The Crisis Diversion Grant (formerly known as the County Tribal Matching Grant) provides grant funding from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to support and expand vital crisis mental health services in Missoula. 

Missoula County’s most recent award of a little over $2.2 million funds a variety of services from July 2024 through June 2027, including:

• Reentry Navigator at Watershed Navigation Center (Missoula County Community Justice Department)
• Youth Homes Crisis Manager (Missoula Youth Homes)
• Strategic Alliance Project Facilitator (Partnership Health Center)
• Youth Crisis Mobile Clinician(s) (St. Patrick Hospital-Providence)
• Living Works Suicide Intervention Training (Missoula Public Health)
• Tenancy Support Specialist (Partnership Health Center)
• Referral and Outreach Coordinator (Western Montana Mental Health Center)
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Workforce Development and Training Coordinator (City of Missoula – Police Department)
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Research and Evaluation Analyst (City of Missoula – Police Department)
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training funds for law enforcement and first responders
• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for the community

History:

In 2009, the Montana State Legislature approved House Bill 130, which established a grant program for approved Montana counties to develop and maintain mental health jail diversion and/or crisis intervention programs.  Missoula was one of four counties to receive initial funding in FY2010 and has managed to maintain and help grow local crisis mental health programming through this grant.  Initially, Missoula focused on making the jail safer for inmates with mental illness by requesting funds for padded cells at the Missoula County Detention Center; supporting training for law enforcement; helping to fund local mental health agencies efforts; and hiring a social worker to assist with crisis intervention for clients with mental illness served by the Office of Public Defenders. Since then, it has funded a variety of crucial crisis services in Missoula including the construction of emergency detention beds at Dakota House, development of the Crisis Intervention Team, and support for the Mobile Support Team.

Contact grants@missoulacounty.us with any questions about this funding and programs.