Butte SPIRIT Center 2023

Scaling up Staffing for Womens’ SUD Recovery Home

The Butte SPIRIT Center provides recovery housing and services to those recovering from substance use disorders. This grant will allow the organization to expand on the success of the Butte SPIRIT Home for Men by opening its second recovery home, the Butte SPIRIT Women’s Home. This will be the first licensed recovery home for women with substance use disorders in the Butte area. Grant funds will offset the new home's initial staffing costs (for a residence manager and Licensed Addictions Counselor) until it obtains state certification and can start billing for services. This project builds on a successful planning grant for the women's home, through which Cascadia Management Group facilitated strategic planning and developed an operating plan and budget for the new home. Local partners include the Montana Chemical Dependency Center, Southwest Montana Community Health Center, Action Inc., Montana’s Peer Network, and representatives from existing women’s facilities.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2023

Gallatin County 2023

Gallatin Regional Day Treatment School

Gallatin County will develop a business plan for a regional day treatment school for youth that require access to behavioral health services throughout the school day. The county will work closely with the Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition youth committee to develop a detailed plan for the implementation and sustainability of a day treatment school. The school will provide educational and health services to students with intensive behavioral health needs. Grant funds will be used to contract with a planning consultant, who will provide research, analysis, facilitation, and planning services. Partners include the Bozeman School District, Madison/Gallatin Special Education Co-op, Belgrade School District, Youth Dynamics, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, AWARE, Community Health Partners, Gallatin County Behavioral Health Coalition, and Intermountain.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

Montana Innocence Project 2023

Exploratory Behavioral Health Collaboration for Reentering Community Members

The Montana Innocence Project (MTIP) works with clients who are released from prison to support a successful return to society. This planning grant will help MTIP develop a sustainable behavioral health support model for people reentering the community following incarceration. The grantee will use an innovative partnership with the University of Montana, through which social work students will engage with 12 clients held in Montana State Prison, Montana Women’s Prison, and CoreCivic correctional facilities and develop personal case plans for reentry. MTIP aims to develop a model that could be replicated by small-budget nonprofit organizations that serve this population, enabling them to provide social and behavioral health resources through shared clinical staff and partnerships with behavioral health training programs. MHCF funds will be used for student stipends, travel costs for client visits, volunteer training, and a portion of MTIP staff time for student supervision and project management. Partners include the University of Montana School of Social Work and College of Business, Welcome Back, and All Nations Health Center.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

University of Montana Foundation 2023

Establishment of the University of Montana Eating Disorder Training Clinic

The Department of Psychology at the University of Montana in Missoula is establishing a multidisciplinary eating disorder training center to increase the number of behavioral health providers in Montana trained to treat eating disorders. This project will improve access to eating disorder care in Montana, including rural regions of the state. The training center will emphasize early intervention with services targeted at pediatric and young adult patients. It will train licensed behavioral health clinicians and student trainees by offering an online training curriculum, weekly session-by-session guidance, multidisciplinary treatment team meetings, group supervision, and ongoing consultation. MHCF funding will support salaries and fringe benefits for faculty who will teach the coursework and Graduate Research Assistants who will assist in recruiting trainee participants, preparing training materials, and delivering training. Primary partners include the UM Clinical Psychology Center, Curry Health Center and Curry Counseling Services, and Providence Women’s Care and Family Wellness.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

Valley Felon-Aid 2023

Peer Support Program

Valley Felon-Aid is a nonprofit in Ravalli County that provides services to ensure a successful reentry to community following incarceration. This project will implement a peer support program, offering returning citizens a new resource to help overcome barriers and stigma post-incarceration. Reintegration services and support systems are lacking for many reentering individuals, leading to high recidivism rates and high community expenses for re-incarceration. Through this grant, peer support specialists will connect clients to Ravalli County community partners for housing, health care, jobs, education, and basic needs. Grant funding will support two peer support specialists, supervision by a Licensed Addiction Counselor as required by the state, and travel expenses for the peer support certification training and visiting pre-releases, prisons, and jails around the state. Project partners include the Western Montana Mental Health Center, Sapphire Community Health Center, Summit Career Center, Accelerate Montana, homelessness service providers, local churches, Ravalli County Courts, Probation and Parole, the Department of Corrections, and the MT Reentry Task Force.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2023

