Butte SPIRIT Center 2021

Butte SPIRIT Home, Scaling up Staffing to Support SUD Recovery Home Sustainability

The Butte Spirit Center Substance Use Disorder Recovery Home is a candidate for state approval as a substance use disorder (SUD) treatment center, providing residential treatment and transitional housing (American Society of Addiction Medicine Level 3.1 care) for seven adult men in recovery. Its executive director is a certified peer support specialist. The organization will need to hire personnel to meet staffing requirements for the level of service they seek to provide because Montana Medicaid proposed changes in staffing requirements that will take effect in January 2022. This implementation grant will support the salary and benefits of a clinical director and residence manager. These positions will be covered by Medicaid revenue once the grantee can bill for services beginning June 2022. The grantee has strong relationships with referring providers and other community partners like Southwest Montana Community Health Center, St. James Healthcare, Montana Chemical Dependency Center, the SMART program through Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services, Inc., and Montana Peer Network.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2021

Jefferson Valley EMS & Rescue 2021

Jefferson Valley Community Integrated Health Launch

Jefferson Valley EMS & Rescue (JVEMSR) will begin offering community integrated health (CIH) services – often also referred to as "community paramedicine" – for residents of the Jefferson Valley. CIH can fill the health care gaps in care between hospital and emergency visits, home health, and hospice care. Jefferson Valley CIH will provide scheduled health care in people's homes, community gathering areas, walk-in hours in Whitehall, and at events such as mobile vaccine clinics. It will also be available to provide transportation to and from medical appointments and hospital stays. JVEMSR will create a steering committee for the project and will partner with multiple care providers in their area, including Saint James Healthcare, Whitehall Medical Clinic, and Mercury Street Medical Clinic for referrals. Funding will support the project director and CIH care technicians.

Grant Amount

$99,956

Term

24 month

2021

Lincoln County Library Foundation 2021

Troy Library and Opportunity Center Planning Grant

The Lincoln County Library is partnering with the community of Troy to plan a conversion of the Troy Branch of Lincoln County Library into a new Troy Library and Opportunity Center. This Opportunity Center would address community risk factors of substance abuse, human connectivity, poverty, and access to quality mental health care by creating a space that makes healthy, engaging, family-centered programs readily accessible. This grant will support community visioning, develop an operational and sustainability plan addressing capital needs, programmatic funding, and partner roles. Project partners include the Lincoln County, Zero to Five Lincoln County, Communities that Care, Western Montana Mental Health, and the Troy Chamber of Commerce. Additional partners and stakeholders will be engaged throughout the planning process.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2021

Mission West Community Development Partners 2021

Local Food for Local Families: Montana SNAP Food Box Pilot Project

The Local Food for Local Families: Montana SNAP Food Box Pilot Project will provide fresh, high-quality food items from Montana producers and processors to families with low incomes in Western Montana. The Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center (MMFEC) will partner with the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition and its Double SNAP Dollars Network to launch a pilot project that explores the sustainability of a long-term food box program using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Double SNAP Dollars. This incentive allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to double their benefit dollars for fresh fruits and vegetables. The program will provide boxes of local, fresh foods sourced from the Western Montana Growers Cooperative to food access sites in the Mission Valley, Flathead Indian Reservation, and Missoula's American Indian urban population through the All Nations Health Center. Individuals and families will use their SNAP benefits to purchase weekly food boxes, and the Double SNAP Dollars incentive will subsidize the cost. MMFEC will also develop and coordinate a new statewide partnership: Local Food for Local Families. This partnership will provide support and collaboration opportunities for increasing local and healthy food access for all Montanans and Tribal communities. Grant funding will support project coordination, free food boxes for two distribution sites to generate future interest, marketing, outreach, and project evaluation.

Grant Amount

$99,745

Term

24 month

2021

Montana Free Press 2021

Health From More Angles: Intersectional Health Care Reporting and Analysis for Montana Communities

Montana Free Press (MTFP) is a nonprofit news source that provides in-depth reporting on topics that impact the state and local communities. This project will incorporate health coverage into the regular beats of MTFP's full-time and freelance staff – including education, economics and data, social welfare, and the environment – resulting in roughly 20 stories covering eight health topics. Reporters will write in-depth stories on complex health issues that merit statewide attention and identify solutions that may already exist in the community. Like the rest of MTFP's coverage, these stories will be provided free of charge on its website and to its network of partnering local newsrooms and radio stations. This project will inform Montanans of the costly health issues in the state so they can make knowledgeable decisions about their health and the health of their communities.

