Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital 2020

Implemention of Integrated Behavioral Health

Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital will integrate behavioral health services into its five primary care clinics located throughout the Bitterroot Valley in Ravalli County. The hospital will establish a new partnership with Sapphire Community Health, the local federally qualified health center. With the new partnership, Marcus Daly will expand behavioral health screening, provide immediate access to either a behavioral health provider or telehealth appointment (depending on the location), and ultimately seek to improve health outcomes and reduce emergency department use related to behavioral health crisis. Grant funds will help Sapphire Community Health hire a care coordinator and behavioral health clinician to support patients’ needs. The National Council for Behavioral Health will provide technical assistance.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

24 month

2020

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services - Senior and Long Term Care Division 2020

Interdepartmental Housing Integration Project

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Service (DPHHS) will establish an Interdepartmental Housing Integration Project. The project will align strategies and action plans across disparate state departments, agencies, and local stakeholders to use existing resources more effectively to address homelessness, housing insecurity, and health service integration priorities. The project will create a platform that integrate three separate housing and health care data systems to share information on homeless high-utilizers, which will enable the coordination of services to improve outcomes for those individuals. The state will also evaluate and, if feasible, finalize appropriate Medicaid changes to support health-related tenancy support services. Initial partners include DPHHS; the Department of Commerce, Montana Housing Division and the Community Development Division; the Montana Continuum of Care Coalition; and the Montana Healthcare Foundation's Frequent Users System Engagement grantee communities. Grant funds will cover a full-time staff person dedicated to grant management activities, costs associated with stakeholder planning and meetings, data analytics coordination, and contracted assistance.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2020

Montana Environmental Health Association Foundation 2020

Montana Environmental Health Association Foundation

The Montana Environmental Health Association (MEHA) will produce a study looking at the environmental health specialist (or “sanitarian”) workforce’s current status and future needs, including ways to improve recruitment and retention. MEHA is a nonprofit group of professionals who work to protect public health through monitoring and limiting exposure to health hazards in our everyday environment, including air, water, soil, and food. Grant funds will support a contractor who will work with MEHA to complete this study.

Grant Amount

$10,000

Term

12 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

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 Office of Public Instruction 2020

School Wellness

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) will partner with the Montana Healthcare Foundation (MHCF) to support the implementation of a new initiative focused on school wellness. This initiative will support new partnerships between schools and high-performing health care providers (including federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, tribal health departments, and behavioral health providers) to create school-based health centers. The initiative will target roughly 70 schools with the highest concentration of students most in need of services, as judged by academic and health data (including alternative schools and those with the lowest academic performance). OPI will use grant funding to hire a new staff person dedicated to supporting the initiative. As part of this project, OPI will help enlist school participation and provide trauma-informed care training, coaching, and academic data reporting support. They will also help schools plan and implement participation in their Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for students with behavioral issues, and identify and implement restorative discipline practices. Beyond MHCF and OPI, other partnerships that will be developed include local school districts, clinical service partners, public health, and the School-Based Health Alliance. The project’s overall goal is to improve student health and academic outcomes by providing in-school access to health care services and fostering a supportive school climate.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2020

Montana Public Health Institute 2020

Montana Public Health Institute Start Up

This grant will fund the creation of the Montana Public Health Institute (MPHI). Over the last six years, we have worked with stakeholders around the state to find ways to strengthen Montana’s public health system. Based on this work, we published a 2019 report, “Creating a Vision for a Healthier Montana: Strengthening the Montana Public Health System.” The report identified public health institute functions that are not currently provided by any other public health entity, such as providing “surge capacity” to respond to public health emergencies; supporting small, rural health departments by procuring grants, and assisting with technical assistance and management of funds; and carrying out rigorous, non-partisan analysis of Montana’s public health system and opportunities to strengthen it. The report concluded with a recommendation to design and start a public health institute in Montana. With consultants from Montana (Jane Smilie) and the National Network for Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), we are now supporting the work of the MPHI Design Team comprising stakeholders from Montana’s county, tribal, state, academic, and non-profit public health organizations. The Design Team recently approved a strategic plan for the MPHI and has started work on establishing the organization. The COVID-19 pandemic creates an urgent need for services that a public health institute can provide. An MPHI will aid our state’s response, guide and support the recovery, and analyze lessons from this crisis to assist in building a more effective public health system. DPHHS has requested that MPHI—once formed—assist with administering certain federal grants expected in the next two months that DPHHS does not have the capacity to administer. To achieve an accelerated startup, the Design Team nominated members to serve as a founding board of directors; the board will incorporate the MPHI as a Montana non-profit in late April 2020. The new MPHI will implement the long-term strategic plan developed by the Design Team, and it will play an immediate and critically needed role in COVID-19 response and recovery. Key partners include DPHHS, county and tribal public health departments, Montana’s public health associations, and the Montana University System.