Veterans Navigation Network 2023

Building a Sustainable Future for Montana Veterans

The Veterans Navigation Network (VNN) serves Montana’s Veterans by facilitating the smooth transition from military service to civilian life through one-on-one resource counseling, case management, peer mentorship, and advocacy. This planning grant will help VNN develop a business and sustainability plan to ensure that its services are sustainable as it expands from its office in Billings to support Veterans and their families statewide. VNN will collaborate with veterans, the 80 different service partners it works with, and the communities it currently serves to find viable ways for VNN to maintain and expand its services sustainably. Grant funds will be used to survey partners, organize a focus group, and map a sustainability plan.

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2023

YWCA Missoula 2023

Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse & Targeted Case Management Capacity Building and Revenue Expansion Initiative

YWCA Missoula operates a new facility -- "The Meadowlark" -- that provides housing and supportive services to families and survivors of domestic violence. This grant will support planning to expand services to include mental health, substance use, and case management. By creating a pathway for the shelter services to receive Medicaid reimbursement, the project will create financial sustainability while contributing to a knowledge base that other shelter providers across the state can draw on to expand services for their clients. The project will examine service delivery models of immediate interventions for families in crisis, with long-term programming provided through the establishment of permanent housing. Grant funds will be used to hire a consultant to lead the process of determining the feasibility of offering additional services and a Medicaid reimbursement structure. They will also support an outcomes evaluation by the University of Montana School of Social Work.

Grant Amount

$47,663

Term

12 month

2023

Bitterroot CASA, Inc. 2022

Peer Advocate Model – Train, Pilot, and Transition

The Bitterroot Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will train and utilize seasoned volunteers to support, coach, and supervise new CASA volunteers. Bitterroot CASA, located in the Bitterroot Valley, recruits and trains volunteer advocates to reduce trauma for children and advocate for the child's best interests in court. This project will allow the program to serve more children, support volunteers, and increase the retention of volunteers. The program has strong partnerships in the community and the court system, including the 21st District Court and community volunteers.

Grant Amount

$17,266

Term

12 month

2022

Butte SPIRIT Center 2022

Women’s Substance Use Disorder Recovery Home Planning

With this planning grant, the Butte SPIRIT Center (BSC) will develop a business and operations plan for a residential treatment home for women recovering from substance use in Silver Bow County. BSC provides supportive housing and services to those recovering from substance use disorders. The organization creates an accessible drug and alcohol-free environment, supports fellowship, and builds partnerships among the recovery community. This proposal builds on successful planning and implementation grants for the men's home, which is now fully operational and sustainable. BSC will use grant funds to hire a consultant and work with other women’s residential facilities in the state (including Carol Graham House, Michel’s House/Willow Way, YWCA-WINGS, Florence Crittenton, Rimrock, and Mountain Home) to gather information, produce financial models, and develop an operating plan for the Butte women’s home. Partners include MCDC, Southwest Montana Community Health Center, Action Inc., Montana’s Peer Network, and representatives from existing women’s facilities.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

LiveWell49 2022

Planning for the Financial Sustainability of LiveWell49

LiveWell49 (LW49) is a community coalition that is focused on prevention. It includes key stakeholders in Park County, including Livingston Healthcare, Community Health Partners, Livingston School District, Park County Community Foundation, Park County Health Department, and City and County Commissions. The project will expand LW49's community resilience, mental health promotion, and prevention efforts and develop a long-term sustainability plan. LW49 will utilize the grant funds for a consultant to develop a sustainability plan and administrative support to oversee the project and coordinate partnerships with community agencies.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Center for Inclusive Education, MSUB 2022

Establishing Connections in Eastern and Central Montana: A Planning Grant for the Institute for Neurodiversity and Applied Behavior Analysis

