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Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton today announced the agency is now accepting proposals online for a $10 million, one-time grant program aimed at increasing residential bed capacity for congregate community living providers who primarily serve individuals living with a serious mental illness or developmental disability diagnosis.

“We’re thrilled to announce that the application portal is now live for the first round of BHSFG funding,” Dir. Brereton said. “We encourage eligible health care providers to submit their proposals as quickly as possible so we can increase bed capacity across the state and ensure more Montanans have access to the services they need.”

The online portal to submit funding proposals went live on February 5, 2024 and will continue through March 8, 2024. All proposals must be submitted via Submittable.

On May 22, 2023, Governor Greg Gianforte made a generational investment to reform and improve Montana’s behavioral health and developmental disabilities service systems by signing House Bill 872 into law. A central component of the governor’s Budget for Montana Families, the $300 million investment will expand intensive and community-based behavioral health care and developmental disabilities services across Montana.

The BHSFG Commission passed the Residential Grant Near-Term Initiative (NTI) on Oct. 13, 2023. The NTI was subsequently approved by Gov. Gianforte.

The goal of the grant program is to stabilize or increase residential service provision as needed across Montana and to build sustainable capacity, while also ensuring more Montanans can be served in clinically appropriate settings closer to home.

Allowable uses of the grant funds include the cost of new facility purchase/builds, existing facility upgrades/maintenance, hiring and training staff, and revenue supplementation due to low volume/lack of economies of scale through startup.

For more information, please join DPHHS for an informational webinar on Feb. 9, 2024, at 11 a.m. During the webinar, DPHHS will review program requirements and related processes. The webinar will be recorded and made available to the public.

For more information, visit futuregenerations.mt.gov.