Grant Amount

$1,850,000

Term

60 months

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

Native American Development Corporation 2020

Medication Assisted Treatment Clinic Feasibility Planning

The Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center (BUIHWC), operated by the Native American Development Corporation (NADC), used this planning grant to expand its substance use disorder treatment services to include medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The goal was to provide more comprehensive, collaborative, and coordinated care to address the opioid use crisis in the American Indian community of Billings. BUIHWC conducted research to quantify the need for MOUD; formalized community and regional partnerships with health care providers, law enforcement, workforce development, housing, and other community support services; increased primary care provider training and the ability to prescribe medications associated with MOUD; established a framework for a comprehensive feasibility plan that includes implementation steps, a timeline, an operating budget, sources of revenue, operational and fiscal impacts, and a sustainability plan; and identified and applied for additional funding sources. The project secured an additional $500,000 through the Indian Health Service and is working to leverage third-party reimbursement for services provided through the clinic  .

Grant Amount

$20,000

Term

12 month

2020

One Health 2020

Sacred Families of Big Horn County

The Sacred Families team at Bighorn Valley Health Center will partner with health care providers in the region to reach substance use-exposed, expecting families, providing screening, interventions, services, and referral networks under the Meadowlark Initiative. A coalition of county and tribal health and social service providers will design a community-wide, structured approach, funneling families identified through regular screening to a care coordinator. The care coordinator will travel across the county to connect expecting families with a community-based peer support specialist and a behavioral health care provider, creating a bridge to a new, expanded community of care. Funds will primarily be used for care coordination and peer support salaries and travel and outreach/education. Partners include Indian Health Service Crow Service Unit, Crow Wellness, Crow Recovery, Bighorn County Sheriffs Victims Services, Crow Human Services Legislative Chair, Bighorn Hospital Emergency Department, Safe Care, YWCA of Hardin, Tribal Social Services, Billings Urban Indian Health Center, Crow ICWA Advocate, and Bighorn County Public Health. Together IHS and BVHC will pursue partnerships with Billings Clinic, St. Vincent’s Healthcare, and Riverstone Health Center to create a structured process for providing continuity of care for families as they move between local prenatal care and delivery in Billings. Project goals are to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to families, improve maternal and family outcomes; reduce newborn drug exposure, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and perinatal complications; and keep families together and out of the foster care system.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2020

One Health 2020

Integrated and Sustainable School-Based Health Care in Bighorn County

Bighorn Valley Health Center (BVHC) will begin providing school-based health services in the Hardin High School, Crow Agency Public School, and the Wyola School District. School-based health services – delivered through a combination of in-person and virtual visits – will be available for students, school staff, and the surrounding community. Grant funds will support salaries for project management and partnership liaison staff. The project’s goal is to bring needed health services to rural and frontier communities in the southcentral region of the state.

Grant Amount

$300,000

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

Public Health System Improvement Office, Public Health and Safety Division 2020

Improving Health Through Cross-Sector Collaborations

This project will continue MHCF’s collaboration with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to strengthen local and tribal public health throughout the state. Since 2014, MHCF and DPHHS have worked together by providing small grants and technical support to train boards of health and support community health assessments, health improvement plans, strategic plans, and implementation projects in counties and tribes throughout Montana. This new project will build on that work with four new aims. First, it will reach, engage, and build the capacity of the health departments that the Public Health System Improvement Office has not engaged to date. Second, it will continue providing mini grants and technical support for public health planning and implementation projects, but with a new emphasis on sustainability and business planning. Third, it will support cross-jurisdictional planning processes and the sharing of public health services across counties at the request of local jurisdictions. And, finally, it will improve the engagement of local boards of health and public health governance. The project will also include a new emphasis on developing cross-sector collaborations with hospitals and other partners, which will contribute to more sustainable public health services. The grant funding will be used to provide direct grant money to local and tribal health departments, provide funding for travel for direct technical assistance, and provide funding for travel for the local board of health members and the lead local to the National Association of Local Boards of Health. Also, a portion of the funds, will be used to support Communities that Care, again with a focus on supporting local and tribal health department participation. If needed, part of the budget will be used to hire consultants to work directly on issues such as business planning and cross-jurisdictional services.

