News

Community Partners Unite to Launch Youth Behavioral Health Campus Near Bozeman

HRDC and Gallatin County Press Release

Community partners are joining forces to establish a dedicated campus where youth experiencing behavioral health crises can receive safe and effective services close to home. 

HRDCGallatin County, and the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) of Billings are spearheading the acquisition and development of a youth behavioral health campus near Bozeman. This initiative focuses on providing crisis and residential services for youth ages 11 to 18 in Gallatin, Park and Madison counties. Phase 1 services will focus on crisis services designed to stabilize and assess youth, provide comprehensive support to them and their families, and connect them with the appropriate services and resources tailored to their needs. Over time, the vision is for the campus to grow in its service provision to support a continuum of high-acuity therapeutic services. 

“Gallatin County stands firmly behind this important project, and we hope that the community will join us to make this dream a reality,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Zach Brown. “Kids in crisis are too often left without any local treatment options. We must change that status quo. This partnership represents a generational opportunity for our community to invest in local crisis services for our kids.” 

The need for this initiative is pressing. Montana has the highest rate of suicide in the nation, with Gallatin County youth at particularly high risk. 14% of Gallatin County teenagers said they attempted suicide in the past year, and 21% have seriously considered it. In 2023, Bozeman Health’s emergency department treated 276 youth (0 to 17) for behavioral health concerns.  Among them, 105 were discharged to inpatient psychiatric units in Helena, Billings, Idaho Falls, or elsewhere. In the past three years, the Help Center received around 170 mental health crisis calls annually from youth, with about 75% of these callers screening positive for suicidality. 

Our current service system is inadequate to meet the growing need for child and adolescent behavioral health services. Cost-of-living challenges for our workforce in Gallatin County have resulted in the closure of all group homes and a lack of higher-acuity behavioral health services in the region.  

“Our children who face acute mental health challenges often find themselves in treatment environments designed for adults, separated from their families and communities,” said Christina Powell, Help Center CEO. “This campus offers a unique opportunity to create a truly child-centered space for healing, providing a comprehensive range of care and opportunities to reconnect with their vibrant selves.” 

To address this critical issue, the partner organizations seek to raise $5,050,000 to purchase, renovate, and launch programs at the former Bootstrap Ranch north of Bozeman. The 30-acre campus is located at 8977 Dry Creek Road features facilities to serve between eight and 26 children in higher acuity residential services in the first phase. It has space for staff housing, an activity building, gymnasium, cafeteria, commercial kitchen, barn and outbuildings.  

“We are creating transformative solutions to meet a vital need for our community’s kids and families,” said Kirsten Smith, coordinator of the Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition (GBHC). “We can and must do better, and this project is the start. With the right team of leaders, we can make something remarkable possible, but it can only become a reality if donors and partners rally around this vision.” 

YBGR will operate the campus, with HRDC purchasing the property and will transfer it to YBGR once start-up funding is secured. HRDC closed on the property on August 30.  

“HRDC’s community needs assessments consistently highlight mental health services as one of our region’s biggest gaps,” said Heather Grenier, CEO of HRDC. “Youth mental health services are especially lacking. Buying and transferring property is something our organization does well, and it is a way we can help bring this youth campus to life.” 

Gallatin County has committed $1.5 million towards the $3.55 million purchase of the campus. Acquisition costs are estimated to be $250,000, renovation costs are estimated to be $650,000, and start-up programming costs for the first year of operations are estimated at $650,000. Partners are working to raise the remaining, most of which needs to be secured in the next several months.  

To donate to this vital project, visit the HRDC’s website.  

For more information on this and other behavioral health projects in Gallatin County, email Kirsten Smith at ksmith@bloomconsult.org.  

Newsletter Sign Up
Brooke Poole

Public Sector

Since 2015, Brooke has been working with Allergan Aesthetics, Body Contouring. In 2018, Brooke began her role as Senior Manager of Training. Brooke graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Commercial Photography from Appalachian State University in 2011.

Brooke began her role on our Board in 2019. However, she feels it’s more fitting to say that she gets to serve on our Board. For Brooke, an evening at our Fork & Spoon was her first glance into our organization’s powerful work. As Brooke states, joining the Board has only expanded her appreciation for the caliber of people leading our mission and the impact of our vast ecosystem of services. While metrics alone are impressive, Brooke likes to visualize each number as an individual example of support – an extension of a helping hand, a moment of relief – given to one of our neighbors. She is grateful for the opportunity to participate in shaping HRDC’s future.

Although Brooke spends most of her volunteer time with HRDC, she was fortunate enough to build with Habitat for Humanity over the course of the summer in 2020. Her favorite place to spend time is anywhere under the Big Sky, although Hyalite may be her favorite place on Earth.

Ron Brey

Public Sector

Ron served as Bozeman’s Assistant City Manager from 1990 to 2008. After retiring, Ron joined our Board in 2011. Ron received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Montana in 1977, and his Masters in Science in Rural, Town, and Regional Planning from the University of Montana in 1987.

During his time with the City of Bozeman, Ron saw the important role that HRDC has played in our community. Ron has seen that HRDC provides necessary social services to assure that all Bozeman residents could obtain housing, food, training, employment and the other necessities of life. He also came to understand that HRDC was always able to respond immediately as new community needs arose. Ron believes that the dedication, hard work, and compassion of HRDC’s staff make it a real honor to serve on the Board.

Ron also serves on the Trails, Open Space and Parks Committee for the City of Bozeman, and as a volunteer with the Red Cross. One of Ron’s favorite activities is walking his beloved dog every day, enjoying many of Bozeman’s trails and parks, like Burke Park, Bozeman Creek, and the Hyalite and Mount Ellis areas. Ron and his wife Claire enjoy spending their days with family, friends, and time outdoors.