Friday, April 18, 2025
4/18/2025
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program - i. PROJECT ABSTRACT Applicant Organization: Rural Health Development (RHD) d/b/a Montana Health Network (MHN), 519 Pleasant Street, Miles City, MT 59301-3030 Applicant Type & Website: Private Non-Profit; www.montanahealthnetwork.com Project Director: Nadine L. Elmore, Project Director; Phone; 406-234-1420; Fax: 406-234-1423; E-mail: nelmore@montanahealthnetwork.com Project Track: Regular Network Planning Grant Track Network Name: Eastern Montana Regional Behavioral Health Network (EMRBHN) Legislative Aim: #1 – Achieve efficiencies – MHN along with five healthcare organizations will review the Eastern Montana Behavioral Health Crisis Response and Jail Diversion Strategic Plan originally developed in 2017 to create a Regional Behavioral Health Strategic Plan. Focus Area: The EMRBHN will develop a vision and strategic plan to streamline identification of and referral for behavioral health services and integrate behavioral health with primary care. Service Region: Eastern Montana Communities: Baker, Fallon County, MT; Plentywood, Sheridan County, MT; Miles City, Custer County, MT; Glendive, Dawson County, MT; and Sidney, Richland County, MT. Due to the nature of the region, planning activities will most likely benefit all communities and patients in the region. Population Served: The EMRBHN will serve individuals with behavioral health issues in the Eastern Montana communities listed above. This project will seek to identify root causes of behavioral health crises and develop standardized responses and processes both in healthcare and partner organizations throughout the region. Montana ranked first in the nation in 2018 for suicide and ranks in the top five states for substance abuse and mental health illnesses. Network Members: The EMBHN includes the following healthcare organizations and their services areas: Fallon Medical Complex, Baker, MT; Sheridan Memorial Hospital, Plentywood, MT; Holy Rosary Healthcare, Miles City, MT; Glendive Medical Center, Glendive, MT; and Sidney Health Center, Sidney, MT. These facilities all operate critical access hospitals and rural health clinics in the region. Additionally, the network will engage with partners to include behavioral health and community-based organizations, local governments, and law enforcement. Experience Serving Rural Underserved Populations: MHN has a long history of growing partnerships to support rural underserved populations. Recently, MHN conducted a Network Development project and a Care Coordination project to develop and expand a regional care coordination service. Perhaps most importantly, MHN is currently conducting a second Montana Healthcare Foundation grant to integrate behavioral health in primary care. MHN will use grant funds to achieve efficiencies for delivering behavioral health services by developing a regional behavioral health vision and strategic plan to streamline identification of and referral for regional behavioral health services. The primary goal will be to standardize the identification and referral process in partnership with the Integrated Behavioral Health Grant which is designed to lessen the frequency of “crisis” scenarios which were identified as a major concern by healthcare, mental health and substance abuse organizations, and law enforcement during a strategic planning conference in 2017. The network will begin planning activities with the 2017 Strategic Plan and review its progress. With collaboration of all regional stakeholders, the strategic plan will be updated with new information and recommendations. The network will also continue to advance activities to integrate behavioral health with primary care. Funding Preference: RHD d/b/a MHN is requesting a funding preference based on qualification 42 U.S.C. 254c(h)(3), Item A. All five counties are designated HPSAs and some are Medically Underserved Areas (MUA). Eastern Montana is designated HPSA for Mental Health. See HPSA documentation, Attachment 8.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).