The Montana Center for Inclusive Education (MCIE) at Montana State University Billings will work with partners in Eastern Montana to develop a plan to help rural providers effectively serve children with mental, social, and behavioral differences associated with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, and mental health disorders. Through this grant, MCIE will develop remote training opportunities for providers and establish a pipeline for referrals of young children who would benefit from telehealth applied behavioral analysis therapy. Applied behavioral analysis therapy helps kids with autism learn skills and lessen problematic behaviors like self-harm. Funding will be used for staffing, supplies, and travel.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Human Rights Network 2022

Transgender Community Support and Wellness Project

This planning grant will support the development of a statewide network focused on reducing isolation and increasing resilience through engaging transgender and non-binary people across Montana. The Montana Gender Alliance (MGA) – a fiscally-sponsored organization of the Montana Human Rights Network – provides community support and resources to transgender and nonbinary Montanans, as well as public education and training. MGA will complete a community assessment focused on eliminating barriers to participation for rural community members, such as lack of reliable access to high-speed internet. Funds will support hiring a project coordinator, travel expenses to carry out meetings as part of the community assessment component of the project, and marketing and advertising to promote support groups through social media. Partners include Shodair Children's Hospital, the Montana Primary Care Association, Bridgercare, Montana Legal Services Association, the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Montana Medical Association.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Legal Services Association 2022

Strategic Planning of Additional Hospital-Based Medical-Legal Partnerships

This grant will support the Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) in developing hospital-based medical-legal partnerships that address health-harming legal needs and achieve better health outcomes for low-income patients. MLSA is a nonprofit law firm that empowers low-income people by providing free legal information, advice, and other services. Over the past six years, MLSA has developed innovative, successful medical-legal partnerships that serve a network of federally qualified health centers and Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. Through this grant, MLSA will extend this model to other communities by building a sustainable hospital-based medical-legal partnership structure, identifying interested hospitals, nurturing relationships with those hospitals, building needed data sets, and finalizing memoranda of agreement. Grant funds will primarily be used for staff salaries, consultant fees, and travel. MLSA will identify and develop three primary partnerships with Montana hospitals as part of the project's outreach phase.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Montana Office of Public Instruction 2022

Indigenous Foundations in Systems of Education: Shifting the Academic, Holistic Health, And Behavioral School Supports Provided to Montana’s American Indian Students

The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will work to improve American Indian student academic and wellness outcomes by adjusting its support for academics, holistic health, and behavioral health. OPI serves as the state education authority in Montana and acts as the state-level governmental organization for education. OPI has incorporated Native American knowledge within its Tribal Relations and Resiliency Unit. Through this project, OPI will contract with the Elder and Cultural Wisdom Council to provide training to additional units within the organization. The units include American Indian Student Achievement, Coordinated School Health, and Indian Education for All. Each team will update its strategic plans and implement policies and practices to create necessary changes in the services offered to districts. Grant funds will support the consultant, cover the strategic planning efforts, and travel for meetings.

Grant Amount

$48,430

Term

12 month

2022

Montana State University 2022

Partnering to Provide Equitable Care to Unhoused Individuals Impacted by Opioid Use Disorder

The Montana State University College of Nursing (MSU CON) will use this grant to plan an innovative program to deliver medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders to people living on the streets. Unhoused individuals encounter many barriers to accessing this life-saving treatment. MSU CON will take a three-pronged approach to develop a street-based treatment model. 1) Seek insight and guidance from unhoused individuals with opioid use disorders. 2) Design a coordinated response by partnering with organizations already serving this population. 3) Engage interdisciplinary health profession students in this street-based model of care to build a pipeline of nursing, medical, and behavioral health clinicians capable of implementing the model. Grant funds will be used for staffing, supplies, and participant costs. Project partners include Partnership Health Center, Open Aid Alliance, and All Nations Health Center.