Grant Amount

$39,870

Term

12 month

2021

Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education 2021

Montana American Indian Post-Baccalaureate Program

The Montana American Indian Post-Baccalaureate Program will provide enrichment, support, and resources for American Indian students planning to enroll in medical school. This planning project will lay the foundation for the program's launch, including establishing curriculum, developing faculty and mentor commitments and relationships with Tribal colleges and communities, and identifying Native student advisors. Funding will support staff to oversee the development of Tribal and academic institutional relationships, faculty recruitment, and curriculum development. This new program is a partnership between the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Montana WWAMI Medical Education Program. Montana WWAMI will administer the statewide program, which will include American Indian students aspiring to medical school anywhere in Montana.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2021

St. James Healthcare Foundation 2021

Emergency Medical Response in Jefferson County: Feasibility Study and Planning

St. James Healthcare will partner with the City of Boulder, Jefferson Valley Ambulance District, and other stakeholders in Jefferson County to address the need for improved access to sustainable, effective emergency medical services in the county. The county is sparsely populated, with fewer than seven people per square mile; residents are older and chronic diseases are prevalent. The project will assess the feasibility of creating a county-wide ambulance district to ensure the delivery of high-quality emergency medical services throughout the county, with a particular emphasis on rural and underserved communities. A steering committee of local stakeholders will work with a consultant to gather, review, and analyze local data. The study will take place over 12 months, resulting in a final report with recommendations for stakeholders on whether to pursue the special district and considerations for improving emergency medical response in Jefferson County.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2021

Youth Dynamics 2021

Becoming an ARC-Informed Agency

As one of Montana's largest children's mental and behavioral health agencies, Youth Dynamics provides family-focused behavioral health treatment in 30 locations throughout the state. Nearly 90% of the youth it works with have experienced severe trauma and have problematic behaviors associated with that trauma. This project will help Youth Dynamics become an Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) Informed Agency to provide more effective interventions for youth that have been traumatized and reduce the number of young people sent to out-of-state facilities. Becoming a trauma-informed agency requires three years of staff training in the ARC model. In addition to helping staff understand how to treat youth experiencing trauma, the ARC model will also help parents and direct-care staff understand and learn interventions for treating secondary trauma. As part of this project, Youth Dynamics will explore partnerships with other organizations going through the ARC training process to collaborate on training and strengthen referral relationships. Grant funding will hire an ARC consultant who will provide assessments, conduct training, and offer team consultations.

Grant Amount

$34,050

Term

24 month

2021

Bitterroot CASA, Inc. 2020

Bitterroot CASA Advocacy Training & Sustaining

Bitterroot Court Appointed Special Advocates (BCASA) will provide well trained and supported advocate volunteers to connect with and speak for the best interests of children under the jurisdiction of 21st District Court. BCASA currently represents 81 children removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect, and the number of children they serve has more than doubled over the past 18 months. BCASA will strengthen its program and partnerships to meet the advocacy and permanency needs of every abused and neglected child in Ravalli County. The funding will provide an increase in the program director hours, increasing the director’s capacity to recruit, train, and manage advocate volunteers. Through the active partnerships with the 21st District Court, Family Social Services, and the National CASA program, they will provide in-service training and support volunteer advocates as they care for children and navigate the complex issues and multiple causes of child maltreatment. Bitterroot CASA will facilitate 12 presentations in 7 communities to recruit at least 20 new advocates. The overall goal of the project is to increase awareness of abuse and neglect to decrease the number of incidences in Ravalli County.

Grant Amount

$55,826

Term

24 month

2020

Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana 2020

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

The University of Montana Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana will develop a “Climate and Health” course for undergraduate students in the Climate Change Studies Program. The project will also offer an online certificate program for students in health profession training programs and develop online training certificates or continuing education opportunities for health care providers already practicing around the state. The project will be implemented in collaboration with existing climate study resources at the University of Montana. Grant funds will be used for project staff salaries, consultants, travel, and supplies. Partnerships include other colleges within the University of Montana, Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, Western Montana AHEC, the Center for American Indian and Rural Health Equity, and the MSU Extension Program. Prospective partners that will be engaged as part of the planning process are also identified. The project’s overarching goal is to create a “Climate and Health” program that is affordable, high-quality, accessible, inclusive, relevant, and useful to the health of Montanans.

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 will map the behavioral health system in Flathead County to identify specific treatment needs. As part of this project, a modified sequential intercept mapping (SIM) process will be used with a multidisciplinary team including experts in mental health, substance use disorders, law enforcement, housing, health, social services, and individuals directly impacted by mental health disorders. Grant funds will be used for project staff salaries and consultant fees for the mapping process. Partnerships for this project include Kalispell Regional Healthcare and the Flathead Community Health Center. Additional partners will also be invited to participate in the mapping process, including Sunburst Mental Health, Western Montana Mental Health, and law enforcement. The project’s overall goal is to map the behavioral health system in Flathead County to identify resources within the community, gaps in services, and the development of a community plan for improvement.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2020

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2020

Kaiser Health News Montana Health News Partnership

This project will supportthe 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 journaliststo 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 andquality 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

24 month

2020

Montana Food Bank Network, Inc. 2020

Hardin Rural Health Food Box Program

The Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) will partner with Big Horn Valley Health Center (based in Hardin, MT) to screen patients for food insecurity and provide food boxes and referrals to other community resources to those in need. Grant funds will be used to purchase food for the food boxes, train the clinic staff, print materials, and support the program coordinator.

