The initiative will target roughly 70 schools with the highest concentration of students most in need of services, as judged by academic and health data (including alternative schools and those with the lowest academic performance). OPI will use grant funding to hire a new staff person dedicated to supporting the initiative. As part of this project, OPI will help enlist school participation and provide trauma-informed care training, coaching, and academic data reporting support. They will also help schools plan and implement participation in their Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for students with behavioral issues, and identify and implement restorative discipline practices. Beyond MHCF and OPI, other partnerships that will be developed include local school districts, clinical service partners, public health, and the School-Based Health Alliance. The project’s overall goal is to improve student health and academic outcomes by providing in-school access to health care services and fostering a supportive school climate.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2020

Montana Public Health Institute 2020

Montana Public Health Institute Start Up

This grant will fund the creation of the Montana Public Health Institute (MPHI). Over the last six years, we have worked with stakeholders around the state to find ways to strengthen Montana’s public health system. Based on this work, we published a 2019 report, “Creating a Vision for a Healthier Montana: Strengthening the Montana Public Health System.” The report identified public health institute functions that are not currently provided by any other public health entity, such as providing “surge capacity” to respond to public health emergencies; supporting small, rural health departments by procuring grants, and assisting with technical assistance and management of funds; and carrying out rigorous, non-partisan analysis of Montana’s public health system and opportunities to strengthen it. The report concluded with a recommendation to design and start a public health institute in Montana. With consultants from Montana (Jane Smilie) and the National Network for Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), we are now supporting the work of the MPHI Design Team comprising stakeholders from Montana’s county, tribal, state, academic, and non-profit public health organizations. The Design Team recently approved a strategic plan for the MPHI and has started work on establishing the organization. The COVID-19 pandemic creates an urgent need for services that a public health institute can provide. An MPHI will aid our state’s response, guide and support the recovery, and analyze lessons from this crisis to assist in building a more effective public health system. DPHHS has requested that MPHI—once formed—assist with administering certain federal grants expected in the next two months that DPHHS does not have the capacity to administer. To achieve an accelerated startup, the Design Team nominated members to serve as a founding board of directors; the board will incorporate the MPHI as a Montana non-profit in late April 2020. The new MPHI will implement the long-term strategic plan developed by the Design Team, and it will play an immediate and critically needed role in COVID-19 response and recovery. Key partners include DPHHS, county and tribal public health departments, Montana’s public health associations, and the Montana University System.

Grant Amount

$1,850,000

Term

60 months

2020

Montana State University - Office of Rural Health 2020

Montana RIDE – Regional Initiatives in Dental Education

Montana State University (MSU) and the Montana Office of Rural Health partnered with the University of Washington (UW), its Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE), and other organizations to increase the number of trained oral health professionals in rural and underserved communities in order to increase access to oral health services in Montana. The project, known as Montana RIDE, established a dental education program to train dental students through clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas; implemented a coordinated plan for training, recruiting, and supporting the oral health workforce; created interprofessional education programs; and developed a formal network structure. Montana RIDE placed UW dental students in more than 24 clinical rotations across the state in rural and tribal communities including, for example, Hardin, Laurel, Scobey, and the Crow/Northern Cheyenne and Blackfeet IHS facilities; used teledentistry to provide education for students and preceptors; and provided training to students from multiple health profession backgrounds on a variety of dental health topics. The project contracted with the Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center, which conducted an oral health needs survey with its members. Montana RIDE has been proposed to MSU and the Board of Regents as a permanent program, and will also be proposed at the 2023 legislative session. Even if the formal program is not approved, the project’s partners are committed to continuing to support dental clinical rotations in Montana for UW students.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2020

Native American Development Corporation 2020

Medication Assisted Treatment Clinic Feasibility Planning

The Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center (BUIHWC), operated by the Native American Development Corporation (NADC), used this planning grant to expand its substance use disorder treatment services to include medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The goal was to provide more comprehensive, collaborative, and coordinated care to address the opioid use crisis in the American Indian community of Billings. BUIHWC conducted research to quantify the need for MOUD; formalized community and regional partnerships with health care providers, law enforcement, workforce development, housing, and other community support services; increased primary care provider training and the ability to prescribe medications associated with MOUD; established a framework for a comprehensive feasibility plan that includes implementation steps, a timeline, an operating budget, sources of revenue, operational and fiscal impacts, and a sustainability plan; and identified and applied for additional funding sources. The project secured an additional $500,000 through the Indian Health Service and is working to leverage third-party reimbursement for services provided through the clinic.

