HELENA, Mont. –Montana is investing substantial funds into youth mental health care.
Together with Charlie Brereton, director of the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Governor Greg Gianforte announced a $2.1 million investment to increase access to universal screening for mental health and substance use issues among young Montanans.
Using a Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) grant, DPHHS awarded the Rural Behavioral Health Institute (RBHI) funding to support the Screening Linked to Care Program through the 2024-25 school year.
With a $2.1 million investment from the state, RBHI will expand the delivery of this life-saving program to reach up to 40 percent of all middle and high school students across the state. Thirty-seven schools have committed to implementing the program this spring.
The program offers universal mental health and substance use screening and same-day mental health care for youth who are identified with high suicidality. Same-day mental health care includes an evaluation of safety and mental health status, brief intervention, and referral to appropriate care.