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

In 2020, Montana will connect health providers, care coordinators, community service organizations, and other caregivers to a Statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE), which houses and shares (in a secure manner) patient data using a shared infrastructure. This grant will generate $900,000 in additional federal funding for the HIE. This project will also achieve two primary goals. First, it will support whole-person health by enabling the integration of a patient’s physical health information with behavioral health data. Second, it will develop the data interface and processes needed to incorporate Indian Health Service (IHS), tribal, and urban Indian health center (I/T/U) data from the Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) platform, an electronic health record platform used by many I/T/U providers. For this project, the Montana Medical Association Foundation (MMAF) will partner with the Big Sky Care Connect (BSCC), the Montana organization that is building the HIE. They will work collaboratively with key partners to determine successful outreach strategies and HIE technologies that meet privacy and security needs. Outreach will be conducted by project partners (including Rimrock Foundation, Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana, and BSCC) with potential clinical IHS and behavioral health providers and their clinical partners. Outreach will focus on the value of HIE participation, opportunities, return on investment, clinical use cases, and available assistance to address privacy and interoperability challenges. This project will improve interoperability among all providers, including behavioral health and I/T/U providers, through the exchange of health information, and further empower patients, providers, and payers.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana State University - Office of Rural Health 2020

Montana RIDE – Regional Initiatives in Dental Education

The Office of Rural Health and Dental Health Sciences department at Montana State University will implement clinical rotations in rural, underserved, and tribal locations for dental students. The Office of Rural Health will establish a public health-oriented dental education program, create a formal network of training locations, and implement a coordinated plan for training, recruiting, and supporting oral health workers. Grant funds will be used for project staff salaries, travel expenses, and contracting with the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leadership Council’s Epidemiology Center (RMTEC) to serve as a tribal liaison. Partnerships include RMTEC, the University of Washington School of Dentistry, and clinical rotation sites.

Grant Amount

$100,000

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

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

University of Montana Foundation 2020

American Indian Governance and Policy Institute

The University of Montana’s American Indian Governance and Policy Institute (AIGPI) will develop a comprehensive tribal public policy needs assessment. The assessment will inform AIGPI’s tribal policy research and analysis agenda for the next ten years. AIGPI’s mission is to coalesce the research and service resources available within the Montana University System and work with tribes to address core causes of poor socioeconomic conditions and health on Montana reservations. This work will be achieved by enhancing tribal governing structures through tribal-level policy changes to improve government function, strengthening regulatory authority, and supporting self-governance. AIGPI will provide tribal policymakers with a critical service consisting of credible, in-depth research and analysis to further tribal leader’s efforts to strengthen reservation economies and build community and individual health and prosperity. Partners will include Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council and representatives from each Montana Tribe. Grant funds will be used to support the time, effort, travel, and meeting costs for AIGPI’s director to conduct outreach, data collection, data analysis, and convening an advisory committee.

Grant Amount

$99,956

Term

24 month

2020

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

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 Health Partners 2019

Bozeman School-Based Health Center

This project will allow Community Health Partners (CHP) to establish the first school-based health center in Bozeman. As part of this project, CHP will establish a school-based health center at Bozeman High School. The project establishes a new partnership between CHP, Intermountain (behavioral health provider), and the Bozeman School District. The project will use funds to employ a behavioral health provider at the high school and allow key health and school personnel to participate in the project and integrate the project into existing systems. Additional school-based health services will be added as the specific needs are determined throughout the project. The project has targeted up to 200 youth in need of support and includes students in the alternative high school program as part of the service population. Bozeman School District already utilizes a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to address social and emotional needs for youth, which is critical to the project’s success. The school anticipates this program improving health outcomes, attendance, decreasing disciplinary events, and increasing overall school success.

