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Mental health center CEO aims to expand services

by KATE HESTON
Daily Inter Lake | February 3, 2025 12:00 AM

Western Montana Mental Health Center’s new CEO Bob Lopp is a longtime health advocate in the Flathead Valley.  

In this new role, Lopp hopes to continue furthering rural health care to better support – and distribute – mental health services in the Flathead Valley. 

A fourth-generation Montanan, Lopp was born and raised in Kalispell. Growing up, his parents were always involved in the community, a concept he brought into his adult life too.  

“I am just passionate about what’s going on in communities and how important [mental health] services are,” Lopp said from his office earlier this month. “I’m really interested in how to make them run more efficiently and to integrate that into the community.” 

Based in Missoula, Western Montana Mental Health provides behavioral health services to people facing mental health and substance use disorders. With more than 291 employees throughout the state, it operates 15 outpatient clinics and three residential treatment facilities across western Montana. Founded in 1971, the center serves more than 7,500 people each year. 

“The services are really important for our communities and Western certainly, like others, has had struggles over preceding years in trying to make sure that it could stand as a healthy organization and really meet the community needs in a really tough funding environment,” Lopp said. “Adding to that mission, to me that's a very worthy cause.” 

After a yearlong stint with an interim CEO, the Western Montana Mental Health Center board approached Lopp about stepping into the position permanently. His professional career, across industries, has always included involvement in the health care sector. 

From serving on a range of boards, including the Intermountain Children’s Home, Childwise Institute and the Flathead Valley Community Health Center, Lopp’s passion is driven in efficiently and effectively implementing change to better assist. He also served as the chief administration officer at Mountain Pacific Quality Health Care. 

Lopp also co-founded Rural Health Partners, a small business made to collaborate with rural health care providers on improvement projects, whether that be clinical, financial or operational. 

Outside of health care, Lopp is a partner at a venture capital firm. While at Western, Lopp hopes to take his financial background and knowledge to better fund mental health services in the valley, specifically with longevity in mind, he said.  

Mental health services and care can be lengthy and may take multiple entities, so ensuring that the care will be provided from start to finish is a goal of Lopp’s. On campus at Western Montana Mental Health Center is a group home, a Many Rivers Whole Health substance abuse clinic and an adult outpatient therapy building. In a way, the campus can act as a one-stop-shop for multiple areas of care.  

Lopp and the team at Western are also in the process of renovating another building on campus to act as a crisis stabilization center, partnering with the Flathead City-County Health Department.  

As CEO, Lopp wants to emphasize the importance of community partnerships. There are a lot of great services and people behind the effort to expand services in the valley, including the health department, county commissioners, law enforcement, hospitals, community health centers and more, he notes.   

“There is a great opportunity for deeper partnership,” Lopp said. “All these services are braided together. I think that’s really important.” 

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com.