Charlie Brereton Director at Montana Department of Public Health | LinkedIn
Charlie Brereton Director at Montana Department of Public Health | LinkedIn
Governor Greg Gianforte and Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Adam Meier have announced the allocation of $500,000 to Montana's eight Tribal Nations. This funding comes from the Healing and Ending Addiction Through Recovery and Treatment (HEART) Fund.
"Acting with the urgency the drug crisis requires, we made a historic investment last year in substance abuse prevention and treatment programs through the HEART Fund. Rather than create bigger government, we designed the program to be community-led, because communities know their local needs best," Gov. Gianforte stated.
He added, "With these eight grants, the state is partnering with Tribal Nations to close gaps in treatment and prevention and help those combating addiction regain their health and rebuild their lives."
The HEART Fund was introduced by Governor Gianforte during his first week in office as part of his budget plan. It allocates $25 million annually for substance use prevention and treatment programs across communities. The fund supports nonprofits and NGOs serving urban, rural, and tribal areas in Montana.
Each year, $500,000 from the HEART Fund is granted directly to Tribal Nations for substance use disorder prevention; mental health promotion; mental health crisis, treatment, recovery services; and tobacco prevention and cessation. Each Tribal Nation will receive $62,500. By July's end, DPHHS expects a report detailing how each nation utilized its funds.
"Addressing the drug epidemic we face in Montana is one of DPHHS' top priorities," said Meier. "These funds will address the unique needs of each Tribal Nation, and we look forward to seeing their impact in our tribal communities."
Dale Fourbear from Fort Peck’s Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center expressed eagerness about utilizing this funding on the Fort Peck Reservation.
"We appreciate this funding, and we are committed to improving our chemical dependency/behavioral health continuum of care," Fourbear said. "This funding will be used to enhance our efforts in providing culturally-based and strength-based chemical dependency/behavioral health services in the areas of prevention, intervention, and support for the communities of the Fort Peck Tribes."
The grants are restricted to services or activities not reimbursable through Medicaid or other contracts provided by DPHHS or federal grants.
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