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2020

One Health 2020

Sacred Families of Big Horn County

With the support of The Meadowlark Initiative, One Health in Hardin strengthened its team to provide supportive care to pregnant women in Bighorn County who have substance use and mental health disorders. The goals of the project were to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to families; improve maternal and family outcomes; reduce newborn drug exposure, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and perinatal complications; and keep families together and children out of the foster care system. The One Health Meadowlark community team collaborated with the One Health clinical team to train all staff on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). They implemented structures and processes to ensure prenatal patients were routinely screened for substance use, depression, and anxiety throughout their pregnancy and were referred to the Meadowlark team if they were at risk. One Health expanded its outreach and target population to include offering support and resources to the patient’s family members as well. One Health created a Peer Support Team to help reach mothers and bring them to their prenatal and postnatal appointments; enroll them in the medication-assisted treatment program; and provide support programs such as parenting classes, recovery groups, and assistance with insurance. One Health collaborated with other clinics and providers in the area to ensure patients’ care was well coordinated throughout their pregnancy and the postpartum period. The project also worked closely with state, tribal, and social service organizations. The One Health team is continuing to explore ways to generate revenue to ensure the project is sustainable.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2020

One Health 2020

Integrated and Sustainable School-Based Health Care in Bighorn County

Bighorn Valley Health Center (BVHC) will begin providing school-based health services in the Hardin High School, Crow Agency Public School, and the Wyola School District. School-based health services – delivered through a combination of in-person and virtual visits – will be available for students, school staff, and the surrounding community. Grant funds will support salaries for project management and partnership liaison staff. The project’s goal is to bring needed health services to rural and frontier communities in the southcentral region of the state.

Grant Amount

$300,000

Term

24 month

2020

Partnership Health Center 2020

Implementing a Medical Legal Partnership at Partnership Health Center

This planning grant funded the development of a new medical-legal partnership (MLP) at Partnership Health Center (PHC). The MLP model integrates the expertise of legal professionals into clinical settings to help health care providers address structural problems at the root of many health inequities. Grant funds were used to hire a part-time MLP program coordinator who helped create the internal workflows, training programs, and processes needed for screening patients for health-harming legal needs, referring patients to MLP services, notetaking regarding patient interactions, data tracking of patient information, and referring patients to the network of pro bono attorneys. The program coordinator established a community advisory board that included the Office of the Public Defender, Montana Legal Service Association, HomeWord, University of Montana's law school, and other community partners. The coordinator also hosted several virtual town halls that covered topics such as eviction law and renting requirements. A total of 91 patients have been referred to the MLP through behavioral health, social work, and other service providers. Of those referrals, 76 have completed the screening process, and 72 have screened as having a health-harming legal need. PHC plans to sustain the position of the MLP coordinator and is working to secure funding to expand legal access to allow for increased patient access.

Grant Amount

$24,000

Term

12 month

2020

Public Health System Improvement Office, Public Health and Safety Division 2020

Improving Health Through Cross-Sector Collaborations

This project will continue MHCF’s collaboration with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to strengthen local and tribal public health throughout the state. Since 2014, MHCF and DPHHS have worked together by providing small grants and technical support to train boards of health and support community health assessments, health improvement plans, strategic plans, and implementation projects in counties and tribes throughout Montana. This new project will build on that work with four new aims. First, it will reach, engage, and build the capacity of the health departments that the Public Health System Improvement Office has not engaged to date. Second, it will continue providing mini grants and technical support for public health planning and implementation projects, but with a new emphasis on sustainability and business planning. Third, it will support cross-jurisdictional planning processes and the sharing of public health services across counties at the request of local jurisdictions. And, finally, it will improve the engagement of local boards of health and public health governance. The project will also include a new emphasis on developing cross-sector collaborations with hospitals and other partners, which will contribute to more sustainable public health services. The grant funding will be used to provide direct grant money to local and tribal health departments, provide funding for travel for direct technical assistance, and provide funding for travel for the local board of health members and the lead local to the National Association of Local Boards of Health. Also, a portion of the funds, will be used to support Communities that Care, again with a focus on supporting local and tribal health department participation. If needed, part of the budget will be used to hire consultants to work directly on issues such as business planning and cross-jurisdictional services.

