The Center for Mental Health has been partnering to improve lives for over 40 years. Originally, the North Central Community Mental Health Center was established in 1974 to serve the nine county region from Great Falls to the Hi-Line. This wheat farming region is often referred to as "The Golden Triangle," so the Center became Golden Triangle Community Mental Health Center. In 1997 the Center began providing services to the Tri-County Area: Lewis & Clark, Broadwater, and Jefferson counties. Meagher County was added in 2005. This addition expanded the total service area to 10 counties, and the Center now serves over 4,000 clients in Central Montana. In Cascade County alone, the Center serves over 2,400 people. In Helena and the Tri-County area, the Center serves more than 1,700. The Hi-Line's "Frontier Counties" (less than 6 people per square mile) have outpatient offices in almost every county in Central MT. Community mental health centers were started nationwide during the deinstitutionalization movement in the 1960-70s to provide community-based services in order to live outside state hospitals. The institutional cost savings is remarkable when the census of the MT State Hospital went from 2,000 patients to less than 200. MT State Hospital is currently licensed for 189 beds but is unable to refuse patients even if the census is greater.
Services Offered
Adult Case Management - ACM program is designed to fit the needs of seriously mentally ill individuals who are reluctant to seek the more traditional therapeutic programs available. Intensive case management is a supportive community-based service which seeks to maximize an individual's personal abilities and enable growth in some or all aspects of the person's vocational, residential, social, and health related environments.
Adult Therapeutic Group Home Care - A service for adults with severe disabling mental illness who demonstrate a need for additional supportive living services. They provide outreach and follow-up when a seriously ill client drops out of treatment and intervention when conditions deteriorate at home. Aides may assist the client with their daily living functions such as grocery shopping and housekeeping in order to help maintain the client in the community.
Crisis Stabilization - A non-secure (unlocked) short-term voluntary program designed to assist adults who are experiencing increased symptoms of mental illness and do not meet the criteria for inpatient psychiatric care. The program is also designed to meet the needs of adults who have co-occurring (chemical use and mental health) treatment needs. Individual and group services based upon a psycho-social rehabilitation model are provided in order to allow individuals to return home as soon as possible.
Domestic Violence Intervention - Our Batterer Intervention Program is based on the Duluth Model "Creating a Process of Change for Men Who Batter." This is educational and cognitive approach is designed to assist in changing beliefs that men who batter have about intimate relationships. It is constructed in a manner that challenges participants to think critically and reflectively about their lives, the partner(s) they have assaulted, and the impact of battering on their children. Groups consist of 8 themes: Non-Violence * Non-Threatening Behavior * Respect * Trust & Support * Honesty & Accountability * Sexual Respect * Partnership * Negotiation & Fairness.
Individual, Family & Group Therapy - Provided to those clients who do not require the intensity of therapeutic treatment provided by the above services. Therapy is provided to clients experiencing a wide variety of problems utilizing many treatment techniques, such as medication, various forms of psychotherapy, behavioral modification and biofeedback. Specialized children's services within a school setting are also provided.
Substance Abuse/Addictions Counseling - Licensed Addictions Counselor to provide addiction counseling intensive outpatient care: crisis intervention, assessment, individual counseling, family counseling, group counseling, chemical dependency education, referral services, client follow up and in home counseling options. ACT (Assessment, Course, Treatment): a three part process designed to assess, educate and to recommend treatment placement as appropriate for persons convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicating substances.
Fees and Payment
No one will be denied access to services due to inability to pay. There is a discount/sliding fee schedule available. We are also a nonprofit agency.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
