Embark Behavioral Health in Marion, Montana
A Premier Inpatient Mental Health Facility in Montana
Our inpatient mental health facility in Marion, Montana, offers residential treatment perfect for adolescents and teens struggling with behavioral health issues. Our program’s 500-acre ranch in the breathtaking mountains of Montana provides a peaceful, serene setting for your son, daughter, and family to reflect and grow. This campus-based location, next to the Pleasant Valley Fisher River, features outdoor therapeutic activities, dorm living, a weight and fitness room, yoga, an indoor basketball court, and more.
For adolescent and teen girls and boys struggling with school refusal, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and other mental health issues, the earlier they’re diagnosed, the more effective inpatient treatment can be. Identifying concerning behaviors and symptoms early on and implementing a course of care and specialized treatment can prevent further and more severe problems from developing as youths grow into adults.

Mental Health Treatment at Our Montana Facility
Anxiety, depression, and suicide are on the rise, and young people are at risk today more than ever before. Too many adolescents and teens in and near Montana go through life struggling with these and other mental health issues. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Conditions We Treat
Inpatient Treatment and Therapies Offered
Our facility's mental health services are highly recognized. Specialized inpatient treatments and areas of focus at our Montana location include:
Our Therapists and Team
Amy Zink
Operations Director
Education: AAS, Office Technology, Flathead Valley Community College AA, Business Management, Flathead Valley Community College BSLS, Management and Organizational Communication, Montana State University
Amy has been working as a Business Administrator since before she graduated college (20+ years). Amy started as an Administrative Assistant and after 5 years, became the Business Manager and a few years after that joined the Leadership Team. What makes you happy about working at Embark at Flathead Valley? I love working in an environment where I see and feel a purpose. I love watching the transformation of the students while they are here. What are your interests outside of work? My daughter’s and I barrel race and love riding horses. We enjoy just about anything outdoors; camping and kayaking being at the top of our list.
Amy Zink
Operations Director
Operations Director at Embark at Flathead Valley, Amy Zink, is...
Anne Barrier
BA Psychology, Recreation Management
Certifications: Clinical First Responder Motivational Interviewing Leave No Trace Instructor
Anne Barrier started her career working with youth and their families with The North Carolina Outward Bound School: Florida At-Risk Wilderness Programs— where she worked in logistics and later as a Family Coordinator and the Admissions Specialist. During her time with Outward Bound, she gained family-centered perspectives through working with parents and teenagers together. Anne worked in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming as a Recreation Park Ranger with the Youth Conservation Corps before making her way to the Flathead Valley to work with Embark at Flathead Valley. What makes you happy about working at Embark at Flathead Valley? My favorite part of working at Embark at Flathead Valley are the moments when you get to reflect back to the students the good that you see in them and in their journey that they aren’t always seeing. “Holding the hope!” What are your interests outside of work? You can find me playing with my two miniature Australian Shepherds, Banjo and Mabel, exploring new places, fishing, playing the banjo, skiing in the snowy months, or chasing mountain streams!
Anne Barrier
Program Director
As program director at Embark at Flathead Valley, Anne Barrier...
Lynn Marshall, PsyD
Clinical Director
PsyD, Clinical Psychology, Argosy University Emphasis in Child & Adolescent Development
Since the beginning of her career, Lynn has been focused on child and adolescent development. She specializes in psychological assessment, differential diagnosis, and trauma-informed care, in addition to having specific training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, parent-child psychotherapy, and suicide assessment. Lynn uses a strength-based approach to meet the individual needs of neurodiverse learners who may also experience anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, substance abuse or other forms of maladaptive coping. Lynn focuses on the importance of developing authentic relationships to strengthen personal character, purpose, and emotional maturity. She appreciates the challenge of understanding each student’s unique life story and uses her optimism, passion, humor, and kindness to help find the key components that can support students in building a life they want to live. What makes you happy about working at Embark at Flathead Valley? Embark at Flathead Valley provides an opportunity for me to be part of the students’ everyday routines and interactions. Seeing the students function in multiple environments allows me to build a deep understanding of their strengths and areas of need. Using that knowledge I can create growth experiences within a multidisciplinary team that can be implemented and practiced in all areas of functioning. The short-term residential environment offers a unique perspective, as a therapist, to see a student’s functioning in real-time and provide in-the-moment strategies to support the students in utilizing healthy skills. What are your interests outside of work? I love being outside; exploring and adventuring with my husband, son, and daughter. Some of our favorite activities are skiing, rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and traveling. I also enjoy relaxing with a good book and learning new things.
Lynn Marshall, PsyD
Clinical Director
Lynn Marshall has been focused on child and adolescent development...
David Chiarito, MS
MS Experiential Education, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN BS Outdoor Recreation Leadership, Unity College, Unity, ME David has served in the Behavioral Health Care field for over 25 years. David began his career in wilderness therapy and has worked with hundreds of adolescents, young adults, and their families in a variety of contexts and programming environments. David has served in a variety of roles, including direct-care staff, case management, program design and development, outreach and admissions, and administration. David’s approach is very much boots on the ground as his passion is engaging with clients, families, and staff alike. David has been with Embark since the Spring of 2016. In his free time, David enjoys spending his time with his wife, and two boys and loves to participate in all of the outdoor activities that Montana has to offer.

