This report documents a nine-month planning and design partnership between Third Horizon and the Blaine County Mental Well-Being Initiative to strengthen the county’s behavioral health crisis response system. Grounded in local data, national best practices, and extensive community engagement, the work assessed current gaps and opportunities across crisis prevention, response, and stabilization. Third Horizon analyzed emergency department and 911 data, reviewed community and provider surveys, and convened more than 60 stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of need—particularly the rise in emergency department utilization, and limited same-day access to care for youth and adults.
The resulting recommendations outline a coordinated, community-tailored crisis system built around “someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go.” Key outcomes of the work include the design of a clinician-led co-response team in partnership with the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and Family Health Services, and a roadmap for developing a local Behavioral Health Hub to expand access to same day mental health care and care navigation Together, these strategies aim to reduce reliance on emergency departments and law enforcement, improve continuity of care after a crisis, and build a more equitable, sustainable mental health infrastructure for Blaine County.