Grant Amount

$475,500

Term

24 month

2020

Red Lodge Area Community Foundation 2020

Carbon County Area Ride & Transit: A Planning Proposal to Address Rural Isolation & Mobility Needs

The Red Lodge Area Community Foundation (RLACF) designed and completed the initial implementation of the Carbon County Area Ride and Transit (CART). The project's goal was to help aging and at-risk residents access transportation to their medical appointments, health facilities, grocery stores, and social events, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes. Working closely with the local Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), RLACF collected data and gathered feedback to determine geographic routes and operation times to ensure the project met the community's needs. CART developed marketing, outreach, and sustainability plans; completed MOUs between TAC and local stakeholders, including three health care providers; developed a relationship with the Montana Department of Transportation; and hired qualified staff and engaged with a consultant. While the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges, the project was able to hold meetings virtually and even began providing much-needed transportation for residents who wanted COVID-19 vaccinations. CART secured $60,000 from the Montana Department of Transportation and $5,000 annually from Hub Insurance. RLACF's sustainability plan for the next three years includes city and county government financial support, events, business partnerships, grants, and reimbursements.

Grant Amount

$24,853

Term

12 month

2020

Rimrock Foundation 2020

Rimrock Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT)

Rimrock will implement a new Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team that serves Yellowstone, Musselshell, Big Horn, Carbon, Stillwater, Golden Valley, and Wheatland counties. PACT is the core service of a tiered delivery system that targets people with severe disabling mental illness who require long-term ongoing support that exceeds traditional outpatient services. The goal of the service is to rehabilitate each client to their highest level of functioning. PACT teams are mobile and deliver services in community locations to meet clients where they are. Grant funds will build this new PACT program's capacity through technical assistance by the National Council for Behavioral Health and bridge funding to help offset the cost of hiring and training new staff. Project partners include the Southcentral Montana Mental Health Center, Billings Clinic Behavioral Health Service, and the Montana State Hospital. This project aims to stabilize 196 clients with severe disabling mental illness and reduce admission to inpatient psychiatric hospitals.

Grant Amount

$197,148

Term

12 month

2020

Sapphire Community Health, Inc. 2020

Sapphire’s School Wellnes Project

The goal of the Sapphire Community Health (SCH) School Wellness Project was to bring medical and mental health services to children in schools where they are not currently available. SCH completed the planning process to implement school-based services in the Victor School District and the Hamilton School District. It did not move forward with the Stevensville School District as originally planned. In the Victor schools, SCH implemented both nursing and mental health services on a weekly basis. The mobile medical unit that was created to provide services made several visits to the schools to provide additional medical services. The nurse and mental health provider have developed a positive rapport with the students, faculty, and surrounding community, as well as a strong partnership with district administrators. SCH established a mental health provider in the Hamilton schools several days a week, and there has been high demand for her services. SCH intends to sustain these services and activities beyond the grant term by billing for the chargeable medical and mental health services provided.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2020

Sidney Health Center 2020

Bakken Behavioral Health Integration

Sidney Health Center, a nonprofit community-based medical center serving Eastern Montana, used this grant to join The Meadowlark Initiative and expand its current integrated behavioral health program from its primary care clinic into its OB/GYN clinic. The goal was to improve its support for perinatal patients who have substance use or mental health issues. Sidney Health Center implemented universal screening for substance use, depression, and anxiety in prenatal and postnatal care, and all providers refer women to behavioral health as needed. Key partners include Eastern Montana Mental Health Services and other community-based resources serving women and families. Sidney Health Center is committed to growing and expanding its behavioral health services and is considering adding care coordination to its current services.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2020

St. Luke Community Healthcare Foundation 2020

Wrapped In Hope

St Luke Healthcare successfully implemented team-based, coordinated care to better support perinatal patients at its critical access hospital in Ronan on the Flathead Indian Reservation as well as its four clinics. The goals of the project were to improve access to behavioral health services, improve outcomes for women who screen positive for substance use disorder or mental health issues, and reduce the instances of out-of-home placements for infants. St. Luke implemented universal screening for substance use, depression, and anxiety in prenatal and postnatal care. It added a care navigator to the team to serve as a conduit between primary care providers, behavioral health clinicians, patients, and psychiatric services, as well as to help connect women and their families to community resources. St. Luke established a medication-assisted treatment program for patients and implemented the Eat, Sleep, Console program to teach mothers how to manage the symptoms of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Staff were trained on health equity, implicit bias, and cultural humility to better serve the diverse population in the community. St. Luke has strengthened its relationship with Child and Family Services as it begins to use the Family Plan of Safe Care to better address the needs of families. St Luke Healthcare is committed to sustaining the Meadowlark model and is seeking additional funding to support its programs.

