Approved BHSFG Near-Term Initiatives
Near-Term Initiatives (NTIs) reflect common sense, actionable ideas to address largely known and worsening gaps in Montana’s behavioral health and developmental disabilities systems. Governor Gianforte has approved 11 NTIs. The information for each NTI below is current as of August 2025. Unless otherwise indicated, contracts for most NTIs conclude in SFY27.
The NTI’s were selected based on the following criteria, with goals of:
- Focusing on solving specific, largely unknown and worsening problems in the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities systems.
- Deploying targeted funding to address those problems while identifying a path towards sustainability.
- Being achievable within the current resource constraints of DPHHS.
- Building upon existing DPHHS programs or infrastructure where and when possible.
- Considering a wide range of inputs, including responses to the Commission's RFIs.
Contact for this project
Brett Carter
Brett.Carter2@mt.gov.
Eleven initiatives were approved by Governor Gianforte:
| Date Approved by Commission | 10/13/23 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 12/19/23 |
| Funding Level | $7.5M |
| Amount Obligated | $7.5M |
| Funding Spent to Date | $350K |
Community-Based Court-Ordered Evaluation and Stabilization Near-Term Initiative Documents
A total of 7.5 million in state funds is available to incentivize community-based court-ordered evaluations (COEs) and stabilization services. The goal is to reduce the backlog of evaluations at the Montana State Hospital Forensic Mental Health Facility (also known as Galen). These services can be provided in various community settings, including jails, private offices, hospitals, or via telehealth.
Update as of August 2025: Since July 2024, DPHHS has paid for 112 community-based court-ordered evaluations (COEs) and related activities. These have been conducted in 20 Montana counties, with nine providers regularly performing the evaluations. The counties utilizing this service are among those with the highest need for fitness evaluations.
- Recommendation for Grants to Incentivize Community-Based Court Ordered Evaluations (mt.gov)
- Governor Gianforte Invests $17.5 Million To Boost Community-Based Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Care (mt.gov)
- DPHHS Launches $7.5M Program to Address Court-Ordered Forensic Fitness Evaluation Backlog
| Date Approved by Commission | 10/13/23 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 12/19/23 |
| Date Amended Request Approved by Commission | 6/20/24 |
| Date Amended Request Approved by Governor | 6/24/24 |
| Funding Level | $15.8M |
| Amount Obligated | $15.7M |
| Funding Spent to Date | $8.9M |
Grants of up to $15.8 million will be awarded to community living providers to increase residential bed capacity for people with serious mental health or developmental disabilities. The grants, which can be used for new facilities, upgrades, staffing, and startup costs, aim to stabilize and grow residential services statewide.
Update as of August 2025: Since September 16, 2024, the Residential Bed Capacity Grant has disbursed $8.9 million across 199 invoices. This funding has completed 34 projects in 15 counties, creating or reopening 105 beds and maintaining 179 others.
With almost two-thirds of the $15.8 million authorized amount disbursed, the grant is expected to continue payouts until March 16, 2026. The Department projects the grant will result in a total of 241 new beds, 94 reopened beds, and 655 maintained beds statewide. These grant funds end in March 2026.
- Recommendation for Grants to Increase Residential Bed Capacity (mt.gov)
- Governor Gianforte Invests $17.5 Million To Boost Community-Based Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Care (mt.gov)
- DPHHS Launches Grant Program to Increase Residential Bed Capacity
- Governor Gianforte Invests $15.8 Million to Increase Community-Based Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Care
- Residential Bed Capacity Grant Award Information
| Date Approved by Commission | 11/30/23 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 01/22/24 |
| Funding Level | $7.5M |
| Amount Obligated | $7.5M |
| Funding Spent to Date | $2.3M |
This initiative provides one-time grants to new and existing Mobile Crisis Response and Crisis Receiving and Stabilization providers. The goal is to sustain mobile crisis programs and increase statewide capacity for crisis receiving and stabilization services.
Mobile Crisis Response
Update as of August 2025: A total of $3.5 million has been awarded to support existing Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) programs in Flathead, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, Missoula, and Silver Bow counties. These grant funds end in June 2026.
Crisis Receiving and Stabilization Services
Update as of August 2025: A total of $4 million in Crisis Diversion Grant (CDG) funding has been awarded to Carbon, Cascade, Flathead, Gallatin, and Lewis and Clark counties. The three-year contracts support infrastructure for new or reopened crisis receiving and stabilization facilities, aiming to divert individuals from higher levels of care like the Montana State Hospital.
| Date Approved by Commission | 12/01/23 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 01/22/24 |
| Funding Level | $500K |
| Amount Obligated | $439K |
| Funding Spent to Date | $156K |
For this initiative, DPHHS contracted with a vendor to create and host a Crisis Worker Certification Course. This course intends to train crisis service providers in key areas like suicidology, intervention strategies, and community resources. The vendor is currently working with DPHHS and crisis providers to develop the curriculum.
Update as of August 2025: DPHHS has partnered with the University of Montana to create a 40-hour training course for all crisis workers, including 988 operators and mobile responders. Curriculum development began in August 2024, with a testable version expected by October 2025.
| Date Approved by Commission | 01/11/24 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 01/30/24 |
| Funding Level | $600K |
| Amount Obligated | $572K |
| Funding Spent to Date | $384K |
This initiative provides up to $350,000 to pilot a credentialing structure for Direct Support Professionals (DSP), creating career advancement opportunities to help stabilize the workforce. An additional $200,000 will be used to enhance training for health care professionals on how to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by sponsoring 500 spots in an IDD Health care e-learning course.
