Rural health network development planning grant program

Butte Spirit Center received a $200,000 Project Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy under the Rural Healthcare Services Programs (CFDA 93.912) for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The award supports the development of Recovery Access Montana (RAM), a comprehensive statewide rural health network designed to address critical gaps in recovery support services across eight Montana counties: Flathead, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Silver Bow, Gallatin, Missoula, Madison, and Yellowstone. This Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant will facilitate the establishment of an integrated healthcare network focused on substance use disorder recovery and related health services.

The initiative will develop infrastructure to expand access to recovery housing, peer support services, recovery community organizations, reentry programs, and workforce development opportunities. Building upon RAM's foundation as the Recovery Residence Alliance of Montana, the project will implement best practices and collaborative models to strengthen Montana's recovery support infrastructure and enhance care coordination and mental health services in underserved rural areas. The award aligns with the Rural Health Network Development Planning Program's statutory aims to achieve efficiencies, expand access to and improve the quality of basic health care services, and strengthen the rural health care system as a whole.