All Nations Health Center 2023

All Nations Roadmap to Success

All Nations serves as the Urban Indian Health Center for Missoula and Ravalli counties. This grant will support the development of their three-year strategic plan, and planning efforts for a new facility that will include a clinic and housing, on property recently acquired by the organization. Funds will cover costs of the consultants leading the strategic planning process, a site visit to Southcentral Foundation to view the Nuka care system, a site visit to Spokane to visit family-centered permanent supportive housing, and pre-development costs and planning for the new facility. Project goals include identifying gaps in community services, opportunities for enhancing care and revenue, and adoption of a strategy for the organization to implement as it steps into the next three years and develops its new facility. All Nations has partnered with the Missoula-based developer Homeword to coordinate facility development efforts, and with Project Mosaic to lead the strategic planning process.

Grant Amount

$163,000

Term

24 month

2023

Crow Tribe Health & Human Services 2023

Crow Nation Strategy for a Sacred Way of Life

This project will support the Crow Tribe in developing a strategic plan (the Crow Nation Strategy for A Sacred Way of Life) to address health disparities through an Indigenous health care model that incorporates Crow healing philosophy and cultural practices. The strategic plan will create a business model and an implementation plan that outlines the operational, financial, and program development steps needed to advance the tribe's vision for its health system. Grant funds will support the strategic planning process and a site visit to Southcentral Foundation. Project partners include the Crow Tribal Health Improvement Program, One Health, the Indian Health Service Crow Service Unit, and other local partners working to serve the Crow community.

Grant Amount

$116,000

Term

12 month

2023

Indian Family Health Clinic 2023

Strengthening Urban Indian Health Care

The Indian Family Health Clinic (IFHC) is an urban Indian health center based in Great Falls that provides culturally-informed medical, behavioral health, and wellness programs to nearly 7,000 American Indian people in Cascade County. This project will help IFHC develop a five-year strategic plan to support the organization’s effectiveness, sustainability, and partnership with the Little Shell Tribe. Grant funds will support consultation services, staff training, and a site visit to Alaska Southcentral Foundation to learn about the integrated behavioral health model and how to implement these best practices within the system.

Grant Amount

$109,400

Term

12 month

2023

Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana 2023

Strategic Planning Site Visit

Members of the Little Shell Tribe’s leadership team and tribal council will travel to Southcentral Foundation (SCF) in Anchorage, Alaska, for a week-long site visit. This visit will support their ongoing strategic planning work with SCF. SCF's Nuka System of Care is a nationally-recognized, award-winning health care system that provides comprehensive, integrated services to support physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. Grant funds will support travel and site visit costs.

Grant Amount

$42,000

Term

12 month

2023

Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana 2023

Little Shell Tribe Food Security & Food Sovereignty

The Little Shell Tribe will begin building a sustainable food system by implementing a program to provide healthy foods to members who experience food insecurity and have limited access to healthy foods. Funding will be used to hire a project coordinator to develop processes, procedures, and policies for the program while defining a sustainable strategy. The tribe currently has a storage facility and distribution center, and the coordinator will arrange food acquisition, delivery, and distribution. Partners include the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Great Falls Community Food Bank, USDA, Clause Law PLLC, the Little Shell Elder's Committee, Silver Wolf Enterprises, and other Little Shell Tribal Health programs. 

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2023

Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health 2023

MCUIH Workforce Pipeline Program

This one year planning grant to the Native American Development Corporation will support the Montana Consortium of Urban Indian Health (MCUIH) to assess and begin to design a workforce pipeline to meet the staffing needs of the urban Indian health centers of Montana. The overall goal of MCUIH's Urban Indian Organization (UIO) Workforce Pipeline Program is to build a comprehensive approach to recruiting, training, and retaining talent, with a focus on developing skills and competencies that align with the UIOs business objectives. The program will assess the current and future workforce needs of each UIO, effective ways to recruit and attract talent, provide training and development opportunities, and focus on retaining and engaging talent. The ultimate goal is to build a robust health care workforce for each UIO that meets their individual and group needs and helps ensure that each UIO remains competitive and successful in the years ahead. Funds will be used to support MCUIH staff time and small portion for contractor to support workforce assessment for each urban program.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

Montana Homeownership Network 2023

Montana Native Homeownership Coalition and Montana Housing Conference

The Montana Native Homeownership Coalition will host its third in-person gathering in conjunction with the annual Montana Housing Conference. The coalition has 178 members and includes representation from seven tribes. Attending the conference will allow coalition members to connect with and learn from other housing stakeholders. The coalition gathering will be an opportunity for all members to build relationships with their peers, receive updates on projects in progress, learn about future work, and become more engaged. Grant funds will support travel and registration fees for 25 coalition members representing tribes and Native organizations.