Grant Amount

$475,500

Term

24 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

Rimrock Foundation 2020

Rimrock Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT)

Rimrock will implement a new Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team that serves Yellowstone, Musselshell, Big Horn, Carbon, Stillwater, Golden Valley, and Wheatland counties. PACT is the core service of a tiered delivery system that targets people with severe disabling mental illness who require long-term ongoing support that exceeds traditional outpatient services. The goal of the service is to rehabilitate each client to their highest level of functioning. PACT teams are mobile and deliver services in community locations to meet clients where they are. Grant funds will build this new PACT program's capacity through technical assistance by the National Council for Behavioral Health and bridge funding to help offset the cost of hiring and training new staff. Project partners include the Southcentral Montana Mental Health Center, Billings Clinic Behavioral Health Service, and the Montana State Hospital. This project aims to stabilize 196 clients with severe disabling mental illness and reduce admission to inpatient psychiatric hospitals.

Grant Amount

$197,148

Term

12 month

2020

Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council 2020

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

The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council (RMTLC) will hire a full-time health policy analyst to support the RMTLC Health Subcommittee. The new employee will coordinate the subcommittee's quarterly meetings and provide analysis, technical assistance, and training to support the Tribal leaders' health advocacy efforts. Primary partners include the Indian Tribes of Montana and Wyoming and the Urban Indian Health Programs in Montana. Grant funds will supplement the RMTLC's resources to support the position. The goal for this position is to provide internal support so that the RMTLC Health Subcommittee can better support tribal health policy and participate on national advisory committees.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2020

Sapphire Community Health, Inc. 2020

Sapphire’s School Wellnes Project

Sapphire Community Health (SCH) will undergo a planning process to implement school-based health services in three school districts in Ravalli County. The school districts include Victor School (a school designated as “comprehensive”), Stevensville Alternative High School, and Hamilton Alternative School. As part of the planning process, SCH will pursue formalized relationships and collaborate with the school districts. Grant funds cover staff costs related to relationship building and planning the implementation of school-based services. Ultimately, SCH intends to use a newly acquired mobile unit to provide medical and behavioral health services to students in these rural communities and in turn, to improve students’ ability to learn and succeed in school.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2020

Sidney Health Center 2020

Bakken Behavioral Health Integration

Sidney Health Center will join the Meadowlark Initiative to expand its current integrated behavioral health program from the primary care clinic into the OB/GYN clinic. The project will support the implementation of standardized screenings for all patients entering the OB clinic. It will also develop a home-visiting program in collaboration with community entities, create protocols for analysis of data analysis, develop a behavioral health team for same-day consults, and create a stepped-care process for patients. Sidney Health Center will develop stronger partnerships with public health, substance use facilities, mental health facilities, and the organizations in Wolf Point, where a cohort of their patients live. Expanding behavioral health and care coordination services into the OB/GYN clinic will allow for a more streamlined and coordinated effort of care across the Sidney Health Center continuum and throughout the community serving those who suffer from substance use disorders and mental health issues. Grant funds will be used to initially support the integrated health therapist position and the start-up costs for implementing this program, such as a telepsychiatry contract.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2020

St. Luke Community Healthcare Foundation 2020

Wrapped In Hope

This project will create a seamless continuum of care for all pregnant women and their families. Specifically, it will implement team-based, coordinated care for all perinatal patients through each of St. Luke’s four clinics and the hospital. Clinical care pathways for each prenatal patient will be determined based on initial screenings, diagnosis, and recommended treatments. Grant funds will initially support a care navigator position, which will primarily serve as the conduit between primary care providers, behavioral health clinicians, the patient, and psychiatric services. The care navigator will also be the patient’s lifeline to community resources. Through this project, the grantee will actively engage and inform patients about the program, create partnerships with other organizations (tribal and non-tribal), and solicit feedback from consumers. Ultimately the project will improve access to behavioral health services and improve outcomes for women who screen positive for substance use disorder or mental health issues and reduce the instances of out of home placements for their infants.

