Efforts to expand Flathead County's Crisis Assistance Team just got a roughly $2.5 million boost from the federal government.  

The county received the grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in September, said James Pyke, Behavioral Health Supervisor with the Flathead City-County Health Department. The four-year Mobile Crisis Team Partnerships grant provides $452,866 in the first year, increasing to $746,266 in the fourth year. 

The influx of federal dollars will allow the team to close the gap during off-hours, eventually expanding their ability to respond to calls on a 24/7 basis. The existing Crisis Assistance Team — staffed with five people, two clinicians and three care coordinators — responds to calls daily between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.  

Health Department officials expect to use the funding to expand staffing to five full-time therapists, five full-time care coordinators and one full-time nurse. The new staffing structure will be implemented strategically over the four-year cycle of the grant, officials said.  

Funds will also go toward establishing a Community Outreach Team, a dedicated daytime unit that will provide proactive mobile care coordination, integrate physical health services and offer immediate access to telepsychiatry for high-utilizer populations and incarcerated individuals.  

Both teams employ established clinical approaches, including trauma-informed care, Stanley-Brown Safety Planning, and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale.  

The grant will aid in making the program sustainable, officials said. The Health Department will use electronic health records and dispatch data to showcase diversion metrics — which demonstrates how the team stopped a mental health crisis from escalating into an arrest or an emergency room trip. 

The expansion of the Crisis Assistance Team was planned in response to increased call volume and use in Flathead County. In 2025, the team served 450 unique individuals and handled more than 1,400 calls, officials said. 

These responses resulted in about 300 diversions from hospital emergency rooms and 50 diversions from the county jail. In 2026, the team is on pace to exceed those figures by a wide margin, officials said.  

Pyke said he is incredibly proud of the team and their tireless work ethic.  

“I am excited to have an additional funding stream to support our current personnel, expand the program and meet the needs of the community at a broader scale," he said in a statement. "We are excited to learn, grow, and continue to implement a professional and sustainable service for Flathead County." 

Flathead County commissioners voiced their support for the program as Pyke reviewed the grant with them at their Sept. 24 meeting.  

“This gives us consistency for a 24/7 response. We’ve shown operationally that it  decreases the hours law enforcement is tied to these calls and puts more boots on the ground where they're needed. It's been successful, and this is an extension of that,” said County Commissioner Randy Brohdel.  

The goal of the Crisis Assistance Team is to round out the county's emergency services agencies, which include fire, medical responders and law enforcement.  

The program is plugged into the existing 911 dispatch framework, so when a caller dials 911 during a crisis, dispatchers evaluate the situation and decide when it’s appropriate to send out the Crisis Assistance Team.  

Kalispell Police Patrol Capt. Chad Fetveit said the program is a “force multiplier in our city and county.”  

Though law enforcement personnel are not mental health providers, they are often required to confront crises, he said.  

“Having the Crisis Assistance Team significantly reduces the amount of time our officers spend on situations that are not law enforcement related and is a resource that better meets the needs of those in crisis. They are an amazing community partner that is invaluable to first responders and citizens in our valley,” Fetveit said in a statement. 

The team relieves pressure across the local healthcare and emergency services system, allowing officers to return to active patrols while ensuring medical units remain ready for trauma and structural calls. Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said his department is grateful for the Crisis Assistance Team and the grant support that will expand its service to 24/7 coverage. 

“A crisis can happen at any hour, and having trained professionals available around the clock will help people receive compassionate, appropriate care when they need it most. This program is an invaluable partner to our firefighters and paramedics and a tremendous resource for our community,” Hagen said in a statement.  

Other Montana communities are making similar investments into their mobile crisis response teams with grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Yellowstone and Missoula Counties recently received comparable four-year, $3 million grants.  

In Flathead County, strong letters of endorsement were submitted by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Kalispell Police and Fire departments, Logan Health and Flathead Emergency Communications Center, all emphasizing the need for round-the-clock behavioral health support in the field.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.