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) will establish the first school-based health center in Belgrade at the Belgrade Middle School and a new partnership with the Belgrade School District. The project will bring a nurse practitioner and a medical assistant from CHP into the school to provide regular, weekly clinic hours in a remodeled classroom space. This opportunity will give students and families access to health care services like vaccinations, sports physicals, concussion management, and other athletic injury follow-ups. Health services, like behavioral health and dental, will be included as specific needs are determined throughout the project. As part of this grant, the school will assess and consider updates to school policies and practices to reduce out-of-school suspensions and truancy and increase student engagement. Funding will be used to employ the new school-based health center staff. The project aims to improve student health outcomes and attendance, decrease disciplinary events, and increase overall school success.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

24 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

Helena Indian Alliance 2019

Integrated Behavioral Health for Urban Indian Center

Helena Indian Alliance will implement integrated behavioral health in their primary care clinic and behavioral health department. As part of this project, they will perform evidence-based screenings for behavioral health disorders in their primary care clinic, train their staff on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for substance use disorders (SBIRT). They will also implement integrated services and make referrals for behavioral health on the same day that a patient presents to the medical clinic. The warm handoff model will be used for primary care as well as behavioral health to ensure treatment for the whole person at each visit. Grant funds will be used for training and implementation of the project, hiring a care coordinator or behavioral health provider for the clinic, providing psychiatric consultation, and developing sustainability. The project’s goal is for the integrated behavioral health model to be a permanent and lasting resource in the clinic and community.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Jefferson County Mental Health Local Advisory Council 2019

Support Our Youth Through Positive Parenting

Through this project, the Jefferson County Mental Health Local Advisory Council will partner with the Jefferson County Health Department to deliver positive parenting classes to the residents of Jefferson County. This project stems from the identification of behavioral health as a top health concern in Jefferson County’s community health assessment. To take an upstream approach to improving behavioral health in the county, the health department and school nurse will use the state health department’s online parenting program, Parenting Montana, and a parenting curriculum known as “positive parenting” to encourage parenting practices that support the healthy child development. Grant funds will be used to purchase training materials and support program staff time to deliver the training and to work with community partners to identify good venues for program delivery. Partners involved in this project include the local advisory committee, county health department, local library, school nurse, elementary school, and Head Start. The overarching goal of this project is to establish healthy parenting practices that will support both parents and children and prevent behavioral health issues

Grant Amount

$11,642

Term

12 month

2019

Missoula County 2019

Missoula Benefits: Exploring Options for Uninsured Residents

The goal of this project was to explore options for providing affordable health insurance to uninsured residents in Missoula County. Missoula County Commissioners, Missoula County Risk and Benefits, and Partnership Health Center worked together to determine the key demographic features of the uninsured in Missoula County; the viability of creating a local health insurance option built on Missoula County’s health insurance plan, and Partnership Health Center’s clinical resources; and the financial and organizational mechanics needed to create a health insurance program for county residents who are not currently insured through their employers or federal programs. The project developed a steering committee composed of leaders from the city, county, and local organizations. The committee reviewed benefit options from other states, learned about the complexities of insurance pools, contracted with a benefits expert to develop options for Missoula, and came to a better understanding of Montana’s insurance regulations. Missoula County analyzed the available data to determine who is in the insurance gap and what the level of need is for benefits support. The county also explored the feasibility of using an insurance product offered by the Montana Health Coop that would allow it to pay the co-pay for people served by Missoula’s two federally qualified health centers (Partnership Health Center and All Nations Health Center).

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2019

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services 2019

Community Integrated Healthcare Emergency Medical Services

This project will help the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) develop a framework to support the statewide implementation of community integrated healthcare (CIH). A part of the project, the DPHHS Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Trauma Systems will select six EMS pilot sites to begin providing CIH services. Each site will train EMS staff to provide an expanded range of services such as wound care, post-hospitalization follow-up, medication set ups, home safety checks, and other services in the home. At the end of the grant term, the pilot projects will be evaluated, and DPHHS will convene a payer group to consider reimbursement for CIH based upon the results. Grant funds will be used primarily for supporting pilot sites to implement CIH in their systems and for program evaluation. As part of the project, partnerships will be developed with regional hospitals, critical access hospitals, Indian Health Services, VA hospitals and clinics, local clinics and providers, and community stakeholders – all of whom are essential for implementing this project successfully. The goal of the program is to reduce unnecessary EMS transports and unwarranted emergency department visits, and to improve health outcomes among medically vulnerable patient populations, meet community health needs where there are current gaps, remove barriers to health, and address disparities also affecting health outcomes.

Grant Amount

$160,000

Term

24 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

Montana Health Research and Education Foundation 2019

Survey of Statewide Emergency Medical System Capacity and Threat in Montana

This grant allowed the Montana Health Research and Education Foundation (MHREF) to conduct a survey and analysis of emergency medical services (EMS) capacity in Montana in order to identify EMS gaps, analyze their impact on hospital services, and recommend solutions for filling those gaps. MHREF worked with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Division of EMS and Trauma to survey and interview 42 hospitals and 61 EMS organizations. A collaborative report between DPHHS, MHREF, and the consulting firm Eleva Group was completed, providing new information on the status of and threats to Montana's EMS system and recommendations for developing a successful and sustainable approach for improvement. Participating organizations are now convening a stakeholder group to implement the recommendations from the analysis.

