Please join us for the 2025 PHEP Grant Workshop and the next round of in-person PHEP Collaborative Discussions! These events will offer a mix of learning about next year’s PHEP deliverables and requirements, along with valuable peer-to-peer engagement. Please register using the link below.

• Miles City – Tuesday, June 3 | Sleep Inn – Miles City
• Great Falls – Thursday, June 5 | Holiday Inn Express – Great Falls

Questions? Contact Hillary Hanson

Montana's 69th legislature adjourned last week and a lot happened in the last 4 months! If you are curious about what all of this means for public health - including some key accomplishments - please register at the link below to join Lisa Dworak, Executive Director of Confluence Public Health Alliance and Rebecca Meyers with Northbound Public Affairs for a recap of the session on Monday, May 12 from 12-1:15pm MST via Zoom (register at the link below).

May is Mental Health Awareness Month - a time for health departments to lead the charge in fostering mental well-being across communities. Whether your agency is focused on building resilience in your community, addressing the impacts of opioid misuse, or creating systems to support anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis, MTPHI is here to support you. There are great ready-to-use resources to support public education and reduce stigma in the SAMHSA’s 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit as well as on MTPHI's Behavioral Health website.

MTPHI would also like to congratulate the following local and tribal public health departments on their successful applications for Near Term Initiative #11 track 1, supported by the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations. The project will support collaboration at the local level to transform the way health systems work together to complement existing behavioral health prevention, crisis, treatment, and recovery efforts. MTPHI is excited to work with you over the next 2 years, with the hopes that this creates future opportunities to Apply a Public Health Lens to Behavioral Health. 

Beaverhead County Public Health Department

Dawson County Health Department

Jefferson County Health Department

Pondera County Health Department

Richland County Health Department

Rocky Boy Health Center

Teton County Health Department

Want to learn more about Montana 21C? Check out our website!

Montana 21C Regional Meetings are happening this month! Along with our 21C partners, MTPHI is headed to meetings in Billings, Glendive, Box Elder, Polson, and Butte. The purpose of these meetings is to review the state-wide data from last year's Foundational Public Health Services Assessment and to engage in open dialogue about Montana 21C and how we can transform our public health system-together.

We're looking forward to seeing you on the road!

If you have any questions about these meetings or other 21C activities, please contact us at info@montanapublichealth21c.org.

NACCHO is pleased to announce the launch of RISE: A Roadmap for New Local Health Officials. This program aims to build Resiliency, Innovation, Strategy, and Excellence in new leaders through a cohort experience that includes an asynchronous eLearning curriculum, live skill building sessions, and being matched with an experience LHO who will act as your coach.

New to Your Role as a Local Health Official? 

RISE is a 12-month program designed for LHOs in their position for two years or less to better manage and achieve your health department’s goals. This program offers invaluable networking opportunities, problem-solving support, and essential leadership skills to help you and your health department thrive. The RISE Fellows application opens on May 12, 2025, and closes on June 2, 2025.

Rural Health Small Grants

In 2025, MTHF created a grant opportunity for organizations located in and serving rural Montana. Through a simplified application, rural Montana organizations can apply for grants of up to $10,000 to help address a health issue in their community.

This grant initiative is intended to be a low-barrier opportunity for organizations in rural Montana that may have fewer staff and resources, making it difficult to compete for larger grants. The Healthcare Foundation may prefer projects from organizations that are not under the network of a larger entity. Learn more via the link below.

LOR Foundation

Field Work is the LOR Foundation's search for innovative answers to persistent problems that plague rural communities. LOR Foundation's goal with each Field Work initiative is to get money quickly into the hands of the people on the ground—in communities where LOR works or in other rural parts of the region—who have innovative ideas. This year, LOR is focusing on finding innovative solutions that improve mental health or social well-being in rural communities. Funding proposals can range from $1,000 up to $25,000 for a project. LOR will begin accepting project proposals May 12 and will close applications on June 6. Applicants will be notified by late June.