North Valley Behavioral Health, a division of North Valley Hospital, has opened in Whitefish to serve people of all ages experiencing mental health issues. The clinic is led by Medical Director, J. Douglas Muir, MD, a board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist.
North Valley Hospital launched the behavioral health program in response to its 2013 Community Health Needs Assessment that was conducted jointly with the Flathead City-County Health Department and Kalispell Regional Healthcare. The assessment identified five key health needs, one of which was mental health. During the assessment research, many healthcare and social service providers indicated that there was a great deal of need in the Flathead for additional mental health services. Flathead County experiences twice the suicide rate than the national average, and for every completed suicide, there are approximately 25 attempts. Many emergency room visits and hospital readmissions are connected to the mental health state of the patient.
The goal of North Valley Behavioral Health is to restore one’s mental health to an optimal level, and to help alleviate symptoms which may be affecting quality of life, satisfaction and the ability to function.