Grant Amount

$29,250

Term

12 month

2023

People’s Partners for Community Development 2023

The People’s Garden – Empowering the Northern Cheyenne Community Through Sustainable Agriculture

People’s Partners for Community Development (PPCD) is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) serving the Northern Cheyenne reservation. PPCD provides a suite of financial services to serve reservation residents and run a mobile meat processing facility and grocery store. The People’s Garden aims to promote sustainable and healthy living among the members of the community by educating them on the resources for healthful eating that are available on their land and how to utilize these resources to improve their overall well-being. The project will establish a community garden in each of the five districts on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Through this effort, members of the community will learn and practice sustainable agriculture techniques. The goal is to provide access to fresh, locally grown produce for the community while promoting healthy eating habits and reducing the reliance on imported food items. PPCD will use this opportunity to expand fresh produce availability at Warrior Grocery and establish a farmer's market where the community can sell their produce, including any excess from the garden. The project is expected to be self-sustaining in the long run, with the revenue generated from the farmer's market and grocery store going towards maintaining the gardens and educating the community for generations to come. MHCF funds will be used to create a comprehensive program that develops garden space, provides access to healthy foods, and educates people about the importance of growing and consuming nutritional foods. PPCD will hire a Project Director and a Community Food Resource Coordinator to conduct the proposed activities. Project partners include the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and a local food pantry.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

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 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

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

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

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

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

NACDC Financial Services Inc. 2022

Four Bands Workforce & Professional Development

NACDC Financial Services, a community development financial institution (CDFI) located in Browning, will create the infrastructure to incubate businesses and train community members as part of the Mountain|Plains Native CDFI Coalition’s Native finance industry project. This project will address the health consequences of poverty, unemployment, and lack of economic opportunity by placing candidates in quality jobs in the region's Native economies. NACDC will design and implement a skills development program for Native CDFI staff, including a regional recruitment strategy and workforce training program, and will leverage partnerships to explore workforce wrap-around services. Funding will be used as sub-award grants to the other Montana-based Native CDFIs to pilot workforce and professional development innovation.

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

36 month

2022

Northern Cheyenne Tribal Housing Authority 2022

Northern Cheyenne Healthy Housing Needs Assessment

The Northern Cheyenne Tribal Housing Authority will conduct an in-depth housing needs assessment for the Northern Cheyenne Nation. The assessment will focus on housing needs and incorporate health, education, employment, economic development, and social services related to housing. Funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Native American Program Training and Technical Assistance will support a consultant to conduct the assessment. Montana Healthcare Foundation funding will support the direct expenses incurred through local data collection activities, including field staff labor, equipment, mileage, and respondent incentives. Project partners include Northern Cheyenne Tribal Health, the Tribal Board of Health, and the Tribal Health Improvement Program.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2022

Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation 2022

Crow Nation Innovation Center

The Crow Nation Innovation Center will develop a facility to support community development for the Crow Reservation and surrounding area. Through this project, a signature space in the Crow community will be created to spur innovation and entrepreneurial development as well as local income and jobs. This grant will serve as a match for federal funding secured from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). Partners include The Steele Reese Foundation, First Interstate Bank Foundation, and the Northwest Area Foundation.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2022

Arlee Community Development Corporation 2021

Pivoting from Emergency Food Response to Food Sovereignty (FSC) Programming with Healthy Local Foods

The Arlee Community Development Corporation (CDC) sought to establish a walk-in, choice-based food pantry and resource center that provides access to more local nutritious food and food education to communities in the Jocko Valley. By collaborating with a range of partners, including Confederated Salish and Kootenai (CSKT) Tribal Health, CSKT Food Sovereignty Initiative, Mission Mountain Food Enterprise, and Montana Growers Cooperative, Arlee CDC was able to serve more hard-to-reach populations with a variety of food options, services, and educational programs. Patrons of the food pantry were educated about SNAP benefits and received assistance with SNAP applications. Arlee CDC accessed food from local growers and producers, provided meal kits to families, offered cooking and food preservation classes, educated about ancestral food preparation, and provided garden boxes to encourage families to grow their own food. Arlee CDC received a $15,000 grant from Hopa Mountain, got access to $15,000 - $20,000 in federal Emergency Food Assistance Program funding, and obtained other in-kind and financial donations from partners.