Grant Amount

$130,000

Term

24 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

University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research 2020

Affordable Housing Study

The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER), in partnership with the Helena Housing Authority, Homeword, NeighborWorks Montana, the Montana Housing Coalition, and others, completed a policy analysis to identify potential solutions to Montana’s affordable housing shortage. The goal was to acquire a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of the affordable housing shortage and create a repository of actionable information for how to approach the issue. The project achieved three outcomes: (1) conducting a survey and cataloging federal and state public finance programs for housing affordability in Montana and comparable states, (2) creating a detailed database of affordable housing units in the state, with information such as type of property, unit attributes, targeted population, geolocation, programs utilized, and age and condition of the structure, and (3) developing an analysis of the demand for and impact of low-income housing in the primary population centers of Helena, Great Falls, Kalispell/Flathead County, Missoula, Billings, Bozeman, and Butte. This analysis supports the Montana Healthcare Foundation’s Housing is Health Care initiative by helping organizations working to create permanent supportive housing in Montana track and identify available housing units.

Grant Amount

$25,000

Term

12 month

2020

All Nations Health Center 2019

Strengthening the Circle: Increased Capacity for Increased Health

All Nations Health Center's Strengthening the Circle project was designed to increase the center's capacity to provide high-quality, integrated health care services to American Indians living in and around Missoula. The project implemented a holistic care model that improves coordination and collaboration within and between care teams. This included allocating staff time to design and execute the model, providing training to clinical and non-clinical support staff, and delivering high-quality technical assistance to support the successful implementation of the model. All staff were trained to use the electronic health record system, case conferencing, and co-location to provide patients with holistic rather than siloed care. Population health data and analysis are used to inform planning efforts. By providing integrated patient care that is reimbursable under Medicaid and Medicare, the health center is on track to increase annual revenue by at least 75%. All Nations' partnership with Greenway Health, a health information technology services company, will provide ongoing resources and support to maintain the progress that has been made and identify future opportunities for improvement.

Grant Amount

$75,000

Term

12 month

2019

Alluvion Health 2019

Crisis Intervention System

The Great Falls Community will redesign the behavioral health crisis system to reduce emergency department admissions and criminal justice encounters and recidivism. Alluvion Health will serve as the “backbone” organization, providing project oversight and partnership coordination. This project will bring together new and existing partners through a formal charter that establishes project goals and expectations and outlines commitments. The primary objectives are to collect data and analyze the existing behavioral health crisis system and resource allocation, research best practices, develop a plan for prevention and intervention strategies, and implement new strategies. The project will use funds to employ a care coordinator to assist with navigating individuals throughout the system, a clinician to assist with clinical oversight and intervention, and a project lead to coordinate partners and activities. Primary partners include leadership from Alluvion Health System, Benefis Health System, Gateway, the Center for Mental Health, Cascade County Sheriff, Great Falls Chief of Police, Cascade County Commissioner, and emergency services. Ultimately, the project will redesign the crisis system by utilizing existing resources differently and by developing a sustainable and robust framework for the future.

Grant Amount

$100,485

Term

24 month

2019

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

Alluvion Health 2019

Partnering for the Health of Our Community

Great Falls Clinic will integrate behavioral health into their two primary care clinics and one specialty clinic, with Alluvion Health providing technical assistance and training. This project establishes a new partnership between Great Falls Clinic and Alluvion Health and leverages each organization’s strengths and resources. Alluvion’s experience with implementing the integrated behavioral health model positions them as a robust technical assistance partner. Funding will be used for Alluvion to hire a care coordinator and a behavioral health clinician and will assist with project oversight by organizational leadership. The project will also support consultation by the National Council for Behavioral Health. Ultimately, the project hopes to establish a sustainable integrated behavioral health model in the Great Falls Clinic and create a new successful partnership that will help improve patient health and reduce costs to the health system.

