MAY 2023

Tackling Montana's Workforce Issues, part 6

In the final installment of our series on the Center’s workforce development, we are highlighting our collaboration with DPHHS and Missoula College's to create Community Integrated Healthcare training.

Empowering Emergency Responders:

Innovative Training Equips EMTs with Wrap-around Services to Enhance Patient Care and Community Support

The Center for Children, Families, and Workforce Development is excited to partner with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and Missoula College to expand Community Integrated Health (CIH) across Montana. CIH is a healthcare model based on Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics' emergency response and transport roles. CIH expands their skills and responsibilities to include ongoing wound care and suturing, responding to mental health needs, health screenings, home inspections, health care referrals, and other non-emergency medical needs to community members' front doors. The model has successfully increased access to primary care, decreased transportation for non-medical emergencies, and reduced emergency care overutilization.

Several Montana communities have piloted CIH programs that have relied on costly training from other states. Montana needed to create a standardized in-state training model, and this summer, we are excited to launch this training collaboration. Eager participants will complete nine self-paced online modules, three comprehensive live lectures, and ongoing statewide tele-coaching sessions. The tele-coaching will help examine content with field experts and dive into case studies specific to Montana. In addition, participants will be supervised to complete clinical rotations where their newly learned skills will be observed and tested. The curriculum development, training facilitation, and participant scholarships for the first year will be supported by a $104,000 grant from the Montana Healthcare Foundation and the Montana AHEC organization.

The CIH training program will launch its summer session in early June. Please visit our web page for more information. 



Hear what current Montana providers are saying about the expansion of CIH in their communities:

"As an Emergency Manager, I am excited about the possibilities of having Community Integrated Health practitioners in Montana! Emergency services at the community scale is a balancing act of continuous triage to address the needs of the community and individual community members with finite resource availability; we believe CIH will allow for greater flexibility and more cost-effective utilization of emergency resources, reduce strain on the 9-1-1 system and provide for an appropriate level of patient care in an appropriate setting."

— Adriane Beck, Director, DES Coordinator, Office of Emergency Management, Missoula

"Community Integrated Health is more than providing in-home clinical services. CIH is an opportunity to address the gaps in care our communities face, alongside a commitment to support each patient in reaching their health care goals. This creative and innovative role in a healthcare team is helping to build healthier communities by addressing each patient's whole health needs."

— Angie Brakefield, CIH/AEMT, Community Integrated Health Program, Billings Clinic Broadwater, Townsend



Unlocking the Healing Potential: Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences to Improve Health and Well-being for All

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass distressing events from early life, such as abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, or the loss of a parent due to incarceration or death, occurring prior to reaching 18 years of age. These profound encounters have been proven to wield a lasting and pervasive adverse effect on the health and overall well-being of individuals. Recognizing the enduring repercussions of ACEs is crucial, not only for medical and social service professionals but also for every member of society, as it guides us in providing effective treatment and compassionate care to others.

Visit our ACEs webpage to learn more.

Did you know May 21-27 is EMS week?

The Center for Children, Families & Workforce Development partners with the child protection, health, educational, and judicial systems to develop educational and training resources for professionals and caregivers statewide. We also conduct research that focuses on solving problems that impact children and families, and we work to help partnering agencies with capacity building and technical assistance.

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