Grant Amount

$23,057

Term

12 month

2022

Mountain Home Montana 2022

Improving Mountain Home’s Continuum of Care for Indigenous Women and Children

With this planning grant, Mountain Home Montana will work with All Nations Health Center and Kauffman & Associates to improve their care continuum and access to services for indigenous women and children. Mountain Home Montana’s mission is to provide a safe home and nurturing community where young mothers discover their strengths and their children thrive. Mountain Home offers shelter for young mothers who need a place to live and a network of support as they create their own safe, stable, and nurturing homes. They aim to increase the percentage of Native women in their residential services from 16% to 30%. Through their justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiative, Mountain Home will work with project partners to review programs and spaces through an Indigenous lens and address identified health inequities. Funds will support completing a quality improvement assessment, creating a new referral coordinator position, and recruiting more Native staff across the organization. In addition to All Nations Health Center, primary partners include Montana Pediatrics and the Missoula City-County Health Department.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2022

Roots Family Collaborative 2022

Postpartum Doula Project

The Postpartum Doula Project, a program of Roots Family Collaborative, will provide free or sliding-scale postpartum doula services in Gallatin and surrounding counties for families in the critical developmental stage following birth. Roots Family Collaborative's mission is to connect all families to the support they need from pregnancy to parenthood. This planning grant will support a year-long process during which the organization will examine and build program staff capacity, identify new and existing strategic partnerships, develop an advisory council, identify and overcome barriers to creating long-term sustainability for the program, and develop a handbook for program implementation.

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2022

St. John's Lutheran Ministries, LLC 2022

St. John’s United Workplace Integrative Behavioral Health Initiative

This project will develop on-site primary care with integrated behavioral health services for residents and employees of St. John’s United (SJU) senior living facilities. SJU is a significant provider of senior living opportunities, with campuses in Billings, Laurel, Red Lodge, and Hamilton. Its services include transitional inpatient rehabilitative care, skilled nursing, memory care, assisted and independent living, permanent supportive housing for older adults, home health, hospice, outpatient rehabilitation, and home and community-based services. The project goals include lower turnover, lower insurance premiums, higher work satisfaction for staff, and fewer hospital admissions and falls. They hope to achieve reduced rates of anxiety and depression and improved quality of life for both employees and residents. SJU’s work plan includes gathering initial health assessment data to develop implementation and service delivery targets. Funds will support the salaries of the team developing the project as well as consultation fees from mental health professionals. SJU will establish a new partnership with South Central Regional Mental Health Center for consulting services and future contracts with mental health providers.

Grant Amount

$24,500

Term

12 month

2022

Trust Montana, Inc. 2022

Engaging Private Sector Building Industry Professionals in Partnerships to Develop Permanently Affordable Homes for Montanans

Trust Montana will implement a replicable model for partnership between community land trusts and private sector building industry professionals as an innovative way to create more affordable housing. Trust Montana is located in Missoula and works to increase the number of permanently affordable homes in the state. This project will accelerate affordable home development by leveraging private developer construction financing, nonprofit grant acquisition expertise, land donations, related charitable tax benefits, and community land trusts' growing public and government support. Funds will support current staff in developing a tool kit and outreach plan and assisting rural communities across the state. Partners include WGM and Blueline Development, Inc.

Grant Amount

$95,604

Term

24 month

2022

Butte SPIRIT Center 2021

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

The Butte Spirit Center, which operates the Butte SPIRIT Home, a transitional housing and addiction recovery home for adult males, used this grant to attain approval as a substance use disorder (SUD) treatment program from the state of Montana. The goal was to enable the home to access Medicaid and other private insurance revenue to sustain its current operational model. The home was successful at getting approval as a Montana Medicaid biller and is licensed to provide care as a clinically managed low-intensity residential service provider (ASAM Level 3.1). In addition to the executive director, the home hired a clinical director, residence manager, and assistant residence manager. Staff retention has been excellent, with staff finding the Butte SPIRIT Home to be a good workplace offering a competitive benefits package. The home has served 26 men overall and has graduated five residents, all of whom remain in contact with the home to ensure their success in recovery. Based on an internal evaluation and feedback from partner organizations, the Butte SPIRIT Home provides a quality sober living environment that is helping people in early recovery to succeed. Working with a third-party biller, the home has attained reimbursement for services through Medicaid. Current reimbursement levels indicate that the Butte SPIRIT Home could be 100% sustained by the billable services that the home is already providing.

