In Fight to Curb Opioid Epidemic, Tester Announces More than $3 Million for Montana Health Care Providers

Grants to help fund rural response, reduction programs to curb opioid misuse

U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today that health care facilities across the state will receive more than $3 million in funding to help combat the growing opioid epidemic.

Twelve community health centers will each receive $167,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to combat substance use disorders and offer mental health services, and the Montana Health Research and Education Foundation will receive $1 million to implement an opioid response program for rural communities. Additionally, Montana State University will receive almost $900,000 to enhance community-based training for students studying to become behavioral and mental health paraprofessionals focused on opioid and substance use disorders.

“Montana has been hit hard by the opioid crisis, and it’ll take an all-hands-on-deck effort to solve it,” Tester said. “These grants will help in that effort by giving our communities more tools and better resources to deploy against substance misuse, especially in rural areas—helping create a healthier, safer Montana.”

Montana’s Community Health Centers will use these grants to expand services for their patients with substance use disorders by utilizing more counselors and health care providers to offer integrated behavioral health services. The funding is part of a nearly $400 million push nationwide to combat the nation’s opioid crisis, and is administered through the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Tester has relentlessly pushed for more resources to address the opioid crisis. He secured $10 million to fight the epidemic in this spring’s government funding deal, and has introduced legislation to combat misuse of drugs on college campuses. Tester also delivered $1.5 billion to help states treat substance use disorders and addiction by reauthorizing the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant Program, and he has cracked down on drug trafficking by securing millions for programs like the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area grants, the Drug Free Communities program, and Drug Courts.

The community health centers receiving funding are as follows:

• Butte-Silverbow Primary Health Care Clinic – $167,000
• Lincoln County Community Health Center (Libby) – $167,000
• Flathead City-County Health Department (Kalispell) – $167,000
• Sapphire Community Health (Hamilton) – $167,000
• Bighorn Valley Health Center (Hardin) – $167,000
• Glacier Community Health Center (Cut Bank) – $167,000
• Community Health Care Center (Great Falls)- $167,000
• Montana Migrant Council (Billings) – $167,0000
• Yellowstone City & County Health Department (Billings) – $167,000
• Community Health Partners (Livingston) – $167,000
• Marias Healthcare Services (Shelby) – $167,000
• Missoula City/County Health Department – $167,000

Read more about Tester’s efforts to combat substance misuse HERE.