Yellowstone County to Implement Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Team with $3 Million Grant

Yellowstone County is set to initiate a mobile crisis response program funded by a four-year, $3 million federal grant. This program will integrate emergency services, behavioral health clinicians, and community partners to address mental health and substance use crises throughout the region.

The grant, provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), was awarded to Riverstone Health in early September, with the official grant period commencing on September 30. Megan Gibson, the behavioral health systems improvement manager at Riverstone Health, noted that extensive planning for this initiative has been underway for over a year.

Gibson emphasized community support for the program, stating, "So our community definitely wants it and is ready for it." The initiative will start with one two-person team operating 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Each team will consist of a licensed behavioral health clinician from the community crisis center and an EMT from the Billings Fire Department.