Grant Amount

$130,000

Term

24 month

2020

University of Montana Foundation 2020

American Indian Governance and Policy Institute

With this grant, the University of Montana Foundation helped the American Indian Governance and Policy Institute (AIGPI), a Native-led research entity, develop a comprehensive tribal public policy needs assessment that will inform AIGPI’s tribal policy research and analysis agenda for the next 10 years. The goal of the project was to better understand and address the core causes of poor socioeconomic conditions and the social determinants of health that impact the American Indian population in Montana. Through extensive research, as well as meetings and interviews with tribal leaders and key stakeholders, the AIGPI completed a research report titled, “Key Social Factors Influencing Native American Health in Indian Country.” The report has gained interest across the state and will be used as a framework for future state health assessments. In addition, AIGPI engaged in its first four pilot studies for Montana Tribal governments, which will provide in-depth background information and policy recommendations on how to address social determinants of health. AIGPI’s research will be sustained through partnerships created with the University of Montana’s Indian Law Clinic and Master of Public Policy Program. Faculty researchers and graduate students will conduct research for credit rather than monetary payments. The Headwaters Foundation awarded AIGPI a grant of $100,000 to condense the report into a shorter article to make it more widely accessible.

Grant Amount

$99,956

Term

24 month

2020

University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research 2020

Affordable Housing Study

The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER), in partnership with the Helena Housing Authority, Homeword, NeighborWorks Montana, the Montana Housing Coalition, and others, completed a policy analysis to identify potential solutions to Montana’s affordable housing shortage. The goal was to acquire a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of the affordable housing shortage and create a repository of actionable information for how to approach the issue. The project achieved three outcomes: (1) conducting a survey and cataloging federal and state public finance programs for housing affordability in Montana and comparable states, (2) creating a detailed database of affordable housing units in the state, with information such as type of property, unit attributes, targeted population, geolocation, programs utilized, and age and condition of the structure, and (3) developing an analysis of the demand for and impact of low-income housing in the primary population centers of Helena, Great Falls, Kalispell/Flathead County, Missoula, Billings, Bozeman, and Butte. This analysis supports the Montana Healthcare Foundation’s Housing is Health Care initiative by helping organizations working to create permanent supportive housing in Montana track and identify available housing units. http://www.bber.umt.edu/pubs/econ/AffordableHousing2020.pdf

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2020

All Nations Health Center 2019

Strengthening the Circle: Increased Capacity for Increased Health

All Nations Health Center's Strengthening the Circle project was designed to increase the center's capacity to provide high-quality, integrated health care services to American Indians living in and around Missoula. The project implemented a holistic care model that improves coordination and collaboration within and between care teams. This included allocating staff time to design and execute the model, providing training to clinical and non-clinical support staff, and delivering high-quality technical assistance to support the successful implementation of the model. All staff were trained to use the electronic health record system, case conferencing, and co-location to provide patients with holistic rather than siloed care. Population health data and analysis are used to inform planning efforts. By providing integrated patient care that is reimbursable under Medicaid and Medicare, the health center is on track to increase annual revenue by at least 75%. All Nations' partnership with Greenway Health, a health information technology services company, will provide ongoing resources and support to maintain the progress that has been made and identify future opportunities for improvement.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

12 month

2019

Alluvion Health 2019

Crisis Intervention System

The Great Falls Community will redesign the behavioral health crisis system to reduce emergency department admissions and criminal justice encounters and recidivism. Alluvion Health will serve as the “backbone” organization, providing project oversight and partnership coordination. This project will bring together new and existing partners through a formal charter that establishes project goals and expectations and outlines commitments. The primary objectives are to collect data and analyze the existing behavioral health crisis system and resource allocation, research best practices, develop a plan for prevention and intervention strategies, and implement new strategies. The project will use funds to employ a care coordinator to assist with navigating individuals throughout the system, a clinician to assist with clinical oversight and intervention, and a project lead to coordinate partners and activities. Primary partners include leadership from Alluvion Health System, Benefis Health System, Gateway, the Center for Mental Health, Cascade County Sheriff, Great Falls Chief of Police, Cascade County Commissioner, and emergency services. Ultimately, the project will redesign the crisis system by utilizing existing resources differently and by developing a sustainable and robust framework for the future.