Update as of August 2025: In spring 2024, DPHHS launched a pilot program to award bonuses to DSPs who completed tiers in a credentialing program. As of August 2025, approximately 81 DSPs were enrolled. DPHHS is currently collecting data to determine if the program improves recruitment and retention, thereby stabilizing the DSP workforce.
| Date Approved by Commission | 04/23/24 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 06/12/24 |
| Funding Level | $700K |
| Amount Obligated | $675K |
| Funding Spent to Date | $210K |
This initiative awarded $700,000 in one-time grants to AWARE, Inc., Mental Health American of Montana, Montana Rescue Mission, and St. John’s United to create a family peer support pilot program. The goal is to give Montana families and caretakers access to a cost-effective support solution.
Update as of August 2025: All four grantee organizations have hired and onboarded their allotted Family Peer Support (FPS) specialists. After a family engagement presentation in June and their first reporting in July, grantees are now actively supporting Montana families.
| Date Approved by Commission | 05/20/24 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 07/17/24 |
| Funding Level | $6.5M |
| Amount Obligated | $6.5M |
| Funding Spent to Date | $1.2M |
This initiative provides up to $6.5 million in one-time grants to Tribal nations and Urban Indian Health Organizations (UIHOs) to support and improve behavioral health services in Native American communities. The funding can be used for facility improvements, mobile crisis response teams, and transportation to culturally relevant behavioral health facilities.
Update as of August 2025: Each tribe and UIHO in Montana has been awarded approximately $500,000 in one-time grants to support and improve behavioral health services. All 13 awardees are implementing unique projects, such as building renovations, vehicle purchases, and client transportation. Seven of the 13 have already invoiced the Department, with the remaining six expected to follow in the coming months. These grants funds end in June 2026.
| Date Approved by Commission | 05/20/24 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 07/31/24 |
| Funding Level | $1M |
| Amount Obligated | $316K |
| Funding Spent to Date | $316K |
This initiative allocated up to $1,000,000 for a statewide study to determine the necessary funding to supplement housing costs for low-income Montanans in the behavioral health system. The study collected data on current rental rates in order to secure critical funding from HUD for Montana housing vouchers.
Update as of August 2025: DPHHS and the Department of Commerce partnered to fund a housing study. They selected Econometrica, Inc. and M. Davis and Company, Inc. to conduct the research. Completed on time and under budget, the study secured over $20 million in HUD funding for Montana housing vouchers, significantly supporting affordable housing efforts.
*This project has been completed.
| Date Approved by Commission | 05/20/24 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 08/16/24 |
| Funding Level | $400,000 |
Wellness Kiosks Grant Submissions
This initiative will provide up to $400,000 to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis. The one-time funding will be used to install Wellness Kiosks statewide, dispensing life-saving resources like fentanyl testing strips and naloxone. These kiosks will be strategically placed in community-based programs, such as homeless assistance and drop-in centers, to ensure low-barrier access to these resources.
| Date Approved by Commission | 05/20/24 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 09/19/24 |
| Funding Level | $4M |
| Amount Obligated | $4M |
| Funding Spent to Date | $909K |
In January 2025, the University of Montana (UM) and Carroll College were awarded $4 million to help launch new medical programs.
Update as of August 2025: UM's $3.5 million in funding will support a new Physician Assistant (PA) and an Occupational Therapy (OT) doctorate program, expected to produce 25 PA and 30 OT graduates per year starting in 2028. Carroll College also plans to launch a PA program, with its first cohort of 34 students anticipated in May 2028, pending accreditation. These programs address the critical need for PAs and OTs, as a 2022 report estimated a shortage of 67 PAs and 33 OTs in Montana.
| Date Approved by Commission | 06/28/24 |
| Date Approved by Governor | 09/26/24 |
| Funding Level | $2.5M |
| Amount Obligated | $2.5M |
| Funding Spent to Date | $181K |
The program awarded 10 two-year grants of up to $250,000 to rural and frontier tribes and counties throughout Montana. The initiative is structured into two distinct tracks: the System-Level Innovation track and the Local-Based Community Health Workers (CHWs) track.
Update as of August 2025: Seven applicants—the Chippewa Cree Tribe and Teton, Dawson, Pondera, Beaverhead, Jefferson, and Richland counties—have been awarded funding for the System-Level Innovation track. These awardees will partner with the Montana Public Health Institute to use its Behavioral Health Toolkit, which helps communities assess behavioral health issues, identify resources, implement new programs, and evaluate their effectiveness.
Three applicants—the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe and Garfield and Fallon counties—have been awarded funding for the Local-Based Community Health Worker track. They will hire and train Community Health Workers (CHWs) to connect community members with behavioral health services. These awardees will partner with Catalyst for Change, a company that provides training, clinical supervision, and access to a telehealth provider network. This partnership enables CHWs to effectively respond to crises, connect people to services, and build local coalitions.
Both groups of awardees have begun their projects, with the System-Level Innovation track recipients recently holding their first community of practice meeting.