Governor Greg Gianforte is directing state agencies to resume planning for a new 26.5 million dollar state mental-health hospital in eastern Montana. In a letter addressed to the Montana Board of Investments, Gianforte directed the agency to work with the state’s Department of Public Health and Human Services to determine a facility type and location for the project, which was approved by the 2025 Montana Legislature.
“This project is of great importance to the State of Montana, as DPHHS must continue to build out capacity to take care of Montanans in need of behavioral health services,” Gianforte wrote in the letter. “I share the goals of the Legislature to complete this project quickly while also ensuring transparency, fairness and public involvement.” The Montana Board of Investments is the lead agency working to build the facility, which would then be operated by DPHHS. The state has one mental hospital in Warm Springs, which state leaders say is facing capacity problems.
Gianforte did not specify where in eastern Montana the new hospital should be built, but in his letter urged agency officials to engage local officials and stakeholders. In early August, word of the new hospital coming to Billings trickled out, with leaders reporting receiving notices about possible locations in Billings, Laurel and rural areas of Yellowstone County, and many felt blindsided by the notices. In response, Gianforte ordered a pause in planning on August 20.
Dan Villa, director of the Board of Investments, says he is waiting on DPHHS to provide specific answers about the size, scope, and exact location of the facility. Once he has these answers, he will contact communities DPHHS has specified as “best locations,” asking for a request for information. The city of Laurel, Stillwater County, and Big Horn County have already requested to be considered, while city officials say they are interested in having the facility located in Billings.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/gianforte-orders-restart-of-planning-for-eastern-montana-state-hospital