AmeriCorps Planning Initiative

This initiative seeks to develop an AmeriCorps program tailored to Montana's health needs, focusing on mental health, substance use disorder, chronic disease management, and social determinants of health.

What is AmeriCorps?

Mission: To improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.

AmeriCorps is a federal program for national service and volunteer work. It helps fund organizations that solve important community problems by placing AmeriCorps members in service roles. Members serve for a set period to help with challenges like education, health, disaster services, and economic opportunity. AmeriCorps programs use people’s time and skills to make a lasting impact and create real solutions.

Overview of the AmeriCorps Planning Initiative

The Montana Office of Rural Health & Area Health Education Center (MORH/AHEC) at Montana State University received a planning grant from the Montana Governor’s Office of Community Service to explore how an AmeriCorps program can help meet Montana’s public health needs.

The initiative will take place in three primary phases; 

	Crafting Program Direction In this phase, we will set the program’s goals based on data from the Community Health Needs Assessment, Community Health Implementation Plans, and the State Service Plan. We’ll also gather feedback from stakeholders and hold focus groups with organizations already working on these goals. This will help us decide what results we want the program to achieve.
	Building Program Management The second phase of the AmeriCorps Planning initiative includes establishing program regulations such as term lengths, host site agreements, member recruitment plans, and program data management.
	Program Implementation The final phase will focus on finalizing the program’s details and preparing for the official launch.

Current Progress

Crafting Program Direction 

Our AmeriCorps planning initiative is gaining momentum! Here’s what we’ve accomplished since its kickoff in September 2024.

Established Program Goals: Grounded in statewide data, taking into account perspectives from healthcare facilities, frontline professionals, and community members, the program goals are; 

1. 1. Strengthen Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Services
   2. Improve Chronic Disease Prevention And Management
   3. Address Social Determinants Of Health

Hosted Program Discovery Call: On November 7th, MORH/AHEC hosted a statewide Discovery Call. The call aimed to introduce stakeholders to the AmeriCorps planning initiative and engage organizations statewide in collaborative planning efforts. Key takeaways include:

Discovery Call Registrants by zip code. 

The Discovery Call drew significant statewide interest. The map demonstrates the geographic spread of the nearly 100 registrants from as far northwest as Eureka across to the northeast corner of Plentywood, down to Ekalaka and beyond. Notably, are the 34 registrants from rural and frontier areas outside of urban hubs like Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, Bozeman, and Helena. 

Discovery Call Participants working within goal area.

When call attendees were asked to select which program goal they work in, and allowed to select all that apply, the interconnected nature of program goals became apparent. 88% of participants indicated they currently conduct work to address social determinants of health (SDH). 75% answered that they are working within mental health and substance use disorder (MHSUD), and 62% within chronic disease prevention and management (CDPM). 

Discovery Call Wordcloud.

Funding was identified as the top challenge, with 20 participants submitting it in response to the question, What are the most pressing challenges you are seeing in your work related to our goals?. Followed by capacity with 14 submissions and workforce with seven submissions. Participants were able to submit three responses to the question. These responses underscore critical areas where AmeriCorps programming could provide support.

Gathered Focus Group Insights: Between November 21st and November 26th, MORH/AHEC hosted five focus groups with professionals across Montana to dive deeper into community needs. Key takeaways include:

• Community-led initiatives and collaborative efforts that bring accessible services directly to individuals were highlighted as successful service pathways.
• Difficulties in engaging communities, addressing stigma, and overcoming structural inequities such as transportation and access to care are woven throughout the state. 
• Enthusiasm was expressed for AmeriCorps members to serve as resource navigators and collaborators in underserved areas.
• Sustainable funding, housing availability, and robust training programs were identified as critical for the success of an AmeriCorps program.

Draft Program Outcomes: Guided by these engagements, our draft program outcomes focus on creating impactful change:

	Expand Organizational Capacity for More Efficient & Impactful Programming. Participating organizations will demonstrate improved efficiency and effectiveness in delivering their programs, leading to greater community impact.
	Strengthen Community Engagement and Understanding to Reduce Stigma and Improve Health Outcomes. AmeriCorps members will foster community engagement in substantive educational activities that increase understanding of health topics and reduce stigma. This will contribute to more informed health decisions, reduce barriers to accessing services, and improve overall health outcomes.
	Enhance Collaboration To Drive Sustainable Community Health Impact And Improve Resource Sharing.  AmeriCorps members will actively foster new partnerships between local organizations, service providers, and community stakeholders. By engaging with and building connections with diverse community players, AmeriCorps members will contribute to a more coordinated and sustainable approach to addressing pressing community needs.

Looking Ahead

These draft outcomes will be refined through ongoing stakeholder collaboration, small group discussions, and upcoming advisory committee meetings. Next, we will move into Building Program Management by creating program policies and data management planning.

Together, we’re building an AmeriCorps program that meets Montana’s unique needs while creating sustainable community health improvements. Thank you to all who have made this possible! We look forward to continuing to shape this initiative. Updates will be provided as they become available.

Questions?

For more information about our AmeriCorps planning initiative or to find out
how your organization can get involved, please contact:

Angela Davis
angela.davis9@montana.edu
406-994-2984