Partnerships
WIA believes that improving mental health in Big Sky requires a coordinated system to provide cohesive and complementary services to the community. This includes law enforcement, Bozeman Health (Big Sky Medical Center), service providers, schools, other mission-aligned nonprofits, and community members. WIA works with these partners to understand and communicate services and scope, provide a referral pathway by which community members can access care efficiently, and establish cohesive goals that can together improve overall wellness and health.
WIA recognizes the importance of community partnerships as research supports using community-based care to improve quality of life. The 2022 World Mental Health Report, published by The World Health Organization, shares that community-based care can increase accessibility of care by offering services close to home, lowering costs, and reducing stigma.
Working together to provide a coordinated system of care ensures clients receive the services they need. WIA’s Community Health Workers and the Care Coordinator and Behavioral Health Tech at Big Sky Medical Center meet regularly to improve patient access. Both organizations work together to improve clinical pathways for client navigation of resources.
WIA prioritizes partnerships with organizations like the Montana Mindfulness Project, school mental health curriculums, and counselors to educate and equip the community with tools that can benefit overall health as a preventative measure.
The Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition is committed to enhancing the behavioral health system of care in the region to be complete and responsive across the continuum, including health promotion, prevention, intervention, and recovery. The coalition is funded by the Montana Healthcare Foundation.
The coalition includes representatives from the following: Gallatin County, City of Bozeman, Gallatin City-County Health Department, Bozeman Health, Connections Health Solutions, Montana State University, City of Bozeman, Montana Healthcare Foundation, Community Health Partners, HRDC, Greater Gallatin United Way, Help Center, Intermountain Bozeman School District, and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation.
The coalition is guided by a shared vision for the future, a service system mission, and guiding principles.
Additional funding is paramount to a sustainable future for Big Sky’s health and wellness. In most cases, demand for these services is outpacing available funding through established sources such as Resort Tax, philanthropy & grants, and fees for service. While many sources of funding are not bound by county lines, the deficit in capacity for growing healthcare needs is often met with challenges arising from the community-wide growth, the boundary between Gallatin and Madison Counties, and the impacts of their respective tax base.
Currently, Big Sky property taxpayers in Madison County are paying to fund services for a Hospital District that serves Ennis and the Madison Valley (Madison Valley Hospital District). However, due to the geography between Big Sky and Ennis, these Big Sky property owners and residents do not have reasonable access to the medical facilities and services funded by their property taxes. This new Wellness District effort seeks to redirect those Big Sky / Madison County tax dollars towards the service area of Big Sky, eliminating the geographic barrier to the services for which their taxes are being used.
A fundamental benefit of this district would be the adaptability of dedicated funds available to address changing and increasing community needs in health and wellness services – throughout and across both counties.
The Big Sky Health and Wellness Coalition seeks to support an accessible, inclusive, and effective network of behavioral health services through collaboration, a culture of care, and by engagement of community members who live, work, grow, age and play in Big Sky.
Health and Wellness Coalition – Big Sky
WIA and BASE (Big Sky Community Center) are dedicated to increasing existing partnership efforts by developing shared messaging surrounding the connectedness of mental and physical health, streamlining the process for using the community space at BASE where WIA’s partner counselors can provide low-cost services at a central location, and collaborating on public outreach to destigmatize mental health.