A nonprofit in Bozeman announced on Wednesday it plans to purchase a mental health campus in East Bozeman owned by Western Montana Mental Health.
Help Center, Inc. provides services that cover 13 counties in Southwest Montana. This includes a suicide and crisis call line, sexual assault counseling and family visitation services.
At a Wednesday gathering of community members and local leaders at what will be their new home, board member Michàel Palmer says the nonprofit is thrilled to relocate to the 5 acre campus that includes 5 buildings.
“I’m happy to say we have now an active signed buy-sell agreement in place with a prospective closing date of March 1 of 2024,” she said.
In a release, board chair Stacey Lyons said Bozeman Health initially donated the property to Western Montana Mental Health in 2008.
“For those who may not know, leadership at Western and Bozeman Health have come together to provide the Help Center with a $1.6 million ‘land credit,’ dramatically reducing what we’ll need to purchase this remarkable campus,” she wrote.
Mandy St. Aubyn with Help Center, Inc. says their current location hasn’t been meeting their operational needs in decades. The nonprofit launched a fundraising campaign that has raised around $2 million towards a $4.5 million goal.
“Reaching the $4.5 million will allow us to purchase the property, make the necessary renovations that we need, and then also provide additional program support for our growing programs,” she said.
St. Aubyn tells YPR HCI plans to work with the Human Resource Development Council, which will manage 10 affordable housing units on the campus. HCI also plans to lease space to Community Health Partners, which plans to offer affordable behavioral health services.