Grant Amount

$24,000

Term

12 month

2019

Montana Nonprofit Association 2019

Montana 2020 Census Outreach

This project was designed by the Montana Nonprofit Association (MNA) to build awareness of and engagement in Census 2020 in Montana’s 30 hardest to count communities, including the state’s seven American Indian reservations. This was accomplished by creating a strong coalition of partner organizations across the state, which together conducted a wide variety of outreach, coordination, and mobilization activities. MNA also hired a full-time census coordinator to assist with strengthening and facilitating these partnerships. Activities included outreach to both public-sector and private-sector leaders and organizations, advertisements in newspapers, earned media, mailings of postcards and fliers, posts and contests on social media platforms, and phone calls to households. MNA awarded mini-grants to 22 nonprofit organizations to help reach hard-to-count communities, such as Spanish-speaking, LGBTQ+, refugee, and youth populations. The association was also able to secure $120,000 in CARES Act funding to support its efforts that were disrupted by COVID-19, including outreach to rural communities. Tier I hard-to-count counties saw an average self-response increase of 18.33%, and Tier II counties saw an average self-response increase of 12.97%, compared to an increase of 5.38% in all other counties.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2019

Montana State University 2019

Dissemination of Rural Perioperative Surgical Home Model and Local Community Capacity Building

Montanans lack access to evidence-based perioperative surgical services, which include patient/family education, preoperative testing and assessment, care coordination across referral and specialty providers, provider co-management, and recovery coordination. A fully functional Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) currently operates at Bozeman Health. This project will extend PSH functions to nine additional Montana counties. The project addresses critical gaps in Montana’s perioperative care through engagement and collaboration with health partners; extension of PSH services; longitudinal tracking and evaluation of health outcomes for rural, remote and isolated patients; and, dissemination of an evidence-based rural model of PSH and a patient flow algorithm to aid other health entities to prepare patients and families for major surgery fully. Funding will be used for four engagement events located strategically among the nine target counties; longitudinal tracking and assessment of health outcomes by county; dissemination of patient outcome assessments back to the county health officials and practitioners. The health advisory council, lead extension specialist, and local extension agents will facilitate new and strengthen partnerships with community hospitals, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, independent practices, and health workers.

Grant Amount

$54,261

Term

24 month

2019

Montana State University Billings 2019

Planning Healthcare Expansion to Address Healthcare Needs in Eastern Montana

This planning grant was awarded to Montana State University Billings and City College to fund the development of a report that will serve as a roadmap for addressing the health care and nursing shortages in Eastern Montana. The report was developed by a consultant and many regional stakeholders, including Billings Clinic, SCL Health St. Vincent, and Eastern Montana Area Health Education Center (AHEC). It identified the issues that must be addressed, such as expanding and restructuring educational programs, providing internship opportunities, hiring more faculty, and gaining accreditation approval. The report will be utilized to prioritize budgeting, build partnerships, and fundraise to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Plans are currently underway to develop AAS degrees in sonography and medical coding. The partnership model implemented for respiratory therapy with Great Falls College will serve as guidance for future program development. City College's new chancellor will work with stakeholders to review recommendations from the report and incorporate them into the college's course planning.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2019

Montana State University Foundation 2019

Working Together to Respond to Farmers & Ranchers Under Stress in Rural Montana

This project will create the first statewide network focused on stresses that affect farmers and ranchers in Montana. The project will form a Montana Farm/Ranch Stress Prevention Advisory Council comprising of members from the agricultural, health, tribal, veteran, local government, and Montana State University communities. This council will oversee the creation of an online clearinghouse of stress prevention and mitigation resources as well as a variety of radio/television/podcast/webinar educational resources. Funding will be used to convene the Advisory Council as well as to develop and market the online clearinghouse and educational resources throughout Montana. The project’s goals are to open the conversation about the causes and effects of stress, thereby destigmatizing conversation surrounding this topic, and to equip community members with evidence-based resources to assist them in managing their stress. These goals will ultimately lessen the risk of mental illness and suicide among Montana’s farming and ranching communities.