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 transform the Library into a new Troy Library and Opportunity Center (TLOC). This grant was used to support the initial visioning and development of the center, which will provide improved access to services and resources for people in rural communities who are struggling with substance abuse, lack of human connectivity, poverty, and mental health issues. The planning team, which grew to 19 community agencies over the course of the grant, utilized a variety of methods to gather community feedback, including surveys, meetings, canvassing, and visioning sessions. Lincoln County Library has begun developing an operations plan, and a standard operating procedures document will be formalized as soon as the building design phase is underway. The partners are also working on a sustainability plan that addresses both capital and program needs, which will be revisited as the building and facilities are further developed. Five of the partner agencies have committed to providing support for the project. Some organizations have already begun offering services in the existing building, which has led to an expansion of community programs and services in Troy that are improving the quality of life for families and expanding healthy opportunities.

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

This grant supported Montana Free Press to report on health care issues impacting Montanans. Reporting covered a range of issues, including youth homelessness, rural emergency care shortages, the impact of climate change on mental health, COVID-19 testing availability at the height of the pandemic, and a range of other topics. In all, the grant supported 54 health-specific stories, which were republished in 109 print news outlets and 51 digital news outlets. Stories were provided to news outlets free of charge. The depth and variety of news organizations republishing the reporting demonstrated the demand for health journalism that informs and educates Montanans on public health issues. The quality of journalism produced was notable: did not go unnoticed and received awards from the Montana Newspaper Association. The health journalism produced through this project helped the Montana Free Press build relationships with and receive funding from other organizations that fund health journalism.

Grant Amount

$39,870

Term

12 month

2021

Montana State University Foundation 2021

Climate Change and Human Health in Montana – The Film

The Montana State University Foundation used this grant to create four short films that address the health issues associated with climate change in Montana. The goal was to bring attention to a recently published report titled: "Climate Change and Human Health in Montana: A special report of the Montana Climate Assessment" (C2H2), which was written by a team of medical providers and climate scientists. The filmmaker worked closely with the project team to define the content, storylines, and messaging of the films. The four films include: “Playing With Fire,” which explores the impacts of wildfire smoke on children; “Seven Generations,” about efforts to protect white bark pine and food security in indigenous communities; “Health Impacts of Climate Change,” which outlines the need for health practitioners to understand the impacts of smoke, heat, and flooding on people’s health; and “A Tough Breed,” about how one rancher and a radio station address depression in uncertain economic and climate-induced times. The project developed an outreach plan and a one-page film discussion guide for each short to help ensure the subject matter and critical findings of the report and the films are broadly distributed among key audiences. The project was able to secure additional funding from other sources, including $10,000 from the Greater Montana Foundation and $15,000 from Montana INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) at Montana State University.

Grant Amount

$10,000

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) is an organization that provides volunteer advocates to support and speak on behalf of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect, both in the community and in the courts. Through this grant, BCASA sought to increase the number of CASA volunteers, improve the advocacy skills of volunteers, implement best practice strategies, and raise community awareness of child abuse and neglect. The BCASA director participated in activities sponsored by the Bitterroot Chamber of Commerce, sharing information about the CASA program and actively recruiting applicants through chamber events. BCASA is also working with the Lady Elks to develop an Advocate Sponsorship Program to support the needs of children, including providing clothing, school supplies, extracurricular activities, and summer camp programs. The project provided professional development training to all current advocates, and BCASA continues to provide monthly team meetings, trainings, and roundtable discussions. While the project experienced challenges due to the pandemic, it successfully swore in 19 new advocates, and all current volunteers remain in service. The director is actively forming key partnerships, increasing their involvement in local organizations, and attending national CASA conferences.