Grant Amount

$60,000

Term

12 month

2021

Center Pole 2021

Increasing Capacity and Food Quality to Create a Healthy Culturally Based Reservation Food System

Center Pole is a 23-year-old grassroots, Native-led organization on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana. Its food security project aims to improve its capacity to procure, produce, store, and distribute healthy foods to people on the reservation and in the surrounding areas. Despite the challenges of decreased food supplies and higher food prices, Center Pole achieved several of its objectives. It completed improvements to its warehouse, expanded its mostly indigenous food network, received a wide variety of local food donations, and trained 42 community food interns in food safety, distribution, and preparation. Center Pole is working with community elders to learn about the edible wild plants in the area and how they can be used by local populations. It is also focusing on requesting healthier foods from its sources, including the Montana Food Bank Network.

Grant Amount

$60,000

Term

12 month

2021

Chippewa Cree Tribe 2021

Rocky Boy Food Sovereignty Project

Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation is in the remote Bear Paws mountains of North Central Montana. The remote location has contributed to a food desert on the Reservation, with the nearest grocery store selling fresh foods over 30 miles away. The Chippewa-Cree Tribe's Rocky Boy Food Sovereignty Project will develop a food chain of healthy products grown and produced on the Reservation. The project will help plant gardens, develop and market new value-added food products such as flour and pasta, and establish food handling laws. Locally grown and raised food products will be branded and made available to the community. Funding will help the purchase tools to support the food packaging and support a project coordinator who will develop and implement the program and build toward financial sustainability. Partners include the Stone Child College, the Rocky Boy Diabetes Program, Rocky Boy Public Schools, and the Chippewa Cree Agriculture and Sustainability Program team, which will serve as a board oversight for the project.

Grant Amount

$60,000

Term

12 month

2021

Day Eagle Hope Project 2021

Aaniiih/Nakoda Food Sovereignty on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

The Day Eagle Hope Project, a Native nonprofit on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation that addresses health and wellness issues, used this grant to provide fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein to all four communities on the reservation and to demonstrate healthy living and cooking for every home. Partners included the Fort Belknap Tribe, Fort Belknap Public Health, Indian Health Service, and Aaniiih Nakoda College. The project identified American Indian farmers and ranchers from Fort Belknap and the Chippewa Cree Tribe to supply high-quality, ranch-raised beef—including Bear Paw Livestock Yards and Bear Paw Meats—and oversaw every stage of the process, from production to processing to distribution. The Fort Belknap Tribe donated eight buffalo for meat distribution on a yearly basis, and the Peoples Partners for Economic Development provided a mobile processing unit to come on site for the kill. The project partnered with the Turner Hutterite Colony to supply locally grown vegetables and sponsored a youth event where young people received education on healthy living and a large bag of fresh produce. This project will be sustained through tribal support, local support, and possibly USDA funding.

Grant Amount

$60,000

Term

12 month

2021

FAST Blackfeet 2021

Sustaining Food Security with MNT Service Delivery

FAST Blackfeet used this grant to develop a sustainable method of funding for its Food Pharmacy Program (FPP), which provides medical nutrition therapy (MNT), group nutrition classes, fruit and vegetable vouchers, and specialized food pantry food boxes to participants who are referred by their health care provider for a nutrition-related chronic disease or food insecurity. The goal was to establish a method of third-party billing so FAST Blackfeet could receive reimbursement for its MNT services. FAST Blackfeet hired consultants to provide technical assistance to help create the new billing system and coordinate the effort with the Blackfeet Tribe, Blackfeet Tribal Health, Blackfeet THIP, and Montana Medicaid. The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council signed a contract, to be administered by Blackfeet Tribal Health, that allows the FAST registered dietitian to provide MNT to patients at the Southern Piegan Health Center (SPHC). Services will be billed at the tribe’s all-inclusive Medicaid reimbursement rate, and the revenue generated will be shared between SPHC, Centralized Billing, and FAST Blackfeet (15/5/80). Because MNT visits for adults 21 and older are not covered by Medicaid, the consultants submitted a proposal to Montana Medicaid to expand coverage to that age group. Medicaid has requested time to review the proposal before making a decision. The consultants also helped create systems for evaluating the FPP. While FAST Blackfeet has not yet seen any revenue from this project, the systems are in place to generate revenue. Additionally, as the community becomes more familiar with MNT services, there will be more opportunities for revenue through Medicaid billing.

