We support primary care practices to build teams that effectively address mental health and substance use issues so that Montanans can get the care they need in a trusted place at the right time.
Primary care providers serve as the first line of treatment for many people with mental health and substance use issues. Integrated care approaches mental well-being and physical health as part of the same puzzle, incorporating screening for behavioral health conditions, mental health treatment, and care coordination into primary care.
The benefits of this approach include:
Integrated Behavioral Health Initiative One-Pager
IMPACT STORY
Meet Barbara, a retired schoolteacher living in the Bitterroot Valley, and Sarah, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in integrated care, and see how the Integrated Behavioral Health Initiative is helping improve the lives of Montanans.
INITIATIVE PROGRESS
This initiative is transforming the way behavioral health is delivered in Montana. Since 2016, it has helped integrate behavioral health services into 72 primary care settings. Integrated care is now available in all large hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and a growing number of critical access hospitals, tribal health departments, urban Indian health centers, and pediatric clinics.
By the end of 2025, over 80% of all adult and pediatric Medicaid patients will have access to integrated care in an initiative-funded clinic.
2025 findings from current initiative grantees show:
- Over 157,000 patients received an annual screening for at least one behavioral health condition.
- Most patients who initially screen at-risk for depression or anxiety improve upon re-screening.
- Teams added 24.0 FTE behavioral health providers (including in-training clinicians).
- Most staff and providers report higher satisfaction levels among both patients and themselves.
In a 2025 survey, past grantees reported:
- 81% of primary care clinics continue to provide integrated behavioral health services.
- 62% of teams are fully staffed.
Click a map marker to view details for each past or present participating grantee site.
Visit our Grant Library to learn more about each initiative project.
Our Support
We support primary care practices across the state in planning for and implementing integrated care. We provide grant funding and technical assistance to launch new programs, as well as guidance to ensure the sustainability of ongoing programs.
Funding is available to primary care practices that serve a substantial share of low-income, Medicaid, or other populations with limited access to services. For more information on participating in the initiative, please contact our program team.
Pediatric primary care clinics are invited to join the initiative through a partnership with the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MTAAP). To learn more and apply, contact Kylee Bodley, MTAAP Executive Director.
Convening
We convene the Primary Care Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder group that has been working since 2023 to elevate the collective voice of primary care in our state. Members include:
- American Indian Health Leaders
- Monida Healthcare Network
- Montana Academy of Family Physicians
- Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
- Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health, Montana Health Network
- Montana Healthcare Foundation
- Montana Hospital Association
- Montana Medical Association
- Montana Medical Group Management Association
- Montana Pediatric Practice Managers Association
- Montana Primary Care Association
- Office of Rural Health.
Related
Contact
If you have a question about this initiative, please email our program team.