Rural Recycling
VISTAs in Miles City and Sidney worked with local organizations that already provide recycling to rural residents to expand those services and make them more cost effective. These organizations also provide vocational and rehabilitational services to disabled adults in their communities, which makes the profitability of their recycling programs critical. VISTA efforts have resulted in partnerships between non-profits, area businesses and local governments to sustain recycling and protect the environment in Eastern Montana.
Mental Health Support Services
One VISTA has been assisting the project manager at District II Alcohol and Drug to increase mental health support services and suicide prevention in eastern Montana. Ths VISTA guided suicide prevention infrastructure and policy development, assisted with Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) trainings to build capacity for suicide prevention in 5 counties and worked with the Local Advisory Council and Eastern Service Area Authority to build community and stakeholder support for a regional mental health crisis center.
Family Resource Center
The Richland County Family Resource Center is a collaborative effort between several community agencies, including the District II Alcohol and Drug Program, the Richland County Public Library, and the Richland County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RCCADV). A VISTA has helped develop a close relationship between the key collaborators through the formation of an advisory group. The purpose of this advisory group is to discuss the current status of the Family Resource Center, plan activities and events, and develop a strategic plan that will sustain the Resource Center within the community. One of the primary elements of this project was the coordination of two 15-week sessions of parenting classes, which included organizing facilitators as well as identifying sources for meal donations each week. In addition, the VISTA worked with the librarian to research resource materials and make them available them in the resource area at the library as well as to maintain community contacts through email and phone updates to ensure the awareness, support, and continuity of the resource center.
Cross-referencing Community Strategic Plans
Communities in Action seeks to unite the efforts of various public and private non-profit organizations in eastern Montana to prevent duplication and better utilize the scarce resources available for community development in our region. To this end, VISTAs have gathered several of the strategic plans developed by different community organizations in Richland County and cross-referenced them around a framework of common goals. This approach highlights areas of effort where these organizations can and are coming together to improve life in Richland County. To see the final product of this analysis, click here.
"State of the Community" County-Wide Conference
The "State of the Community" County-Wide Conference has been a joint effort between the County Planner Office, Planning Board, Health Department and Communities In Action. The idea originated with the Planning Board as a way to help them get a better understanding of what projects had been worked on in the community and update their Growth Policy. As the Health Department and Communities In Action continued to work on their Strategic Plan and Social Health Index as well as search for ways to keep the community involved, the partnership seemed natural. A VISTA has been working with all of the involved groups to make sure the conference meets everyone needs as well as making presentations to the community and writing articles to encourage community-wide participation. The Conference will focus on topics that have been identified by the Planning Board and the Health Department as being key to the healthy growth of Richland County and include: housing, economic development, public facilities, natural and cultural resources, agriculture and public services.
Quality of Life Profile
The Richland County Public Health Department partnered with the Communities In Action Steering Committee and staff, as well as many interested and active organizations, agencies, coalitions, and individuals in Richland County as well as volunteers from the VISTA program to produce a Quality of Life Profile for Richland County. It embraces the broadest definition of a healthy community including: social circumstances, environmental conditions, economic development and county/cities growth policies. The report includes both assessment data and identified common themes that pinpoint opportunities for improvement in the quality of life in Richland County.