Grant Amount

$19,250

Term

12 month

2021

FAST Blackfeet 2021

Working Toward a Healthy, Food Secure Blackfeet Nation

FAST (Food Access and Sustainability Team) Blackfeet used this grant to reduce food insecurity, increase food access, and improve nutrition intake and knowledge in the Blackfeet Nation. Due to the pandemic, the FAST Blackfeet O’yo’p’ Food Pantry saw a 3.6-fold increase in its participant numbers, requiring it to expand its operations to meet the demand. With the help of this grant, FAST Blackfeet was able to continue distributing food five days a week year-round, both in the food pantry in Browning and through its O’yo’p’ on Wheels Mobile Food Pantry, which serves eight outlying communities located within reservation boundaries. Under the direction of its new executive director, visitors to the pantry are now able to choose, handle, and load their own food, which has resulted in greater satisfaction among participants. FAST Blackfeet has strengthened its partnerships, including with the Montana Food Bank Network, which provides food, helps procure equipment, and assists in obtaining small and large grants. The Montana Food Bank Network helped FAST Blackfeet conduct its annual survey, which led to modifications in the pantry’s food offerings, delivery logistics, and public communications. FAST Blackfeet was able to resume its in-person nutrition workshops and dietician services, which are well-regarded within the community and help empower participants to make healthy food choices.

Grant Amount

$60,000

Term

12 month

2021

Fort Peck Tribes - Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center 2021

Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center Behavioral Health Capacity Building Project

Spotted Bull Resource Recovery Center (SBRRC) is the primary addiction treatment service provider in Fort Peck, offering chemical dependency services and inpatient treatment to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and surrounding community. With this grant, SBRRC will add mental health services to the care it offers people with substance use disorders. To accomplish this, SBRRC will provide training to its staff to help them develop the necessary clinical competencies, contract with a mental health provider for therapeutic services, implement culturally relevant healing practices, and develop a third-party billing system. Funding will support the contract with a mental health consultant and behavioral health telehealth providers. It will also support the project's evaluation and travel for site visits. The project will be completed through established partnerships with the Indian Health Service, Volunteers of America, and Our Home, Inc.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2021

Heart Butte Schools 2021

Feather Woman Healing Lodge Business Plan

Heart Butte Public Schools, located on the Blackfeet Reservation, hired RJS & Associates to develop a business plan for creating the Feather Woman Healing Lodge, a new facility that would serve students who are homeless or experiencing a mental health crisis. The school district has already purchased two modular homes that will be able to shelter up to 12 students—six girls and six boys—at a time. Through this project, RJS completed a business plan that outlines staffing needs, operation and maintenance costs, insurance costs, risk management, potential funding sources, and other operational infrastructure needed for the facility, as well as the next steps required to advance the project. The project was delayed due to difficulties in securing a partnership with Blackfeet Tribal Health programs (which have been impacted by COVID and leadership changes), but Heart Butte Public Schools is actively developing that partnership.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2021

Helena Indian Alliance 2021

New Clinic Addition/Design

Helena Indian Alliance (HIA), an urban Indian health center based in Helena and serving the surrounding counties, used this grant to support the redesign of its clinic so it could expand and improve its integrated physical, behavioral, and dental health care services. HIA contracted with SMA Architecture to complete the design phase of the project, which included the creation of a schematic design; structural, civil, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and architectural scopes; project specifications; and construction and bid documents. This project builds on two prior grants that involved developing a master plan and a structural assessment of the current building. With the plans and design in place, HIA was able to secure funds for the construction costs, estimated at roughly $1.1 million; receive approval from the Billings Area Indian Health Services to move forward; and select a contractor.