David Chiarito, MS
Executive Director - Flathead Valley
As Executive Director at Embark at Flathead Valley, David Chiarito...

Tour Our Treatment Center

Insurance Reimbursement
Residential treatment at our facility is frequently reimbursed by insurance plans. To determine if your plan will cover the cost of inpatient care, contact our team or fill out our insurance verification form. We’ll work with your insurance company for free to help you understand your benefits. Let us help you demystify insurance coverage for residential treatment.


Residential Treatment Serving Youths From Montana and Across the Country
Our treatment center offers coed residential care and support for adolescents and teens who may be struggling with behavioral health issues. Our inpatient facility is proud to offer youths and families in Montana and around the country customized mental health treatment from clinicians who use evidence-based methods. Adolescents and teens enrolled in our program are provided with care for issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and more in a healing, nurturing environment so they can overcome the challenges that may be affecting their everyday lives.

A Day at Our Inpatient Program
Our treatment center offers a structured, supportive learning environment designed to promote healing, self-care, and emotional wellness. The schedule for youths enrolled in our Montana residential facility includes mental health and daily living activities, individual and group therapy, exercise, and meals. This approach, in combination with family therapy, is designed to build confidence, strengthen relationships, and improve social-emotional functioning.
7am
Breakfast
8:30am
School
12:30pm
Lunch
1:30pm
Group support
3pm
Therapy
4pm
Fitness
6pm
Dinner
7pm
Social Night
8pm
Evening routine

Therapeutic and Adventure Therapy Activities
In addition to traditional therapy methods, our residential treatment center’s beautiful location near Whitefish, Montana, will allow your adolescent or teen to participate in therapeutic and experiential activities like rock climbing and hiking. We also offer therapeutic trips to picturesque areas such as Glacier National Park, a short two-hour drive from our program. These activities will help your child learn how to apply the skills learned on campus in real-world environments while also learning healthy and appropriate ways to enjoy life.
Here are some examples of activities adolescents and teens can participate in at our Montana location:

Emotional
Animal interactions
Painting
Pottery
Band and music production
Poetry

Physical
White water rafting
Strength training
Basketball
Marathon Running
Soccer
Indoor climbing
State park outdoor activities
Horseback riding
Mountain biking
Snowshoeing
Snowboarding and skiing
Hiking

Social
Karaoke
Service projects
Baking
Gardening

Intellectual
Museums
Movie theatres
Cultural events
Aquarium/zoo
Attending plays
Improv workshops

Spiritual
Yoga
Sound bath

Embark Inpatient Program in Montana FAQ
During residential treatment, at our beautiful center in Montana, adolescents and teens will participate in a schedule of activities centered around treating mental health conditions and healing. Some of the benefits of residential care at Embark are that it’s more affordable than long-term care, the 90-day average length of stay means young people can more quickly transition back into life at home, and it’s frequently reimbursed by insurance.
The main differences between our residential care and a typical inpatient treatment program are the treatment environment and length of stay. Our beautiful location in Marion provides adolescents and teens with residential treatment in a healing, nurturing setting and a schedule that mirrors home life but with therapy mixed in throughout the day. Inpatient treatment usually takes place in a hospital environment. Our facility also provides a longer treatment time, lasting around 90 days on average compared to an inpatient hospitalization stay that often lasts for several days.
The length of treatment differs for each adolescent and teen, but on average, residential care at our Montana center lasts around 90 days.
Adolescents and teens from all over the United States can come to our beautiful facility for the intensive 24-hour care it can provide for a wide range of mental health issues. For youths who have safety issues or a lack of support at home or who need a high level of care after an inpatient hospitalization or outpatient treatment, our residential treatment center can be a good option.
Our residential treatment is necessary when your adolescent or teen’s mental health needs are too great for outpatient care or when they’re stepping down in treatment intensity, for example from an inpatient hospitalization program. Residential care can also be a good option if someone feels unsafe at home or is trying to break out of a negative daily routine.
It can be hard for adolescents and teens to think about or accept going to a residential treatment center to address their difficult mental health issues. Help motivate your child to embrace this type of treatment by asking open-ended questions about their situation and how this experience could improve it. Reassure them you’ll provide support by participating in family therapy during their stay and maintaining regular communication with them while they’re at the facility. Share success stories from residential treatment programs. We’re happy to provide a few testimonials from our Embark locations.

Reviews

A Continuum of Mental Health Care Offered Across the U.S.

If residential programs don’t offer the level of care your adolescent or teen needs, Embark Behavioral Health offers a range of exceptional treatment and therapy options across the United States.
From virtual counseling to outpatient therapy, our robust continuum of care will provide the right level of treatment to help your child overcome difficult mental health challenges.
Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how they’re changing the lives of adolescents, teens, and young adults across the U.S., helping them embrace a fulfilling and purposeful future.
Start your healing journey
Call or fill out the contact form below.
Embark Behavioral Health
9705 Lost Prairie Road
Marion, MT 59925

Read more about our treatment outcomes.