Why Crisis Diversion Matters: Building a Safer, More Connected Montana

This article is the first in a series focused on different aspects of Montana’s crisis system and how each part, from prevention to post-crisis care, strengthens the broader behavioral health continuum of care.

What is crisis diversion? Crisis diversion ensures individuals experiencing a mental health, substance use, or emotional crisis receive the right support at the right time, without unnecessary emergency room visits, jail involvement, or traumatic interventions.

Why Crisis Diversion is Essential for Montana

Crisis Diversion Saves Lives — Early intervention reduces the likelihood of suicide attempts and deaths. With up to 45% of people who die by suicide having visited a primary care provider within one month of their death, community-based and mobile interventions are critical to catching warning signs sooner.

Crisis Diversion Reduces Trauma — Being handcuffed, jailed, or hospitalized during a mental health crisis can increase distress and worsen long-term outcomes. Crisis diversion protects dignity and safety.

Crisis Diversion Strengthens Rural Communities — More than most states, Montana’s rural communities struggle with isolation, limited behavioral health infrastructure, and long distances to care. Crisis diversion ensures that even the most remote areas have access to responsive, culturally informed crisis supports. 

Crisis Diversion Lowers System Costs — Emergency departments and law enforcement responses are expensive and often ineffective for behavioral health crises. Crisis diversion frees up those systems for true emergencies and improves community safety. 

Crisis Diversion Builds Trust — A community-centered model creates more consistent, transparent, and supportive partnerships across the MT Department of Public Health and Human Services, tribes, counties, and health systems. This builds long-term trust and sustainability. 

How You Can Help 

• Learn crisis warning signs 

• Promote 988 

• Normalize mental health conversations 

• Engage with local coalitions 

• Support early intervention 

Where to Get Help

Call or Text 988

Visit our website to learn more about MTPHI’s behavioral health initiatives.

2025 Montana Workforce Assessment Report

The Montana 21C Workforce Development Group is pleased to share the 2025 Montana Public Health Workforce Assessment Report, highlighting the findings of the recent assessment which many of you participated in. This data will inform the 2026-28 Montana Public Health Workforce Development Plan, which should be finalized in January!

Over the coming months, the 21C partners will continue work to produce individual reports for each health department that participated in the survey. Please contact info@montanapublichealth21c.org if you have any questions.

Funding Opportunities

MTPHI’s quarterly Capacity Enhancing grant opportunity re-opened on January 2, 2026 - click here for the latest information and details.

As a reminder, MTPHI accepts applications for the Community Engagement grant opportunity on a rolling basis.

MTPHI Book Talk

The MTPHI team engaged with the book over the past few months, exploring its themes and insights through thoughtful discussions. Everything is Tuberculosis deepened our understanding of how this particular illness has influenced culture and society across the world, and how and why this preventable and curable disease remains the leading cause of death globally in spite of effective treatments. 

This book is a great read for those of us who are embedded in public health work but is also written for a wider audience. Stay tuned for our 2026 book club selection!