Grant Amount

$100,485

Term

24 month

2019

Alluvion Health 2019

Implementation of an Innovative Alternative Payment Model for Direct Primary Care

As is the case in communities throughout the country, small businesses in Great Falls are often unable to provide health care coverage to their employees. Alluvion Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Great Falls, used this grant to create a monthly fixed-rate health care plan intended to provide affordable and easy access to primary care, behavioral health, and dental care services to uninsured and underinsured members of the community. Alluvion learned about the program’s financial model and membership structure; developed policies, procedures, and protocols; and created a plan to evaluate the program. It developed a communications and outreach campaign to educate small employers, self-employed individuals, and others about the program, using written materials, luncheons, presentations, and digital advertising. This project built on the already strong relationships Alluvion had with local and regional employers. While demand for the program was not as high as expected, partly due to the pandemic, Alluvion made strides in educating patients, staff, and providers about the program. It also learned more about the community’s needs and how to improve and adjust the program so that it better serves patients’ health care requirements.

Grant Amount

$32,750

Term

12 month

2019

Alluvion Health 2019

Partnering for the Health of Our Community

Alluvion Health partnered with Great Falls Clinic with the goal of integrating behavioral health into Great Falls Clinic's primary care practices so patients dealing with mental health issues get the care they need. Funds were used to hire a care coordinator and a behavioral health clinician, as well as to support project oversight by organizational leadership. The project successfully implemented a depression screening protocol in the primary care practices and increased access to behavioral health services for patients. The project was not able to implement integrated behavioral health during the grant due to a variety of challenges, including significant leadership and staff changes, shifting priorities due to COVID, lack of provider buy-in, and two electronic medical record changes that made it difficult to capture data. Both organizations have committed to continuing the partnership to increase access to behavioral health services. Great Falls Clinic has committed to continuing to screen its patients for depression and is working to screen for anxiety as well in the future.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

24 month

2019

Barrett Hospital Foundation 2019

Barrett Hospital & HealthCare Integrated Behavioral Health Collaborative

This grant enabled Barrett Hospital & HealthCare in Dillon, Montana to implement integrated behavioral health (IBH) services throughout its health care system. The goal was to increase access to behavioral health services, decrease emergency visits and inpatient utilization, improve patient and population outcomes, and support community activities promoting behavioral health. Barrett Hospital & HealthCare added a full-time licensed clinical social worker to its primary care team to provide behavioral health services. Hospital leadership supported the creation of team-based care, with dedicated resources to facilitate care coordination across the continuum, including primary care, the emergency department, inpatient care, and home health and hospice. The hospital has added staff to the coordinated care team to assist with the delivery of behavioral health services and work with providers to identify patients in need of care. Workgroups are in place to facilitate processes around mental health screening and follow-up care. Management is utilizing data to improve clinical practice, support resource allocation, and assess protocol effectiveness. The hospital has a strong pathway to care for depression and is currently working on improving screening for anxiety, suicide risk, and social determinants of health. It has contracted with Frontier Psychiatry for crisis response and is exploring adding psychiatric consultation and collaborative care services.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

Billings Clinic 2019

Montana Integrated SBIRT Training for Healthcare Professionals

This project created a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) training curriculum for residents at the Billings Clinic to enable them to identify and provide effective initial treatment for people with undiagnosed substance use disorders. Residents in the internal medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, nursing, and pharmacy programs, as well as providers who are currently treating patients, receive SBIRT training. Trainers from the Montana Primary Care Association use role-playing exercises in virtual workshops and Grand Rounds, which are weekly professional development and networking events that attract a large local audience and are broadcast on the Eastern Montana Telemedicine Network. Billings Clinic also integrated the SBIRT curriculum into its existing clinical pathways. Billings Clinic will continue to support SBIRT in its various residency programs and integrate it into service lines throughout its system.

Grant Amount

$15,000

Term

12 month

2019

Blackfeet Tribal Health 2019

Addressing Perinatal Behavioral Health on the Blackfeet Reservation

Blackfeet Tribal Health partnered with the Indian Health Service (IHS) Blackfeet Community Hospital to provide supportive care to pregnant women on the Blackfeet Reservation who have substance use or mental health disorders. Due to the high number of babies who screen positive for substances at birth, this is a critical problem that needs to be addressed. Blackfeet Tribal Health hired a behavioral health specialist to work with the IHS women’s clinic to provide care. She had 167 encounters with patients in 2022, 116 of which were billable, yielding approximately $65,000 to $74,000 in revenue. The specialist has worked to create partnerships throughout the community and grow the program. Challenges have included high staff turnover at the clinic and some staff refusing to conduct screenings, which has led to referrals not taking place and some patients not receiving the care they need. The program has secured a Perinatal HRSA grant of $45,000 from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Bozeman Health Foundation 2019

