A Landmark Legislative Session for Mental Health in Montana

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re reflecting on the importance of mental well-being and what it takes to build a system that truly supports it. That work just took a major step forward in Montana, where the 2025 legislative session just closed with a series of hard-won victories for mental health services.

After months of organizing, testimony and behind-the- scenes work by advocates across Montana, the legislature passed 14 significant mental health wins that are now headed to the Governor’s desk. HB2 – Montana’s main budget bill – passed with full funding for 10 recommendations from the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations (BSFG) Commission. That’s over $60 million in strategic investments to strengthen mental health care across the state. 

This success builds on the foundation laid in 2023 with HB872, which created the BSFG Commission to develop long-term solutions for Montana’s behavioral health system.

What Changed?

A slate of new investments and laws that improve access to care, support students, build the behavioral health workforce, and more, made this one of the most impactful sessions for mental health in our state’s history. Here are some highlights:

• School-Based Behavioral Health Services: Montana is making it easier for students to get mental health support at school. This investment will help schools and families work together to build stronger support systems and make it simpler for eligible students to get services through Medicaid.
• Better Funding for Youth in Residential Care: Some young people need to live temporarily in residential treatment facilities to get the care they need. This change updates how those facilities are paid, making sure funding better reflects the level of care each young person requires.
• Growing Montana’s Mental Health Workforce: High school students will soon be able to take free college-level courses that introduce them to careers in mental health and developmental disability services. It’s a smart way to grow the next generation of mental health professionals in Montana.
• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics: $40 million will go toward keeping mental health clinics open and expanding their reach. These clinics offer a wide range of services in one place, making it easier for people to get the help they need. While this state support is critical, these clinics also rely on federal support which is currently under consideration. 
• Spreading the Word About 988: Montana is investing in a statewide campaign to raise awareness about the 988 crisis line – a free, 24/7 mental health and suicide prevention hotline. This campaign will help more people know how and when to call if they or someone they know is in crisis.
• Improving Targeted Case Management: Montana is updating how case management services are funded for people with mental health needs. The goal is to make sure care is better matched to each person’s unique situation so they get the right support earlier and are less likely to need emergency or high-cost care later on.
• Evaluation and Diagnostic Clinics: Montana is putting funding toward reopening mental health screening clinics. This will help more people and families get evaluated faster and matched with the right services, with shorter wait times. 
• Improving Support for People with Developmental Disabilities: Montana is updating certain Medicaid payment rates so that providers are better equipped to care for people with complex needs, including developmental disabilities. This helps ensure services are available and sustainable across the state.
• Creating In-State Options for Complex Care: Right now, some Montanans with the most complex mental health or developmental needs are sent to out-of-state facilities. Montana is investing in delivering services in-state, so more people can get the support they need closer to home.
• Care After a Mental Health Crisis: New funding will help people leaving psychiatric hospitals get support to safely return to their communities. This includes personalized plans and help connecting to services, so fewer people fall through the cracks or end up back in the hospital.
• Easier Access to Care and Medications: A series of new laws will make it faster and simpler for Montanans to get the medications and care they need. These bills cut out extra steps required by insurance, like prior authorization, for things like certain mental health meds for substance use treatment, and essential drugs like insulin and asthma inhalers. 

What made this session so successful? 

It was the power of many – foundations, mental health experts, educators, concerned organizations, concerned citizens, youth advocates, legislators, and agency leaders – all coming together around a long-term vision. This collaboration, grounded in shared goals and steady focus, made the difference. It’s a reminder that real systems change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes persistence, partnership, and a focus that stretches beyond the legislative calendar.

What’s next?

There’s still important work ahead to make sure these reforms are implemented well and reach the people who need them most. But this Mental Health Month, we’re taking a moment to celebrate progress and the many Montanans who made it possible. The movement for better mental health is growing in Montana. And this year’s legislative session showed just how much is possible when we work together.

Special thanks to Chris Cordingley, Director of Civitas Public Affairs Group for his leadership during the session and for putting together the detailed summary this blog draws from – and to all the mental health advocates whose hard work made these wins happen.