The Montana Behavioral Health Conference

Conference Overview

The Montana Behavioral Health Conference is sponsored by the Montana Department of

Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) through the Medicaid Block Grant and hosted by

NAMI Montana. The Conference is a statewide convening designed to strengthen Montana’s

behavioral health system by bringing together people with lived experience, family members,

providers, advocates, researchers, and public health leaders in a shared space for learning,

connection, and system improvement.

For years, the Conference has served as an accessible and inspiring educational experience for

Montanans living with mental health conditions and their families—providing peer-led stories

of recovery, practical education, advocacy tools, and exposure to world-class research and

emerging treatment methodologies.

In recent years, the Conference has also grown into a crucial venue where DPHHS can engage in

facilitated listening and structured feedback with large numbers of Montanans who experience

behavioral health challenges and those who care for them—supporting system evaluation,

quality improvement, and policy development.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Montana Behavioral Health Conference is to strengthen Montana’s

behavioral health system through accessible, peer-centered education and connection, while

creating a trusted statewide forum for honest feedback, collaboration, and shared problem-

solving among people with lived experience, families, providers, advocates, researchers, and

state partners.

Purpose

The Montana Behavioral Health Conference exists to achieve four interconnected purposes:

1) Accessible Peer-Centered Learning

Create an inclusive, affirming educational experience where people living with behavioral

health conditions and families can learn from peers, clinicians, researchers, and

advocates—building practical knowledge, hope, and empowerment.

2) Inspiration and Recovery Orientation

Center lived experience stories that demonstrate resilience, recovery, and community,

reminding participants and the system as a whole that meaningful recovery is possible.

3) System Feedback and Improvement

Provide a structured and facilitated environment where DPHHS and partners can hear from

many Montanans—especially those most impacted by serious and disabling mental health

conditions—about system strengths, gaps, and priorities for improvement.

4) Collaboration Across Montana’s Behavioral Health System

Serve as a statewide convening for networking and cross-program collaboration among

Medicaid Block Grant partners and other behavioral health initiatives (including PATH,

community crisis response, maternal mental health, and related programs), improving

coordination and shared learning.

Who the Conference Serves

The Conference is designed to serve and connect:

  • People living with serious mental illness and other mental health conditions

  • Family members and caregivers

  • Peer support specialists and recovery community organizations

  • Providers and clinicians

  • Behavioral health workforce professionals

  • Advocates and community leaders

  • Researchers and academic partners

  • DPHHS and other government partners

  • Organizations funded through the Medicaid Block Grant and allied initiatives

  • Individuals in settings whose voices are often underrepresented, including people in group homes, adult foster care, and other supportive housing arrangements

What Success Looks Like (Outcomes)

The Conference will be considered successful when it consistently produces outcomes such as:

For Participants

  • Increased knowledge, confidence, and tools to navigate treatment and recovery supports

  • Stronger connection and reduced isolation

  • Greater sense of hope and empowerment

  • Meaningful opportunities to share insights and be heard

For the Behavioral Health System

  • Clear themes and actionable feedback collected from a broad cross-section of Montanans

  • Greater trust and communication between community members and state systems

  • Improved collaboration across programs and organizations

  • Stronger alignment between policy decisions and lived experience needs

For DPHHS and Medicaid Block Grant–Supported Programs

  • High attendance and cross-program networking among block grant stakeholders

  • Structured feedback sessions that inform planning, quality improvement, and reporting

  • Shared learning across initiatives such as PATH, crisis response, maternal mental health, and other block grant efforts

Commitments for Implementation

To uphold this mission, the Montana Behavioral Health Conference commits to:

  • Maintaining strong peer and family attendance through scholarships and financial access strategies

  • Designing sessions that are accessible, trauma-informed, and respectful of diverse needs

  • Balancing peer-led storytelling, advocacy content, clinical education, and system-improvement dialogue

  • Providing intentional and facilitated opportunities for DPHHS feedback gathering

  • Ensuring programmatic diversity so attendees can learn from peers, researchers, clinicians, and advocates

  • Building a culture where every participant—especially those historically excluded from policy spaces—feels welcomed and valued