The Communities in Action (CIA) Project, administered by the Richland County Health Department in is implementing a sustainable community building process that combines all aspects of health and economic development to improve quality of life in eastern Montana. This unique, multi-faceted approach is a response to the modern day needs of frontier life and is established through identifying, developing, implementing, sustaining, and evaluating healthy approaches to community development.

In partnership with the Richland County Health Department, Communities In Action is developing a Social Health Index. The SHI is a compilation of indicators that form a quantitative measure of social well-being in a community. These indicators range from infant mortality to unemployment and use of Medicaid. Each year the local data for these indicators is evaluated and compared to previous data, providing a way for the community to measure its own issues and progress.

Many of CIA's community building projects in eastern Montana are supported by AmeriCorps*VISTAs, volunteers who dedicate a year of indirect service to helping a community in eastern Montana develop its capacity to overcome challenges. To learn more about VISTA positions in eastern Montana (including how to get a VISTA for your organization), please visit CIA's website.