Grant Amount

$85,750

Term

24 month

2021

Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana 2021

Strategic Planning for Little Shell Tribal Departments

The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is the newly federally recognized Tribe of the Ojibwe people. Its service area includes Cascade, Blaine, Hill, and Glacier counties. This strategic planning project will help the Tribe begin developing a high-quality, effective health system by supporting the Tribe to create a mission and vision to meet the needs of its people and by providing expert technical assistance on health system design, infrastructure development, and operations. The Little Shell Tribe will model its new health system on Alaska Southcentral Foundation's award-winning NUKA System of Care. Funding will support a contract with the Southcentral Foundation to provide technical assistance and training throughout the planning process and the early stages of implementation. The project will be completed through close collaboration among the Little Shell Tribal Council, Tribal staff, and community members.

Grant Amount

$196,542

Term

24 month

2021

Messengers for Health 2021

Indigenous Evaluation and Dissemination of the Báa Nnilah Project

Messengers for Health works to improve the health of people living on the Crow Indian Reservation and outlying areas through community-based projects designed to empower communities to address their unique health issues. For this project, Messengers for Health will partner with two Tribal nations to adapt, implement, and evaluate a chronic disease self-management program – “Báa nnilah” – the grantee developed on the Crow reservation program. The evaluation will help the grantee and tribal partners adapt Báa nnilah for the specific needs of these Tribes, and it will help establish Báa nnilah as an evidence-based program, making it potentially reimbursable through the Tribal Health Improvement Program and providing sustainability for the project over the long term. Partners include Crow, Fort Belknap, and Rocky Boy Indian Reservations. Funding will support community members from the three communities to come together and develop the evaluation plan, support the adaptation of program manuals, and implement and evaluate the program in each community.

Grant Amount

$99,695

Term

24 month

2021

Peoples Partners For Community Development 2021

Northern Cheyenne Food Initiatives

People's Partner for Community Development (PPCD) is a Native-led nonprofit serving the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. It helps create a robust reservation economy while maintaining strong connections to the land, traditional values, and cultural history. This project will plan for the development of a small, state-inspected meat processing facility and mobile harvest unit to create a local healthy grass-fed beef food chain reasonably priced for the Northern Cheyenne community. PPCD will hire a consultant to develop a strategic business plan for securing this local food chain. Funding will support the consultant and the initial costs to hire a full-time meat processor. Project partners are HOPA Mountain, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council, local school districts, and local grocers.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2021

Awe Kualawaache Care Center 2020

Infection Control Training

This grant will provide infection control training for the Awe Kualawaache Care Center staff. The Care Center provides long-term care to the Crow Tribe and the surrounding community; its mission is to preserve culture between the elderly and youth. Funding will be used to purchase software to track infections and help the staff member who is leading this work enroll in an infection control certificate program.

Grant Amount

$3,000

Term

12 month

2020

Blackfeet Tribal Health 2020

Blackfeet Tribal Health 638 of the Community Health Education Program

The Blackfeet Tribal Health Department will work to assume management of its Community Health Education Program from the Indian Health Service (IHS) under Public Law 93-638 (this is often called the “638 process.”) This grant will help the health department complete a feasibility study and plan for assuming the Community Health Education Program; funds will help the Tribe hire a contractor to help with the 638 process. Adding the Community Health Education Program into the health department will help it achieve accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board and coordinate a more robust portfolio of community health-related activities.

Grant Amount

$19,877

Term

12 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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort Belknap Tribes 2019

Fort Belknap Indian Community Dialysis Center Feasibility Study and Business Plan

The Fort Belknap Indian Community used this grant to complete a feasibility study and a business plan for the creation of a dialysis center located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The ultimate goal is to help tribal citizens get the essential dialysis services they need without having to travel long distances. The project completed a feasibility study that included research, documentation, and analysis of the costs and logistics of creating the center. It included research on the number of dialysis patients who reside on the reservation, licensing for Medicare C reimbursement through third-party billing, costs of equipment such as a backup generator, whether Fort Belknap’s current water supply can support the unit, and potential treatment options. The project also involved visiting other dialysis centers in order to compare and contrast the delivery of services, location, target population, management and structural needs, and infrastructure required. The business plan will be presented to leadership for consideration and will help begin the identification of funding opportunities.

Grant Amount

$29,425

Term

12 month

2019

Fort Peck Tribes Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program 2019

The 23rd IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion

The Fort Peck Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program staff participated in the 23rd UIHPE World Conference on Health Promotion in New Zealand, along with 70 other countries. At the conference, the staff gave a multi-media presentation and learned about indigenous food and fitness initiatives from around the world. When they returned, they shared what they learned with other tribes in Montana, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The staff who attended the conference are also continuing to use what they learned to inform the Healthy Foods Healthy Living Family Program (established as part of Fort Peck’s T-HIP program). This program is working to improve childhood nutrition and fitness and counter the community’s food deserts.