Grant Amount

$32,737

Term

12 month

2019

Montana State University Foundation 2019

Developing an Assessment of Climate Change and Human Health for Montana

This project will establish a collaboration of health and climate science experts to produce Montana’s first assessment of the impacts of climate change on human health. “Assessing Climate Change and Human Health in Montana” (C2H2 for short) will be released in 2020 as an online web resource and a printed document with associated outreach and educational materials and activities. C2H2 will present health-relevant climate information describing recent trends and future projections; explain how climate change affects aspects of human health; and offer practical recommendations to guide local, state, and tribal efforts to anticipate and adapt to climate-related health threats in Montana. The report will receive both public comment and scientific peer review before its release, and professional evaluation after release. The goal is to provide the best-available science and health-related data at a level that is easy to access and understand by communities, medical professionals, and policy makers in Montana. C2H2 will serve as a Special Report to the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment.

Grant Amount

$94,500

Term

24 month

2019

Mountain Shadow Association 2019

Kaala’s Village Development Project

Mountain Shadow Association (MSA) will move a planned family healing center on the Crow reservation (Kaala’s Village) from the feasibility study phase into the development phase. MSA will hire a supportive housing consultant to help them with the development. The project will be informed and guided by a community-based advisory board that will meet monthly to receive updates on the developer’s work plan progress and ensure that the project remains grounded in the values, needs, and vision of the community and remains focused on meeting the immediate integrated health care needs of local families. Grant funds will be used to convene the advisory board and contract with BeauxSimone Consulting to assist MSA and the advisory board in solidifying a development team, finalizing the concept plan, identifying a property management company, and securing additional funding for Kaala’s Village (‘Kaala’ is the Crow word for ‘grandmother’). Partners that are committed to participating in the advisory board include the Apsaalooke Nation Housing Authority, the City of Lodge Grass, Plenty Doors Community Develop Corps, the Casey Family Foundation, Big Horn Valley Health Center, Tribal Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, Tribal IQWA Coordinator, Indian Health Services, Lodge Grass Schools PTO, peer support specialists, USDA Rural Development, and Meadowlark Counseling. The grantee hopes to create a final conceptual model that can support a successful capital campaign and integrate appropriate partners, resulting in the full implementation of Kaala’s Village.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2019

Providence Montana Health Foundation 2019

Medical Legal Partnership at Providence St. Patrick Hospital

Providence St. Patrick Hospital (SPH) partnered with the Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) to launch the state’s first hospital-based medical-legal partnership. The Providence Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) project involved hiring a dedicated MLSA staff attorney to help hospital patients with their civil legal needs. It targeted three key populations that regularly confront civil-legal issues that impede their health: people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, people with mental illness, and older adults who are socially vulnerable. The staff attorney provided both direct service to patients and guidance to medical providers and social workers in legal matters specific to a patient’s case. The attorney also offered training on common civil-legal problems and barriers patients face. Hospital staff referred patients to the attorney for eligibility screening and potential civil legal assistance. Through December 28, 2021, 184 patients were referred to MLSA via the MLP. Additionally, a steady increase in the average number of referrals per month occurred. An average of 5.5 patients were referred per month in the first quarter of the project, and that increased to an average of 13 patients referred per month in the most recent quarter of the project. SPH has commitments from Providence leadership to fund the project in 2022 with community benefit resources and is engaged with the Providence Foundation for continued support.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

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

Smiles Across Montana 2019

Expanding Smiles Across Montana Services

Smiles Across Montana will expand the reach of their mobile dental clinic to serve rural and tribal communities across the state. The program will focus on providing dental hygiene services and oral hygiene education to children and Medicaid recipients. Funds will be used to support networking, planning, and implementing the mobile dental clinic’s services into new facilities and communities. As part of the project, Smiles Across Montana will prioritize developing strong partnerships which will help them increase access to preventative oral health services in rural Montana and make referrals to higher level of dental care as needed. The project’s goal is to bring equitable oral health to all Montanans and to work together with other programs to improve the overall health of Montana’s most vulnerable populations.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation 2019

Lockwood Integrated School-Based Health Center

This project will strengthen Lockwood School’s progressive discipline and restorative practices while also strengthening the local continuum of health and behavioral health care available to students, their families, and the Lockwood community. The project will implement an integrated school-based health clinic at Lockwood Schools; the clinic will be staffed with health professionals from St. Vincent Healthcare and with behavioral health specialists employed by or interning at Lockwood Schools. Services will include screening for behavioral health concerns among primary care patients, providing brief treatment or referral for longer-term care, and aligning behavioral health care with the multi-tiered levels of support for students at Lockwood Schools. Grant funds will be used to provide key staff to the clinic, to include behavioral health specialists and nurse coordinators, and to help project leaders and partners (St. Vincent Healthcare, Lockwood Schools, and Walla Walla University-Billings) refine the clinic implementation plan and train Lockwood Schools staff in how to integrate the clinic’s services into their regular school day operations. The project’s overall goal is to improve the academic outcomes for all students at Lockwood Schools.

