Missoula County stretches limited grant funding to social programs
Martin Kidston
(Missoula Current) A range of providers offering services from mental health to shelter will receive funding from Missoula County through a number of levies and grants this year, and while the funding goes far in helping the organizations complete their mission, few received their full request.
Some received no funding at all.
The county on Monday announced the awards for the new fiscal year, including the county's Community Assistance Fund. The program supports human services and establishes a safety net that meets basic human needs within at-risk populations in the county.
“This fund has a really long history back into the 1800s,” said Claire Biddick, a grants administrator at the county. “At risk populations represent individuals or groups that are facing temporary or ongoing circumstances that limit their ability to secure basic necessities.”
This year, the fund received 24 applications from area providers totaling $1.5 million. However, the fund only has $895,000 available, and 19 programs received an award.
Broken down, Biddick said 31% of this year's award goes toward food costs, 3% toward medical services and 66% toward shelter. County levies generate the funding.
“Some of these organizations may not be receiving their full request,” said Biddick. “They asked for a lot more than they did last year. There was a balance of trying to maintain existing funding and provide resources as available.”
The county's Substance Abuse Prevention levy also received 11 applications in this cycle's funding round. The total request amounted to $514,000, though just $262,000 is available within the program. A panel scored the applications with Missoula Public health, the Boys and Girls Club, the Watson Children's Shelter and Mountain Home Montana receiving full funding.
Five other applications will receive partial funding including the YWCA, the Center for Restorative Justice, CASA, the All Nation's Health Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Amanda Peterson, a grants administrator with the county, said the levy supports evidence-based prevention programs that reduce youth substance abuse, youth development and early intervention.
Peterson said the Mental health Fund also saw requests for the new fiscal year total $270,000 with just $132,000 available. The funding is directed to programming that supports crisis intervention and stabilization services, with an “emphasis on improving timely access to trauma informed behavioral health care for children and adults.
Peterson said this year's award recipients include the Missoula Public Library to support the hiring of a social worker to provide crisis intervention services, Stepping Stones for peer support services and the YWCA for crisis response at the Meadowlark.
Given the amount of this year's requests and the available funding, the county may consider increasing the levies that support the programs.
“We may need to reconsider that in the future,” said Commissioner Josh Slotnick. “Inflation limits what people can do with that. Hard decisions had to be made.”