Community Crisis Response

Bozeman Health used this grant to develop a coalition to redesign the behavioral health crisis system in Gallatin County. The goals were to reduce emergency department admissions, reduce and deescalate behavioral health-related criminal justice encounters and recidivism, and optimize the mobile response team. With the help of consultants, the coalition mapped the current crisis system, developed a strategic plan, implemented a behavioral health urgent care system, hired a crisis interventionist at the emergency department, redesigned the mobile response team, and implemented crisis telehealth services. Bozeman Health experienced significant turnover in leadership throughout the project, and the mental health center stopped providing several crisis and community-based services. Despite these challenges, the coalition was able to develop a formal charter and strategic plan, complete a comprehensive data analysis, set priorities for implementation, begin implementation of a new mobile crisis team, and coordinate a behavioral health triaging system at the emergency department. Having established a formal charter with key public and private stakeholders, the coalition is well-positioned to continue its work into the future. The coalition is also coordinating local, state, and federal grant efforts. Both Gallatin County and Bozeman Health are contributing $25,000 to support the continuation of the coalition and the coordinator role to ensure sustainability, further implementation of the strategic plan, and the monitoring of impact.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

Bozeman Health Foundation 2019

Perinatal Substance Abuse in Southwest Montana: An Integrated Model

Bozeman Health used this grant to implement a team-based model of care in its women’s specialty clinic in order to address substance use and mental health issues among pregnant women. Nurse navigator screening protocols were put in place to screen all pregnant women for depression, anxiety, substance use, and social determinants of health. Those who screen positive are referred to a behavioral health specialist, while high-risk patients are given a warm handoff for appropriate care outside the clinic. A special pathway was developed for patients experiencing suicidal ideation or intent. Recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals continue to be a challenge for Bozeman Health, as well as leadership changes at the hospital. These challenges slowed progress on implementing the model, but Bozeman Health has committed to continuing to develop and strengthen its continuum of care for pregnant and post-partum women. By billing for behavioral health services, Bozeman Health will be able to sustain its team-based care but recruitment and retention remain important challenges.

Grant Amount

$110,000

Term

24 month

2019

Butte SPIRIT Center 2019

Transitional Housing for Recovery from Substance Use Disorder

The goal of this project was to create the Butte SPIRIT Center, a sober living and treatment facility that provides transitional housing for people recovering from substance use disorders. Grant funds were used to hire a consultant, who helped the center obtain a provisional license from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services as an American Society of Addiction Medicine Level 3.1 Recovery Home. The consultant also helped develop a business plan, evaluate different revenue models, understand the Medicaid and State Block Grant environment, plan for long-term financial sustainability, optimize the utilization of various revenue sources, and establish critical partnerships. Over the course of the project, the Butte SPIRIT Center successfully acquired and furnished a house; hired a residence manager and an assistant residence manager, who got certified as a peer support specialist; and finalized its partnership with Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services (CCCS) and the SMART Program as the treatment provider. The center was able to leverage its MHCF grant to get $73,000 in additional funding, which will help sustain the center over the long term and address the acute need for this type of care in the Butte community.

Grant Amount

$15,000

Term

12 month

2019

Center Pole 2019

Using All Parts of the Buffalo: Better Reservation Health through Food Rescue and Recovery

Center Pole will collect fresh foods from Billings that are near expiration and distribute them to the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations. This collection and distribution will be done through a system created and implemented by the Center Pole’s community food interns. Funding will be used to pay the food interns and for transportation costs and storage as well as for Center Pole’s traditional food production. Partners for this project include Crow Abundance is Here, a local community collaboration whose member organizations include the National Center for Appropriate Technology, Plenty Doors, Messengers for Health, Crow Tribal Health, Little Big Horn College, the USDA, AmeriCorps, and Food Corps Montana. Other partners include the Crow and Northern Cheyenne elders and Billings Family Service. The goal of this project is to assist the Crow and Northern Cheyenne in healing themselves through food and creating a healthy sustainable food economy that is culturally relevant, reflects traditional values of reciprocity, self-sufficiency, team work, sharing, and zero waste and leads to better health and longer lives.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana 2019

Kalispell Collaborative Housing Initiative

Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Northwest Montana used this planning grant for its Kalispell Collaborative Housing Initiative, which works to provide health care, social services, and permanent supportive housing to individuals who are homeless and have complex medical needs. This project increased cross-sector collaboration among a variety of organizations, including hospitals, jails, social services agencies, and housing providers, as well as local government. Before this grant, there was little communication between social service providers working with homeless people and city/county leaders. Now there are biweekly calls between social services organizations and local officials, including the mayor, a city council member who serves on the county health board, and an elected state representative. A core group of 30 stakeholders participated in a Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) training to improve their understanding of supportive housing. A comprehensive assessment of housing inventory, local services, and what various organizations provide was conducted in order to better understand what is currently available and where there are gaps. The most significant outcome of this project was the increased community awareness regarding the cost of homelessness, the areas where the community is lacking essential services, and an increased understanding of the supportive housing philosophy and approach.

