The Montana COMMUNITY CHANGE Project funds 6 regions which collectively includes 18 counties and three (3) reservations across the state. Each of the counties / reservations will use an environmental prevention approach to address both of the project’s alcohol-related focus areas:
- Lifespan binge drinking with emphasis on underage binge drinking
- Lifespan drinking and driving by all age groups with emphasis on underage drinking and driving
The MT Community Change Project is a needs-based project. This means communities included in the project are among those with the very highest levels of binge drinking and drinking and driving rates in the state. Communities included in this project are shown below.
For Contact Information for each Community, click here.
| County/Reservation/Municipality Funded |
Pikanni Action Team: Browning, Heart Butte, and Seville |
Southwest Montana Community Change Project Butte-Silver Bow, Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Madison and Powell Counties |
Northeast Montana Community Change Project Dawson, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Wibaux Counties and Fort Peck Reservation |
Northwest Montana Community Change Project Flathead Reservation, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders Counties |
Hi-Line Community Change Project Blaine, Hill and Phillips Counties |
Jefferson County Community Change Project Boulder and Whitehall |
The Montana Community Change Project is also an outcome-based project. Data plays a key role in every step of the project, from identifying communities with the greatest need to providing direction on the most appropriate solution for each unique community. Counties/reservations collect local data showing the current level of binge drinking and drinking and driving, as well as the associated consequences of that behavior in their communities. Counties/reservations also examine their own existing community environments; in other words, the norms, practices, and policies that may contribute to an unsafe and unhealthy environment relative to binge drinking and drinking and driving. All of this information provides the basis for selecting the most appropriate evidence-based solution for each community. More details on the data collected as part of the MTCC Project is located in the ‘Applied Data’ section.
Communities included in the MT Community Change Project are supported through a unique design of on-site and remote training and technical assistance provided by the Institute for Public Strategies (IPS). In addition to regional and statewide training's, IPS staff, all experienced in implementing environmental prevention projects, work closely with local project teams offering small-group customized trainings, strategic consultation, media advocacy support and other related technical assistance as needed on a regular and on-going basis.
Definitions:
- 'Lifespan' indicates that all age groups who binge drink and all age groups who drink and drive are to be addressed by the project, although the emphasis is on individuals under age 21.
- 'Binge drinking' is defined as consuming 5 or more drinks in one sitting.
- A ‘drink’ is defined as a 12oz serving of beer, a 1.5 oz shot of liquor or a 5oz glass of wine.