This analysis of Montana Medicaid claims data shows that more than half (54%) of Medicaid members with behavioral health needs receive care exclusively from primary care providers, and 81% of the Medicaid population that accessed behavioral health care received at least some of those services from a primary care practice. As Montana seeks to build … Continued
The Meadowlark Initiative® is a Montana Healthcare Foundation initiative that integrates prenatal care and behavioral health to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. This limited, mid-course evaluation assesses the initiative’s impact and is intended to inform implementation work moving forward. The evaluation found that care coordination, in particular, plays a central role in improving outcomes – from … Continued
This report shows how much progress has been made to improve behavioral health since Montana’s Medicaid expansion in 2016. With Medicaid expansion now providing a payment source for behavioral health services, Montana’s system is undergoing a deeply needed transformation. Between 2016 and 2020, Montana’s budget for prevention doubled, and 59% of adults on Medicaid now … Continued
This report provides recommendations for finance, policy, and workforce changes to ensure the ongoing sustainability and expansion of the “Integrated Behavioral Health” model. The report was commissioned by the Montana Healthcare Foundation and produced by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (formerly the National Council for Behavioral Health). Report Overview
This study was completed by NPC Research, an independent, nationally recognized research firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, at the request of the Montana Supreme Court and the Montana Healthcare Foundation (who funded the report). The purpose of this study was to respond to current attention on substance use disorders as a key health challenge in Montana, and the … Continued
The opioid epidemic in the United States contributes to a growing need to address substance use disorders (SUDs) in the perinatal period. Women with SUD are at risk for poor pregnancy-related outcomes, and their newborns can suffer withdrawal symptoms known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which can lead to the infant’s removal from their family … Continued
This report provides a landscape scan and recommendations to increase the use of SBIRT in Montana. The report was commissioned by the Montana Healthcare Foundation and written by the National Council for Behavioral Health. You can read an executive summary of this report here.
Drug use in pregnancy is a serious public health problem in Montana. Despite evidence that the problem is on the rise, Montana has a severe shortage of treatment for pregnant women with substance use disorders. The number of Montana children in foster care more than doubled since 2011: out of more than 3,200 children in … Continued
This report explores Medicaid’s new role as the primary payer for substance use disorder services in Montana. This new role is a direct result of Montana’s 2016 Medicaid expansion to cover most low-income adults in the State. The report offers strategies that the Medicaid program may pursue in this new role to improve substance use … Continued
Substance use disorders and mental illness are among the most serious and challenging health problems in Montana. These issues are often linked: individuals that report mental health concerns are also more likely to have problems with substance use, and vice versa. Integrated behavioral health is an evidence-based way to provide care for patients with co-occurring mental illness, substance … Continued