Grant Amount

$40,000

Term

12 month

2019

Community Health Partners 2019

Bozeman School-Based Health Center

Community Health Partners (CHP) implemented a school-based health center with behavioral health services at Bozeman High School and Gallatin High School, with the goal of improving health outcomes, increasing attendance, decreasing disciplinary events, and supporting students’ overall school success. In partnership with Intermountain and Bozeman School District 7, CHP placed a licensed therapist with experience working with adolescents at the schools, providing barrier-free access to behavioral health services to students and their families. The project served more than 50 students and families in 800 encounters in the last year of the project. The partners have solidified and improved their processes for identifying and referring appropriate students; registering students as CHP patients via online registration forms; incorporating telehealth tools to ensure access; engaging families with additional services available at CHP, such as medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and resource coordination; and streamlining the onboarding and offboarding processes for new therapists to work within the partnership. The partners intend to continue working together to offer these services and hope to expand their evaluation measures.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

24 month

2019

Community Health Partners 2019

School Wellness with Community Health Partners and Belgrade School District

Community Health Partners (CHP) and the Belgrade School District used this grant to establish the first school-based health clinic in Belgrade at the Belgrade Middle School. The clinic is housed in a remodeled classroom space and offers both medical and behavioral health services, including vaccinations, sports physicals, concussion management, and athletic injury follow-ups. CHP currently offers medical services three days per week and behavioral health services one day per week, but it plans on expanding the behavioral health services through a partnership with Intermountain in 2022. Since opening, the clinic has been staffed with a physician's assistant and a cross-trained medical assistant who is able to register patients and connect them to additional services with CHP and in the community. In 2021, the clinic provided care to 306 patients, and more than 80 students received free sports physicals. The pandemic created challenges due to school closures and staffing shortages, but the clinic continued to provide services, as well as COVID vaccines. The clinic will remain open following the grant term, and CHP is working to meet the increased need for school sports physicals and behavioral health services. A post-grant interview was conducted with Belgrade School District Administration and the convenience and increased access to services were noted as biggest benefits to the partnership. Access to mental health and medical services on-site increased classroom time because students did not have to leave the building to get services. The school-based health center also positively impacted students’ ability to stay up to date on immunizations and to get sports physicals in a timely manner.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

24 month

2019

Community Hospital of Anaconda 2019

Integrating Behavioral Health for ADLC

This project helped implement integrated behavioral health (IBH) at the Community Hospital of Anaconda (CHA), with the goal of improving the overall physical and mental health of the community. The CHA team received technical assistance from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Montana Healthcare Foundation. CHA recruited two adult psychiatrists and one pediatric psychiatrist and established screening protocols for depression, anxiety, and substance use. The team also established workflows for warm handoffs, behavioral health referrals, and referrals to community resources. In the big picture, the project has led to a significant culture shift among the medical and clinical staff: behavioral health is now a regular part of the primary care, pediatrics, and obstetrics (through concurrent participation in the Meadowlark Initiative) service lines. Specialty service lines, such as orthopedics, oncology, rheumatology, general surgery, and endocrinology, are aware of the behavioral health services and collaborate on behalf of their patients when appropriate. Due to the high rate of suicides in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, the CHA team also expanded services into the community by creating a Community Suicide Prevention Taskforce, which brings stakeholders together to work on suicide prevention. CHA has received an IBH consolidation grant and will continue to focus on strengthening its IBH practices.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Community Hospital of Anaconda 2019