Grant Amount

$15,500

Term

12 month

2019

Helena Indian Alliance 2019

Integrated Behavioral Health for Urban Indian Center

The Helena Indian Alliance, an urban Indian health center, used this grant to implement integrated behavioral health (IBH) in its primary care clinic and behavioral health department. Grant funds were used for training, implementation of the project, staff salaries, and consultant fees. Staff were trained to deliver screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for substance use disorders, and mental health protocols were implemented to ensure all patients were screened consistently. The project has helped Helena Indian Alliance provide whole-person care to patients and decrease the number of referrals to specialty behavioral health services. Helena Indian Alliance developed a registry to make progress in using data to track the health improvements of its patients. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted how services were provided and limited the health center’s ability to provide warm handoffs to behavioral health providers. However, all staff are now providing services in person, and they expect the warm handoff process to improve. Helena Indian Alliance leadership is committed to sustaining the IBH model of care within the clinic, and the health center has continued to expand its services over the course of the project.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Messengers for Health 2019

Sustaining the Báa Nnilah Program for Improved Holistic Health For Apsáalooke People

Messengers for Health’s Báa nnilah program serves members of the Crow community who are living with chronic health concerns, using a cultural approach to provide health information and link people to health services. The goal of this capacity-building project was to explore ways to make the program more sustainable, including billing insurance companies and Medicaid for the services already being provided. After receiving approval and support from the Crow Legislative Branch, and with the help of consultants, volunteers, and staff, Messengers for Health was able to build capacity for the implementation of the Tribal Health Improvement Program (T-HIP). The organization established relationships with T-HIP staff working on six other reservations in Montana in order to gain insight, tools, resources, structure, and methods to effectively operate the program. It also enhanced its relationships with current partners, including Bighorn Valley Community Health Center, Montana Office of Rural Health, Montana Area Health Education Center, Montana State University-Bozeman, Crow Tribal Health, Little Big Horn College, and Crow Indian Health Service. While problems related to the pandemic prevented Messengers for Health from fully implementing the program, it will continue to pursue T-HIP implementation going forward.

Grant Amount

$14,857

Term

12 month

2019

Montana Generational Justice Foundation 2019

Estate Planning to Prevent Health Care Exploitation and Fraud

The Montana Generational Justice Foundation partnered with hospitals and health care organizations across the state to provide legal services to patients. The services they offered patients included estate planning, health care power of attorney, and advanced directives. The grant’s advisory committee (with representatives from the Montana Hospital Association, Helena College Nursing Program, Veterans Affairs, the National Guard, medical providers, and lawyers) created an advanced directive document for statewide use. The advanced directive document will be available on the MSU Extension Services website. As part of this project, the Montana Generational Justice Foundation also created an initial sustainability plan to offer legal services at health care clinics across the state using a set fee covered by the health organization.

Grant Amount

$30,000

Term

12 month

2019

Mountain Shadow Association 2019

Kaala’s Village Development Project

Mountain Shadow Association (MSA), a Native-led nonprofit organization on the Crow Indian Reservation, originally intended to move a family healing center called Kaala’s Village from the proposal phase to the development phase. Working with consultants, it considered using a permanent supportive housing model but realized it would not fit with the identified community needs. So MSA and a group of community leaders decided to shift their focus to the creation of a youth mental health support center that would address the sexual abuse and violence that has affected youth in the community. The center was named Anii Watchiileesh Koo Waagoalic (asking good things for you) and was designed to be attuned to tribal culture, use the clan system, and be responsive to the crises youth are facing in their homes. MSA worked with the courts to develop an MOU to divert juvenile cases to restorative circles of support, where they can talk about their experiences and heal the harms done in a safe and supported place. MSA received a contract from DPHHS to create a crisis drop-in center that is staffed with peer support specialists and also has a contract with Frontier Psychiatry to provide crisis counseling. MSA believes this is a stepping stone toward the larger vision of Kaala’s Village, and the project’s advisory board continues to work towards this goal.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2019

