The Meadowlark Initiative® brings a new standard of pregnancy care to Montana by offering routine screening and treatment for mental illness and substance use as part of prenatal and postpartum care.
The initiative brings together a clinical team made up of prenatal care and behavioral health providers, and coordinates community services to provide better care for pregnant women and their families, improve health outcomes, and reduce family separation.
The Meadowlark Initiative® provides funding and technical assistance to allow medical practices that provide prenatal and postpartum care to implement a coordinated, team-based approach that improves outcomes for women with substance use disorders and mental illness. The initiative will support at least one prenatal practice in each Montana community that has a hospital that delivers babies.
The Meadowlark Initiative® is funded and supported through a partnership between the Montana Healthcare Foundation and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
Of the 10,000 births in the state each year, 6,000 are supported by care from a past or present Meadowlark grantee.
The Meadowlark Initiative® supports services to women in communities with 17 of the state’s 26 birthing facilities.
“While there are many factors that impact an infant’s removal from the home, I believe that the Meadowlark Initiative® is helping safely reduce the need to remove infants. The efforts that everyone is making to support families being safe and healthy is making a difference.” – Nikki Grossberg, Child and Family Services Division Deputy Administrator
Initiative Participation
Model of Care
Substance use disorders and mental illnesses like depression and anxiety impact thousands of pregnant women and their babies each year. These illnesses are common and cross all demographic groups in Montana, yet they often go undiagnosed and untreated.
Based on research and examples from other states, implementing a supportive, team-based approach to prenatal and postpartum care, along with better coordination between health care providers and social service agencies, offers a powerful way to improve outcomes.
Funding Opportunity
Grant funding and technical assistance are available for prenatal practices that want to participate in The Meadowlark Initiative®. Prenatal care providers that see Medicaid patients (including family practitioners, obstetricians, midwives, and rural hospitals) are encouraged to apply. All project applications are by invitation only.
We will be awarding grants of up to $150,000 for two-year projects. Supplemental funds may be available to help practices fully implement care coordination and outcome tracking or for implementation across a more extensive network of providers.
The Meadowlark Initiative® Sites
Click a location to view the contact information for each site:
List of Grantee Sites
Benefis Health System
Blackfeet Tribal Health
Bozeman Health
Community Hospital of Anaconda
Community Medical Center
Holy Rosary Healthcare
Logan Health
Livingston HealthCare
Northern Montana Healthcare
One Health – Big Horn County
One Health – Blaine County
One Health – Rosebud County
One Health – Fergus County
Providence Montana Health
Sidney Health Center
St. James Healthcare
St. Luke Community Healthcare
St. Peter’s Health
St. Vincent Healthcare