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

Grant Amount

$24,984

Term

12 month

2020

Flathead City-County Health Department 2020

Developing a Plan to Transform the Behavioral Health System through Mapping

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

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2020

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2020

Kaiser Health News Montana Health News Partnership

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

Grant Amount

$600,258

Term

36 month

2020

Montana Food Bank Network, Inc. 2020

Hardin Rural Health Food Box Program

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

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana Free Press 2020

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

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

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana Medical Association Foundation 2020

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

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

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

12 month

2020

Montana State University - Office of Rural Health 2020

Montana RIDE – Regional Initiatives in Dental Education

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

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2020

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

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

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

Butte SPIRIT Center 2019

Transitional Housing for Recovery from Substance Use Disorder

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

Grant Amount

$15,000

Term

12 month

2019

Center Pole 2019

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

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

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

EmpowerMT 2019

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

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

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2019

Families First Learning Lab 2019

Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe Family Education Services

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

Grant Amount

$26,118

Term

12 month

2019

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

Jefferson County Mental Health Local Advisory Council 2019

Support Our Youth Through Positive Parenting

The Jefferson County Mental Health Local Advisory Council (JCMHL) partnered with the Jefferson County Health Department to deliver parenting classes to the residents of Jefferson County, particularly the communities of Boulder, Basin, and Whitehall. This project aimed to address the county's growing behavioral health problem by encouraging good parenting practices that support healthy child development. COVID-19 prevented in-person training, but JCMHL was able to quickly pivot to providing classes via Zoom, which ended up being more convenient for many parents. A total of three six-week courses with 10 adults in each class were conducted. JCMHL utilized the Active Parenting Now curriculum, trained four adults as trainers, and secured equipment that can be used going forward. Each library in the county received parenting materials on various topics, which are available to parents for checkout. The project is sustainable, and JCMHL will continue to provide a minimum of two classes a year with 10 families in each session.

Grant Amount

$11,642

Term

12 month

2019

Missoula Aging Services 2019

Missoula Aging Services Co-Located Resource Specialist

Funding for this project allowed Missoula Aging Services (MAS) to place one of its resource specialists at the Partnership Health Center (PHC) one day a week. The goal was to reach previously unserved low- and moderate-income older adults and help them access services that will allow them to lead healthier lives and live as independently in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. The resource specialist assisted PHC patients and their caregivers with a variety of social support needs that impact social determinants of health, such as transportation, food, and housing. For example, the specialist assisted with screenings for Medicare and Medicaid eligibility and navigating these programs, identified housing and food insecurity needs, provided caregiving consultations and referrals for home modifications to prevent falls and injuries, and made secondary referrals to programs such as heating assistance and tax credits. This has served as a valuable pilot program, with MAS and PHC planning to establish satellite resource centers at other locations throughout the community in order to reach older adults in need of services right in their moment of crisis.

Grant Amount

$10,000

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

Through this grant the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) developed and implemented community-integrated health (CIH) across the state, working with various stakeholders and partner providers. Community Integrated Health (CIH) is an emerging field in healthcare where EMTs and paramedics operate in expanded roles to connect underutilized resources with underserved populations or gaps in care in a community. The DPHHS EMS, Trauma, and Injury Prevention Systems selected six pilot sites to provide CIH services. Each site trained emergency medical services (EMS) staff to provide an expanded range of services, such as wound care, post-hospitalization follow-up, medication setups, and home safety checks. The goal was to reduce unnecessary EMS transports and unwarranted ER visits, improve health outcomes among medically vulnerable populations, fill the gaps in community health needs, remove barriers to health, and address disparities affecting health outcomes. In the program’s first year, CIH providers reported several important outcomes. For example, patients receiving CIH services for post-hospital discharge care were 97% successful in managing their health at home and avoided hospital readmission. In reviewing care plans and reconciling patient medications, community paramedics prevented 26 prescription drug errors. And more than 300 patients were able to receive outpatient lab services in the comfort and safety of their homes. All CIH provider agencies participate in quarterly committee meetings and submit patient care data supporting program assessment and quality improvement efforts. DPHHS is currently assessing options to fund CIH through reimbursement by Medicaid and private insurers.

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