Northern Cheyenne Tribal Board of Health 2019

T-HIP Planning and Implementation

This project helped the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Board of Health (NCTBH) plan for and implement Tier 1 of the Medicaid Tribal Health Improvement Program (T-HIP). T-HIP implementation coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which substantially impacted the project. The life expectancy for the people of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation is approximately 57 years for men and 61 years for women, nearly 20 years shorter than that of Caucasian Montanans. The overall goal of this project was to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases among this population and strengthen community action for improving the reservation’s overall health. Funds were used to hire a T-HIP director to oversee and implement Tier 1 over six months, as well as a medical director, but the medical director was not able to attend on site due to the pandemic. Funding also went towards the purchase of Daphne software, which is used to manage clients, document encounters, create care/action plans, schedule appointments, conduct assessments and surveys, and generate required T-HIP reports. One significant accomplishment was the hiring of four drivers to provide crucial transportation services for patients needing to get to the hospital in Billings. The project helped the Tribe conduct COVID-19 community surveillance testing that included 500 T-HIP clients. The T-HIP program is self-sustaining from Medicaid reimbursements, which will allow the program to continue building out Tier 1 implementation and to expand to Tier 2 and Tier 3 over the next couple of years.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2019

Northern Cheyenne Tribal Board of Health 2019

Northern Cheyenne Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Development

The Northern Cheyenne Tribal Board of Health will develop a strategic plan to create a drug court component to the Northern Cheyenne Recovery Center. Many tribal communities have used the Tribal Healing to Wellness Court successfully. Developing this model will help solidify partnerships with the between the tribal health and judicial systems and enable the Tribe to develop an intensive case management approach for clients, implement team “wrap around” meetings, and provide family therapy and peer support. Funding will be used for staff training, and development of a strategic and state compliance plan.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2019

Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council 2019

Supporting the RMTLC Health Sub-Committee with a Health Policy Analyst / Indian Health Care Advisor

This grant helped the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leader's Council (RMTLC) re-establish a health sub-committee composed of representatives from each Tribe and an Urban Indian Health Center representative. The sub-committee meets quarterly to provide tribes and key partners a forum to discuss health policy directly impacting tribal members and to make recommendations to the RMTLC regarding Indian Health Services and other health services, including Montana Medicaid, the Tribal Health Improvement Program, and other medical services accessed by tribal members. The sub-committee chairperson will bring the sub-committee’s recommendations to the quarterly RMTLC board of directors meeting for action. Funding was used to hire a health policy analyst to provide support, leadership, and guidance to the sub-committee. Responsibilities of the analyst include coordinating quarterly meetings, communicating with committee members, providing expert policy analysis, and developing policy papers and recommendations. The analyst also serves as a liaison to the American Indian Health Leaders group, facilitating collaboration and coordination between RMTLC and the Tribal and urban Indian health center directors. 

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

36 months

2019

Salish Kootenai College 2019

Four-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree to Increase Native American Nurses in Montana

This project will develop a four-year Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) at Salish Kootenai College (SKC). SKC’s mission is to provide quality education for Native American students so they can improve the lives of their families and the communities in which they live. The Indian Health Service (which only hires only BSN graduates), has hospitals and clinics on every reservation in Montana which means that BSN graduates will have a much better chance of finding employment opportunities in their own communities. Funding will be used to fund the staff time needed for development and implementation of the BSN program. The goal of this project is to graduate BSN students, particularly Native Americans, who can return to their home communities and reservations to decrease health disparities through the provision of culturally congruent care.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

University of Montana 2019

Improving Access, Training, and Recruitment for American Indian Healthcare

The University of Montana used this grant to improve health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs) in Montana by increasing cultural awareness among medical residents and health profession students at the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana and the University of Montana. The project created and piloted resident clinical rotation experiences with Tribal Health of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and now consistently offers them to residents. The rotation includes working with and learning from other health care professionals in areas such as physical therapy, pharmacy, and social work. The project also developed and incorporated a cultural humility curriculum as part of its didactic training for all residents, and it is providing a Community and Culture Retreat each year for all residents, faculty, and staff, incorporating sessions on identity, diversity, values, and cultures of individuals and groups. A REACH (residency equity, anti-racism, and cultural humility) committee consisting of residents, faculty, and representation from Tribal Health was created to develop and refine the cultural humility training and curriculum to encourage interest among residents in working with tribal populations. This grant helped the project secure a Primary Care Training and Enhancement/Rural Training in Primary Care grant of $2.5 million over five years from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Grant Amount

$97,359

Term

24 month

2019