Grant Amount

$125,000

Term

24 month

2019

Barrett Hospital Foundation 2019

Barrett Hospital & HealthCare Integrated Behavioral Health Collaborative

Barrett Hospital & HealthCare in Dillon will integrate behavioral health services throughout their health care system. They will bring together a multi-disciplinary team to increase access to behavioral health services, decrease emergency and inpatient utilization, improve patient and population outcomes, and support community activities promoting behavioral health. Barrett currently has a single therapist co-located with primary care. This project will support integration of primary care and behavioral health services and implement integrated care in other parts of the system such as the inpatient and emergency room settings. Grant funding will be used to hire a second behavioral health clinician and support the clinical and administrative staff time required to implement team-based care. Partners include the local advisory council for mental health and the local community health center. The project also seeks to contribute to a more robust behavioral health continuum of care in the region.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

Billings Clinic 2019

Montana Integrated SBIRT Training for Healthcare Professionals

This project created a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) training curriculum for residents at the Billings Clinic to enable them to identify and provide effective initial treatment for people with undiagnosed substance use disorders. Residents in the internal medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, nursing, and pharmacy programs, as well as providers who are currently treating patients, receive SBIRT training. Trainers from the Montana Primary Care Association use role-playing exercises in virtual workshops and Grand Rounds, which are weekly professional development and networking events that attract a large local audience and are broadcast on the Eastern Montana Telemedicine Network. Billings Clinic also integrated the SBIRT curriculum into its existing clinical pathways. Billings Clinic will continue to support SBIRT in its various residency programs and integrate it into service lines throughout its system.

Grant Amount

$15,000

Term

12 month

2019

Blackfeet Tribal Health 2019

Addressing Perinatal Behavioral Health on the Blackfeet Reservation

Blackfeet Tribal Health will partner with the Indian Health Service (IHS) Blackfeet Community Hospital to create a community-wide system of care to address substance use and mental illness for pregnant women and their families. Addressing perinatal substance use is a top community health priority for Blackfeet with a high fraction of babies born screening positive for substances. Grant funds will be used to hire a care coordinator and behavioral health specialist to work with the Blackfeet IHS OB Department and the Blackfeet Medication-Assistant Treatment Program to serve all perinatal patients. This project will bring together many of the tribal social service agencies together to collaborate and ensure services are provided to address social issues the families are facing.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Bozeman Health Foundation 2019

Community Crisis Response

Bozeman Health used this grant to develop a coalition to redesign the behavioral health crisis system in Gallatin County. The goals were to reduce emergency department admissions, reduce and deescalate behavioral health-related criminal justice encounters and recidivism, and optimize the mobile response team. With the help of consultants, the coalition mapped the current crisis system, developed a strategic plan, implemented a behavioral health urgent care system, hired a crisis interventionist at the emergency department, redesigned the mobile response team, and implemented crisis telehealth services. Bozeman Health experienced significant turnover in leadership throughout the project, and the mental health center stopped providing several crisis and community-based services. Despite these challenges, the coalition was able to develop a formal charter and strategic plan, complete a comprehensive data analysis, set priorities for implementation, begin implementation of a new mobile crisis team, and coordinate a behavioral health triaging system at the emergency department. Having established a formal charter with key public and private stakeholders, the coalition is well-positioned to continue its work into the future. The coalition is also coordinating local, state, and federal grant efforts. Both Gallatin County and Bozeman Health are contributing $25,000 to support the continuation of the coalition and the coordinator role to ensure sustainability, further implementation of the strategic plan, and the monitoring of impact.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

Bozeman Health Foundation 2019

Perinatal Substance Abuse in Southwest Montana: An Integrated Model

This project will allow Bozeman Health to develop and implement an effective model of care for OB/GYN patients who have behavioral health needs. Through this project, Bozeman Health will integrate behavioral health provides into their current care teams and expand the model of team-based care to partners in the community. Grant funds will be used to add additional behavioral health providers, who will be available for warm hand-offs and same day visits, into existing care teams who care for pregnant women. Partners include Gallatin County Health Department and Roots Family Cooperative who will assist in addressing social needs of women and families. The project’s overall goal is to improve timely access to effective evidenced based care to help serve women and families that are affected by drug and alcohol use or mental health issues during the most crucial time of development.

Grant Amount

$110,000

Term

24 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

Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana 2019

Kalispell Collaborative Housing Initiative

This planning project will assess the Kalispell community’s costs for individuals who are identified as high risk or high need to eventually reduce costs and increase access to services by streamlining community intervention efforts. The project will use a “frequent user system engagement” (FUSE) framework that identifies individuals who are homeless and have complex medical needs and aligns housing, health care, and social service resources to provide permanent supportive housing. The project will incorporate local coalition work and partnerships to create a solid foundation of collaboration and infrastructure. Funding will be used to support local coordination and project management and a technical assistance contract with the Corporation with Supportive Housing. Partnerships include Kalispell Regional Medical Center, social service providers, and county and city officials. The overarching goal of this project is to streamline supportive services and use the collected data as a tool to support the creation of supportive housing for those in need. 