Grant Amount

$72,250

Term

24 month

2019

The Montana Racial Equity Project 2019

The Allostatic Load Project

This project will research, identify, and connect black, brown, and indigenous people of color to the critical health resources they need to heal from the effects of acute and chronic racism. Along with identifying resources for individuals seeking care across the state, the project will develop a curriculum to train mental and physical health practitioners in multicultural assessment and treatment of black, brown, and indigenous people of color. The project will convene meetings and focus groups with key partners and potential practitioners. These meetings will be provided to stakeholders who will not only offer services at low-to-no cost for referred clients but also assist with the development of a training plan based on their existing knowledge and needs to treat minority patients adequately. Grant funds will be used for travel costs associated with this project, and part of the salary for a part-time employee to conduct the research and develop a training curriculum. The project’s overall goal is to serve the needs of people of color in Montana better and reduce the rates of prevalent racial health disparities in Montana.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2019

University of Montana 2019

Improving Access, Training, and Recruitment for American Indian Healthcare

The University of Montana will work to improve care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) in Montana by increasing cultural awareness among medical students and improving access to care for specific medical services. Medical residents and health professions students at the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana and the University of Montana will learn cultural humility through the development of a didactic curriculum for both learners and practicing professionals, as well as an immersion clinical experience at the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Tribal Health. The clinical experience will enhance cultural training and allow active recruitment of residents and students to work in AI/AN health care upon graduation. This project will also development models for new services to be provided by resident and faculty physicians at CSKT Tribal Health, beginning with maternal and obstetrical care. New services will help to address current barriers to care experienced by Tribal Health recipients. Grant funds will help develop curricula, provide resources for the creation of new models of care, and improve and expand the clinical training opportunities in AI/AN settings. This will help meet the overall goal of improving care for one of Montana’s largest underserved populations.

Grant Amount

$97,359

Term

24 month

2019

University of Montana 2019

Montana Interprofessional Student Hotspotting

This project will pilot a cross-disciplinary student hotspotting program to work with Partnership Health Center’s Complex Care program. Student hotspotting, an initiative of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, is a team-based, patient-centered approach to serving patients with complex medical and social needs. Led by University of Montana College of Health Professionals and Biomedical Sciences (CHPBS) faculty, the program will create student teams that provide home-based non-clinical interventions to high-utilizing patients in Partnership Health Center’s Complex Care program. Funding will be used for the operational, administrative, and training costs to develop and implement the training program at the University of Montana. Partners include the Montana Geriatric Education Center, Partnership Health Center, the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers and University of Utah Interprofessional Education and Student Hotspotting, who will provide training and technical support for the program. The project’s goal is to improve patient quality of life, integrate medical, behavioral, and social care, and increase utilization of primary care services through home-based, non-clinical interventions that address the social determinants of health.

Grant Amount

$95,967

Term

24 month

2019

University of Montana Foundation 2019

Capacity Building for the University of Montana Public Health Training Institute

The University of Montana (UM) will develop a Public Health Training Institute within the School of Public and Community Health Sciences. Training opportunities will be developed to build the capacity of public health practitioners and the broader health care system. Through a partnership with the Public Health Workforce Development Group, made up of members of the non-profit public health entities and the state health department, nine training topics have been identified as areas of need to build the capacity of Montana’s public health workforce. Through this project, the needs of the broader health care system, including primary care, behavioral health, and tribal and urban Indian health centers, will be identified and five additional trainings will be developed to meet those needs. Trainings will be delivered online for free or, for sustainability purposes, for a nominal fee. Grant funds will be used to cover the cost of program staff to carry out the data gathering and analysis, for consultation with subject matter experts as the training modules are developed, and to cover the costs of travel for meetings and marketing. Through this project, UM will strengthen the partnerships it has developed with the state health department, the non-profit public health entities, and local health departments. New partnerships will be developed with the boarder health care field, including the Montana Hospital Association and Montana Primary Care Association. The project’s goal is to build the capacity of the public health and broader health workforce while simultaneously building the capacity of the School of Public and Community Health Sciences to establish a Public Health Training Institute that will serve as a state-wide resource for health training.

Grant Amount

$96,683

Term

24 month

2019

Western Montana Mental Health Center 2019

Ravalli County Strategic Alliance for Improved Mental Health and Well-Being

Ravalli County will develop a plan for redesigning the behavioral health crisis system to reduce emergency department admission and criminal justice encounters and recidivism. The Western Montana Mental Health Center (WMMHC) will serve as the lead organization, with partners including Sapphire Health, Marcus Daly Hospital, and the Ravalli County Sheriff. The partners have agreed to a formal charter that establishes project goals and each partner’s commitments. The project will begin with an analysis of the existing crisis system and how behavioral health, emergency department, and corrections resources are currently used to respond to people in crisis. Based on this analysis, the grantee will develop a plan for crisis diversion that aims to de-escalate crises and thereby reduce reliance on high-cost emergency care and corrections system resources. MHCF funding will be used to hire a project coordinator to oversee the project.

