Lighthouse Ranch - A New Chapter for Youth Behavioral Health in Southwest Montana
For young people and families facing a behavioral health crisis, getting the right care at the right time can be life-changing. In Southwest Montana, access to that care has been a longstanding challenge.
Now, a new chapter is taking shape.
In September 2026, ownership of the Lighthouse Ranch campus near Belgrade officially transferred to Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR), marking an important milestone in the community’s effort to expand behavioral health services for youth and families.
The more than 30-acre campus, which includes 10 buildings, is being developed to provide more options for young people who need support, treatment and a safe place to heal close to home.
From a Community Vision to a Permanent Resource
The vision for Lighthouse Ranch began with a simple but urgent need: Southwest Montana families need more behavioral health resources for young people, particularly during and after a crisis.
That need is especially significant in Montana, where the youth suicide rate remains a serious concern. A 2025 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services report found that Montana’s suicide rate among youth ages 10 to 17 consistently exceeded twice the national rate.
When the former Bootstrap Ranch property became available in 2024, HRDC joined YBGR, the Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition, Gallatin County and other community partners to help turn that vision into reality.
HRDC took on the early risk of acquiring the property, providing project management and helping bring together the funding needed to move the project forward. To date, HRDC has helped secure and steward $5 million in funding as part of the $8.5 million campaign. Together, project partners have raised approximately $6.5 million toward that goal.
The acquisition was made possible in part through an extraordinary commitment from Liberty Place, which sold the property to HRDC for $4 million below its appraised value.
Support has also come from Gallatin County, Bozeman Health, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation, private foundations and individual donors throughout the community.
“Youth suicide is an urgent concern in our communities, and families cannot afford to wait for more care close to home,” said Heather Grenier, HRDC President/CEO. “We knew this campus could fill a critical gap, but it would take more than a shared vision to make it happen. HRDC took on the early risk of acquiring the property and brought partners and funding together so experienced providers can build the services young people need.”
Moving the Vision Forward
With the property now in YBGR’s hands, the project is moving into its next phase.
YBGR brings 70 years of experience serving Montana youth with mental and behavioral health needs and already provides outpatient and community-based services to approximately 80 young people in the Gallatin Valley.
Planned renovations at Lighthouse Ranch will create additional opportunities for care, including short-term residential services for teens who are stabilizing after a crisis. Future phases are expected to include longer-term residential treatment, day services, recreational therapy, educational programming and housing for youth and members of the behavioral health workforce.
The goal is to create a more connected continuum of care, giving young people and their families more options without requiring them to travel far from their communities.
“From the beginning, Lighthouse Ranch has been about bringing people together around a shared vision for children and families,” said Kirsten Smith, Executive Director of Lighthouse Ranch. “Today's announcement reflects years of collaboration and generosity, and we're proud to see Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch carry that work forward.”
A Community Effort
The transfer of ownership represents much more than a change in who owns the property. It represents years of work, generosity and collaboration across Southwest Montana.
“This community has spent years building something remarkable, and we're honored to carry that work forward,” said Mike Chavers, CEO of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. “This is the result of years of dedication from many people, and we're grateful for the opportunity to help bring that vision into its next chapter.”
HRDC will continue stewarding the grant and foundation funding it helped secure as renovations move forward.
There is still work ahead, but the transfer brings the community one important step closer to a future where young people experiencing a behavioral health crisis can find more of the care they need close to home.
Lighthouse Ranch is a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together around a shared need and a shared vision for a better future for its young people.