Grant Amount

$40,000

Term

12 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

Community Hospital of Anaconda 2019

Integrating Behavioral Health for ADLC

This project will work to implement integrated behavioral health throughout Anaconda Community Hospital’s (ACH) primary care system in Anaconda and Butte. As a part of this project, ACH will build a strong network of community partners who will work together to reduce the stigma associated with behavioral health and remove barriers for those in need of care. Ultimately, the project’s goal is to improve the health of the community by providing comprehensive primary and behavioral health care by a coordinated team. Grant funding will be used to hire a behavioral health clinician, and training and technical assistance will be provided by the National Council for Behavioral Health. Partners include the Western Montana Community Mental Health Center and the Anaconda-Deer Lodge Public Health Department.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Community Hospital of Anaconda 2019

Reducing Adverse Outcomes of Perinatal Substance Use Disorders

This project will allow the Community Hospital of Anaconda (CHA) implement a comprehensive, team-based, family inclusive continuum of care for perinatal patients with substance use disorders and mental health issues. As part of the project, CHA will build on its existing infrastructure to integrate behavioral health services into prenatal care. It will also work with community partners to addresses the accompanying social needs, including transportation, food insecurity, housing, employment, and social support. Grant funds will be used primarily for staff support and to hire a licensed clinical social worker to help implement the program. Partnerships include associate primary care clinics and local behavioral health agencies. The project’s overall goal is to reduce barriers to treatment for pregnant women and their families struggling with substance use disorders and mental illness and increase access to social support.

Grant Amount

$150,000

Term

24 month

2019

Community Medical Center 2019

Community Medical Center Integrated Behavioral Health Implementation

This project will integrate behavioral health services into Community Medical Center’s (CMC) primary care clinics and home-based primary care program. The grantee will accomplish this by hiring and embedding licensure-track social workers in to CMC’s Missoula, Frenchtown, and Lolo clinics. With consultation from the National Council for Behavioral Health, the primary care teams will provide universal screening, evidence-based treatment, and data tracking to improve outcomes and allow for care coordination across the hospital platform. Grant funding will be used to hire a behavioral health manager to oversee the project, a new behavioral health clinician, and additional clinical supervision for clinicians. Partners include the University of Montana who will help with the placement of behavioral health student interns and recent graduates.

Grant Amount

$200,000

Term

24 month

2019

Emmas House - Bitterroot Valley Children's Advocacy Center, Inc. 2019

Emma’s House Trauma Treatment Center -Expansion of Billable Services

This project will assist Emma's House, a Children's Advocacy Center located in Hamilton, explore opportunities to expand billable services. Funding will be used to work withthe consultant for this project (Aune Associates) and to contract with a project coordinator to help carry out the on-the-ground job duties necessary for this project to be successful. Emma's House has developed strong partnerships in Ravalli County with law enforcement, comprehensive school and community therapy (CSCT) counselors in the public schools, the local hospital, and mental health center.Through this project,Emma's House hopes to strengthen those relationships and explore additional partnerships and agreements that will result in stable revenue generation for the organization. The goal of this project is to create a reliable source of revenue so Emma's House canrely less on grants and donations andto create a business plan to expand services to the children and families they serve.  

Grant Amount

$15,000

Term

12 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

Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana 2019

Training Family Medicine Residents and Health Care Trainees to Address Substance Misuse in Montana

With this grant, the Family Medical Residency of Western Montana (FMRWM) created a curriculum and trained family medicine residents in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) to identify and provide effective initial treatment for people with undiagnosed SUDs. The training was provided to a total of 90 staff, residents, faculty, and health care trainees in medicine at the Partnership Health Center. Overall, participants showed a statistically significant and positive change in competence, confidence, readiness, and knowledge on conducting SBIRT with patients. The grant also helped train individuals on how to be SBIRT trainers, including Partnership Health Center's director of behavioral health, FMRWM's behavioral science and addiction medicine faculty members, and the University of Montana's director of integrated behavioral health. This will help strengthen the capacity of FMRWM, Partnership Health Center, and the University of Montana to provide SBIRT training in the future and integrate SBIRT more fully into the residency curriculum. SBIRT is now included as a module for interns, SBIRT training is required for residents, and buprenorphine waiver training is required for interns. While implementation of SBIRT in the clinic was delayed due to COVID, integration with the residency program and Partnership Health Center is underway. 