Grant Amount

$35,000

Term

12 month

2019

Alluvion Health 2018

Health Wealth Service Partnership Pilot Program

This pilot program assessed, tracked, and analyzed the link between mental, physical, and financial health by working to establish a financial planning service for Cascade County Community Health Center clients with large receivables balances. The project made progress with the branding and establishing a workplan for their approach and began to engage patients with financial coaching. There was a delay in the project when the financial consulting partner, Rural Dynamics, was sold to a national firm. However, they did find a new partner: MOFI, a regional community development corporation that has a financial literacy component. As part of the project, four case managers were trained and began working with patients, they are also working with a bank system to establish short-term credit instrument for patients who are participating in the program. The goal of this project was to develop a health care model that included financial health and could definitively prove the impact of financial instability on physical and mental health. While this ambitious goal was not fully realized during the grant, the health center is committed to continuing the project and to tracking its outcomes.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2018

Arlee Community Development Corporation 2018

The Community Dining Project

The Community Dining Project of the Arlee Community Development Corporation (CDC) was designed to increase family health and happiness by providing skills and encouragement to cook and eat healthy meals and develop better family communication and play skills. The project built on the organization's current programming, which includes hosting community dinners; providing nutrition, meal planning, and cooking classes; and developing garden boxes and a community farmers market. The project relied on many community partners to help access food and supplies, distribute food boxes, host community dinners and cooking classes, and other activities, including Arlee Schools, CSKT Tribal Health, Montana No Kid Hungry, HOPA Mountain, and Salish Kootenai College Extension Office. While the project achieved some of its original goals, the COVID-19 pandemic required a significant shift in direction. At the outset of the pandemic, Arlee's existing food pantry became overwhelmed by increased demand and a shortage of volunteers. In response, the Arlee CDC requested and received permission from MHCF to redirect portions of this grant to purchase food for area families. The Arlee CDC and its partners were able to help address the growing food insecurity in the community, and they continue to work together to submit grant applications, expand partnerships, and create programs to further help families in need.

Grant Amount

$51,000

Term

24 month

2018

Blackfeet Tribe 2018

Blackfeet Partnership for Food Sovereignty Strategic Plan

The Blackfeet Agriculture Resource Management Plan (ARMP) completed a comprehensive, five-year food sovereignty strategic plan and began implementation. The project’s long-term goal is to work towards ending food insecurity and many of the problems implicit in disconnecting from traditional food sources. Objectives for the planning process included coordination of food production and delivery systems on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, creation of a Blackfeet food code, and development of measurement tools to track potential health changes due to interventions in the food and health system. As part of this project, the ARMP team began implementing a feasibility study for a Blackfeet Beef/Bison Processing Plant. They also received a five–year, $1 million grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research that will underwrite all the research objectives outlined in the food sovereignty strategic plan. Key partners include the Blackfeet Tribe, community partners, and the MSU Native Land Project.   

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2018

Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County 2018

Joint-Service Behavioral Health Model Pilot for the Lockwood Clubhouse

The Boys and Girls Club of Yellowstone County, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Tumbleweed, and Lockwood Schools partnered to provide behavioral health services to youth attending Boys and Girls Club activities at Lockwood Schools. While a new, valuable partnership was formed among these entities, the goal of providing sustainable behavioral health services to Lockwood youth was not achieved. Though Lockwood school is a school-wide Title 1 school, the number of youths who attended the Boys and Girls Club who were on Medicaid or eligible for Medicaid was significantly lower than anticipated at the start of this project. Additionally, of the youth who had third-party health insurance, the majority had plans that would not cover the type of behavioral health therapy being offered through this project. This resulted in an inability to bill for services which made this model unsustainable. While this project did not yield the desired results, the three organizations remain in contact and are continuing to explore other ways to provide behavioral health services to the youth participating in Boys and Girls Club after-school activities. Staff will continue to engage the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Club as conversations with the Lockwood School District, St. Vincent hospital, and the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch around school-based health services take place.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2018

Friendship House of Christian Service 2018

Transforming South Billings Youth and Families by Addressing Community Counseling Needs

Friendship House expanded its services and began providing behavioral health counseling to young people in low-income neighborhoods in Billings. With technical assistance from Aune Associates, they recruited a student counselor, hired her once she became licensed, and began billing for her services. With the licensed counselor in place, Friendship House was able to invoice insurance providers and began generating income. Because of the success of the project, Friendship House plans to replicate this process and bring on additional counselors to meet the behavioral health needs of their community.

Grant Amount

$40,000

Term

12 month

2018