Reducing Adverse Outcomes of Perinatal Substance Use Disorders

This project allowed the Community Hospital of Anaconda (CHA) to establish a comprehensive, team-based, family-inclusive continuum of care to support pregnant and postpartum women who are experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders. CHA created a behavioral health team consisting of a pediatric psychiatrist, two adult psychiatrists, two behavioral health specialists, and a care coordinator. In collaboration with the OB providers at the hospital, processes were developed to screen, identify, schedule, and follow up with patients with mental health issues and substance use disorders. The project experienced challenges with screening inconsistencies and variations of provider responses to positive screens. However, most of these challenges were overcome with ongoing coaching and mentoring. Behavioral health was identified in CHA’s community needs assessment as a top priority, and the hospital is committed to sustaining this program in order to meet the needs of the community. CHA will sustain its behavioral health processes by training new team members, reviewing its processes annually, and holding monthly meetings between the behavioral health team and medical and clinical staff. Optimal reimbursement strategies will be exercised on a continuous basis.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Community Medical Center 2019

Community Medical Center Integrated Behavioral Health Implementation

Through this grant Community Medical Center (CMC) implemented integrated behavioral health (IBH) in all of its primary care clinics. CMC successfully integrated social workers and behavioral health practitioners into its primary care clinics and created well-defined, team-based practices, including immediate “warm handoffs” for primary care patients in need of behavioral health services and care team meetings to better coordinate care. Care pathways for anxiety, depression, and suicide intervention have been established, as has a universal patient screening for mental illness, harmful substance use, and suicide. Primary care providers now have a better understanding of mental health needs and are more able to identify them, and all clinical staff are coordinating better and contributing to implementing the IBH model of care. CMC faced many challenges, including leadership changes, staffing issues, high turnover, closure of the Lolo and Frenchtown clinics, and problems with its EMR system functionality. Still, CMC managed to move forward with its IBH vision and will continue working to implement and strengthen its IBH practices.

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

24 month

2019

Emma's House - Bitterroot Valley Children's Advocacy Center, Inc. 2019

Emma’s House Trauma Treatment Center -Expansion of Billable Services

Emma's House, a children's advocacy center in Hamilton, used this grant to explore opportunities to generate stable revenue to support social and behavioral health services through third-party billing. The goal was to create a reliable source of income so Emma's House could rely less on grants and donations and create a business plan to expand services to the children and families it serves. Working with Aune Consulting, the team conducted an operational capacity assessment, researched payer sources for current and proposed services, and conducted a market analysis. A business plan was completed that included specific options for generating revenue for services, and a policy and procedures manual was created to guide the effective implementation of services. Emma’s House hired a project coordinator to help run the project, and that person was later hired as a mental health clinical supervisor. The project strengthened its partnerships with local health centers, hospitals, law enforcement, public schools and counselors, and child and family services. The grantee experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and high staff turnover. Despite those challenges, the project is moving forward, and Emma’s House recently secured $18,000 from the Rapp Family Foundation to help hire an additional therapist.

Grant Amount

$15,000

Term

12 month

2019

EmpowerMT 2019

Strategic Planning to Expand Youth Development to Rural & Tribal Communities in Montana

EmpowerMT used this grant to improve its programs that build resilience, promote leadership development, prevent violence, and provide healthy interventions to suicidal ideation and substance abuse among middle and high school youth in Montana, particularly in rural and tribal communities. This project focused on the evaluation of current EmpowerMT programs, strategic planning, and curriculum development. The COVID pandemic interfered with the project’s ability to achieve its goals regarding program evaluation and strategic planning, so most of the grant funds were devoted to curriculum development and professional development of staff. The project was able to incorporate many of critical issues that arose during 2020 and 2021 into its planning and development activities, including community concerns regarding racism and policing, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, and the mental health impacts of the pandemic. EmpowerMT worked closely with two rural and tribal school communities—Ronan and Alberton—to better understand the needs of these communities and their adaptations of EmpowerMT’s programs. To fulfill its evaluation needs, the organization decided to continue using the Social Emotional Learning evaluation tool to gauge the success of its programs. EmpowerMT leveraged $68,000 in additional grants to further implement the program evaluation component of this project.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2019

Families First Learning Lab 2019

Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe Family Education Services

The Families First Children’s Museum (FFCM) will provide family education classes and resources for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal (CSKT) community intended to foster healing and help develop resilient communities. The project will introduce new, relevant, and evidence-based curricula within three separate tracks: parents/caregivers, foster parents, and childcare providers. Funding will be used to hire native instructors and support curriculum development. Through current partnerships with CSKT, the Department of Human Resource Development, and Salish Kootenai College, as well as growth in collaboration with the Tribal Health Department, Tribal Education Department, local childcare providers, and organizations like the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, FFCM’s work will extend to reach more families and create connections between parent education skill development and a stronger family resource network.

Grant Amount

$26,118

Term

12 month

2019