Grant Amount

$14,961

Term

12 month

2019

Flathead City-County Health Department 2019

Enhancing a Community-Wide System for SBIRT in the Educational Setting in Flathead County

This project will help the Flathead City-County Health Department (FCCHD) to develop and implement a youth–focused Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model in Kalispell. As part of this project, FCCHD will implement a system for SBIRT with a focus on youth in educational settings and will coordinate with existing community–wide efforts. The project will use funds to support FCCHD staff training in SBIRT, a project coordinator, and a public health associate through the Centers for Disease and Control. Project partners include Kalispell Regional Health, Flathead Community Health Center, Intermountain, and the alternative school in the Flathead School District. The project is expected to more robustly identify, reduce, and prevent problematic substance use with youth in educational settings and more strategically coordinate existing community–wide SBIRT efforts.

Grant Amount

$50,000

Term

12 month

2019

Flathead Community Health Center 2019

School Based Health Centers

The Flathead Community Health Center (FCHC) will establish school-based health centers in multiple schools throughout Flathead County. Licensed behavioral health clinicians will be placed in Rankin Elementary, Elrod Elementary, Linderman Alternative Center, East Evergreen Elementary, Evergreen Junior High, Bigfork Middle School, and Bigfork High School. Additionally, FCHC will place primary medical services in Linderman Alternative Center and East Evergreen Elementary. Additional clinical services will be added as the specific needs are determined for schools throughout the project. Funding will contribute to salary support for three new behavioral health providers and a primary care provider, as well as software and project oversight. The project establishes new partnerships among FCHC, Intermountain (a behavioral health provider), and the Flathead, Bigfork, and Evergreen school districts. Also, as a 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. The project’s goal is to improve student health outcomes and attendance, decrease disciplinary events, and increase overall school success.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019

Fort Belknap Tribes 2019

Fort Belknap Indian Community Dialysis Center Feasibility Study and Business Plan

The Fort Belknap Indian Community will complete a study to determine theneed for andfeasibility ofdeveloping adialysis servicefor the community. They plan towork with FortBelknap Tribal Health and Indian Health Service to understand how many dialysis patients reside on the reservation. As part of the study, they will also visit other tribal dialysis programs in the state.Funding will be used to supportstaff time to complete the study, travel expenses to visit other dialysis programs,and water testingto determineif Fort Belknap’scurrent water supply cansupport the unit and potential treatment options.

Grant Amount

$29,425

Term

12 month

2019

Fort Peck Tribes Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program 2019

The 23rd IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion

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

Grant Amount

$15,500

Term

12 month

2019

Head Start, Inc. 2019

Trauma-Responsive Preschool Demonstration

The goal of the Trauma-Responsive Preschool Demonstration project was to help implement comprehensive, sustainable, on-site mental and behavioral health services at Explorers Academy Head Start for preschool children experiencing high levels of complex trauma, as well as provide support for their parents and teachers. In addition, the project was designed to help provide training and support to agency staff to reduce chronic stress and turnover due to secondary trauma and caregiver fatigue, which will ultimately improve outcomes for children. Funds were used to hire a consulting firm to help develop a plan for on-site mental health services, a basic policy and procedures manual, projected budget models, business flow mapping, and practice management training. Funding was also used to pay staff members to work over the summer on agency capacity building and tasks related to this project. A portion of funds went toward a needs assessment with the Center for Trauma Training in order to pursue an agency-wide trauma training in Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC). This project has successfully increased the agency’s capacity to provide on-site therapy, bill for mental health services through Medicaid and other insurers, comply with licensing and credentialling requirements for staff, and improve workforce retention and resiliency.

Grant Amount

$15,000

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

Holy Rosary Healthcare Foundation 2019

Increasing Access to Integrated Behavioral Health in Eastern Montana

Holy Rosary Hospital will implement an integrated behavioral health model into their clinics in Eastern Montana. The hospital will integrate mental health and substance use disorder services into their family and internal medicine clinics, and will implement screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as a routine part of their primary care practice. Funding will be used to hire a behavioral health specialist and strengthen the hospital’s tele-psychiatry, data analytics, and care coordination. Partners include One Health (the local community health center) and the Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center.

Grant Amount

$100,000

Term

24 month

2019