Governor Gianforte Announces Montana Secures Federal Funding to Establish Behavioral Health Clinics

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte and Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton today announced the Trump administration selected Montana as one of ten states to receive federal funding to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment across the state.

Through the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program , selected states will participate in the four-year federal program to establish clinics that serve any Montanan seeking care for mental health or substance use challenges, regardless of their age, place of residence, or ability to pay. By securing this funding, the state will rely less on short-term grants in order to deliver needed care.

" Securing this funding is a major support for our ongoing work to overhaul and rebuild Montana's behavioral health system, " said Gov. Gianforte. " By establishing a sustainable, long-term payment system, we are eliminating the uncertainty of time-limited grants and empower ing our local clinics to deliver care to Montanans struggling with addiction or managing mental health conditions."

Prior to selection , DPHHS went through a comprehensive two-year planning phase to certify four local providers with approximately 20 sites across the state to establish a Medicaid prospective payment system (PPS) designed to cover the actual costs of providing expanded, integrated behavioral health services .

" This expansion of the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration Model will give 10 more states the support they need to heal wounds by providing high-quality, coordinated, person-centered care that prioritizes treatment, recovery, and crisis response, " said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

All participating CCBHCs are required to meet high national standards, which include providing 24/7 crisis response and care services , t imely access to outpatient services to reduce long wait times , a comprehensive scope of service , and e vidence-based practices tailored directly to local community needs including for children and youth.

" Our selection into this demonstration marks another major milestone in our work to reform and strengthen Montana's behavioral health system, " said Dir. Brereton. " As we move into the four-year implementation phase, DPHHS will closely monitor and analyze reported data to ensure these clinics deliver measurable, high-quality outcomes for Montanans in need of behavioral health services. This data-driven model will allow us to precisely track our progress and further optimize care delivery statewide. "

Increasing access to behavioral healthcare is a top priority for the Gianforte administration. Signing into law House Bill 872, the governor established the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations (BHSFG) Commission and made a $300 million generational investment to reform and improve Montana's behavioral health services systems.

S ince that time, the state has reformed Montana's behavioral health and developmental disabilities service systems to ensure long-term sustainability and care. In addition to the 10 funded BHSFG recommendations, the Commission and Governor Gianforte also approved 11 Near-Term Initiatives. Implementing CCBHCs was a key recommendation of the commission.

As part of the four-year demonstration, DPHHS will continuously monitor clinics to ensure substantive compliance, compile annual cost and quality reports, and collaborate with national evaluation teams from CMS and the S ubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to track the program's impact .

The transition to a cost-based reimbursement funding model is a vital step forward for Montana, moving towards sustainable funding for quality services with measurable outcomes to ensure stable, long-term support for individuals .

More information about the BHSFG Commission and its work may be found here .

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