Local Resources for Teens and Families
mental and physical wellness
CRYJ maintains an active list of mental health professionals who work with teens, have availability for new clients, and are accessible to people of all income levels. Please call (406) 257-7400, text (406) 200-8184, or email CRYJ to get connected with someone.
The Nate Chute Foundation has the ability to pay for a teen’s first six counseling sessions; there is no required family income to access this resource. We have all the paperwork at the CRYJ office to get you, your family, and a therapist of your choice connected to this resource; just ask a CRYJ staff!
Greater Valley Health Center provides quality healthcare on a sliding fee discount based on your family’s size and income, as well as free family planning services. For assistance getting signed up for Medicaid and SNAP, call Melody at (406) 607-4909 or Lori at (406) 607-4886.
Shepherd’s Hand in Whitefish holds a free medical and dental care clinic on Mondays at 6pm for people who live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. For any questions (including about eligibility), give them a call at (406) 260-3502.
Flathead Family Planning’s Teen Clinic offers safe, non-judgmental sexual health services that are confidential and FREE. The Teen Clinic is open from 3-5pm on Mondays; you don’t need an adult with you and no appointment necessary! If the Teen Clinic day/time doesn’t work for you, call 406-751-8150 or head to Flathead Family Planning’s booking site to schedule an appointment for another day (just like the clinic, that appointment will be FREE and CONFIDENTIAL - you don’t need a parent with you!).
food + clothes + school supplies
Feeding the Flathead serves dinners at 6pm nearly every night of the week in various locations around Kalispell.
ASSIST Flathead has an excellent list of active food banks, mobile food pantries, and community meals operating in every corner of Flathead County.
The HEART Locker is open to all K-12 students to shop for free for clothing, hygiene products, bedding, and school supplies. Shopping (and a teen lounge!) is open to TEENS ONLY Mondays from 10-noon and Tuesdays from 3-6pm. On Tuesdays, Heart Program staff can provide transportation from Linderman, Flathead High School, and Glacier High School to the teen lounge. Shopping for teens AND families is open every other Wednesday from 3-6pm. If those times don’t work or you want to schedule a ride to the teen lounge, call or text Janelle at (406) 261, 3972!
The Calvary Lutheran Church in Evergreen has a Clothes Closet that operates on Thursdays from 4-6pm.
Shelter
TEENS: Sparrow’s Nest is the only shelter in the Flathead Valley that exists to serve unaccompanied homeless high school students; if you are a CRYJ teen looking for safe, supportive housing, this is the place to call. Contact Katie at the Nest at (406) 261-1171.
FAMILIES: The Abbie Shelter provides housing to any adult (and their children) or emancipated minor experiencing violence from an intimate partner. Abbie Shelter accepts individuals and families experiencing ALL kinds of intimate partner violence, including emotional and financial abuse. The best place to start is to call the help line at (406) 752-7273.
LGBTQ+
Glacier Queer Alliance focuses on providing positive and safe community resources, events, and spaces for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations in the Flathead Valley.
Flathead LGBT+ Youth (FLY) is a group for LGBTQ+ students and allies in the Flathead Valley. They offer youth ages 13-20 a time to get together, hang out, and just be teens. The FLY group meets every Wednesday night from 6-8pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and sometimes at Glacier Queer Alliance. Check the FLY Facebook page for the location of their meetings!
Most middle and high schools in the Flathead Valley have a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). If you’re not sure who to get in touch with to learn more about the GSA at your school, let us know and we’ll get you connected.
The Pride Foundation has more than 60 scholarship funds for LGBTQ+ students in the Northwest, and you only have to fill out one application to apply for all of them! Check out their Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more or ask a CRYJ staff if you need help filling out an application.
court advocacy + legal services
While Abbie Shelter can’t offer housing to unaccompanied teens, they can provide counseling, court advocacy, and help establish Orders of Protections for teens experiencing emotional, financial, or physical violence from a partner. Start by calling the 24/7 help line at (406) 752-7273 and asking for Lisa, the Community Advocate. You and Lisa can then decide if you want to communicate via call, text, or meet in person.
Montana Legal Services (MLSA) provides legal advice and representation for teens and families! MLSA accepts referrals for teens dealing with emancipation, school discipline, school transportation issues, domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying, eviction and housing discrimination, and much, much more.
The best person to contact for youth-specific services is Kaia Rosen via email at krosen@mtlsa.org or give her a text/call at (406) 594-1971.
For services related to being the victim of a crime, contact Vivian Smith via email at vsmith@mtlsa.org or giver her a call at (406) 248-7113 (Ext. 324)
CRYJ staff can help you contact Kaia or Vivian if needed- just ask!
didn’t find what you were looking for above? Try these local guides!
Montana 211 connects you with community resources, services, and assistance. Just type in your town or county to get started!
Check out ASSIST for a comprehensive list of resources in the Flathead Valley.
National Hotlines
CRISIS SUPPORT FOR TEENS, BY TEENS
Oregon Youthline: Call 877-968-8491 or text “teen2teen” to 839863 any day from 5-11pm for teen-to-teen crisis support.
24/7 Mental Health SUPPORT
988 Mental Health Crisis & Suicide Lifeline: Call or text 988 for free, confidential support from a local crisis center.
Crisis intervention for queer youth
The Trevor Project: If you are a young person (13-24) and LGBTQ +, call 1-866-488-7386 for crisis intervention and suicide prevention services.
24/7 Domestic violence support
The National Domestic Abuse Hotline: Reach an advocate by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or texting “START” to 88788.