Door-to-Door County Health Survey Scheduled for late June, Volunteers Needed

HELENA, Montana – Lewis and Clark Public Health officials, in collaboration with PureView Health Center, St. Peter's Health, United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area, Rocky Mountain Development Council, and the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, are overseeing a first-of-its-kind community health survey in a multi-county area that spans Lewis and Clark, Jefferson, Powell, Broadwater, and Meagher counties.   

Scheduled for late June, the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response – or CASPER – survey will take place in neighborhoods around the five-county area, according to Lewis and Clark Public Health Officer, Drenda Niemann.  

Niemann said it's meant to provide a snapshot of our communities on several health conditions, behaviors, and social determinants of health, including cancer, heart disease, substance use, mental health, housing, childcare, food security, and more.  

Survey results will be included in the 2024 Community Health Report, published by the Healthy Together Steering Committee every three years. 

Formalized in October 2017, the Healthy Together Steering Committee is an ongoing partnership among agencies in Lewis and Clark County that are concerned with improving population health.  

That report will then form the basis for the Community Health Improvement Plan, which will be developed and released in 2025 and help determine public health priorities to improve health outcomes for residents of the county.  

Niemann, who is overseeing the local work, said that among its many benefits, the CASPER survey is an opportunity for local, state, and federal agencies – both government and nonprofit - to connect with residents and hear firsthand their thoughts about the overall health of the community.  

Volunteers Needed 

The door-to-door survey will take place between 2:30 and 7:30 pm Tuesday, June 25 in Lewis and Clark County – with team visits in Helena, Lincoln, Augusta, and the surrounding areas.  

According to United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area Executive Director Emily McVey, thirty 2-member survey teams will visit neighborhoods, going door to door, locating seven respondent households within each census block. McVey said team members will wear bright vests and will carry identification cards. 

Survey team members will include a volunteer pool of college students and athletes, community health workers, civic groups, hospital, clinic, and public health employees, state public health personnel, and concerned residents.  

They will not be collecting any personal information and will only conduct the work during the daytime, no later than 7:30 pm. 

"County residents who are interested in community health work are encouraged to apply and sign up to volunteer as surveyors." McVey said. 

Visit https://form.jotform.com/Clark_Lewis/CasperVolunteerSurvey2024 to fill out a volunteer application form. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 17.  

Community Response Encouraged 

The Healthy Together Steering Committee began planning for the survey in December 2023. 

"It's been a pretty intensive planning process for us," Niemann said.  

Niemann said the CASPER process involves choosing 60 census tracts within the five counties, both rural and city centered. Seven houses within each tract are then selected at random.  

The survey teams will ask residents about their safety concerns, access to health care, knowledge of mental and behavioral health services, barriers to receiving care, and preferred communication methods.  

"It's important for people to realize that they're not being graded on their answers, and that their answers will be completely confidential," McVey added. 

She said those answers should be interesting and could provide surprises during analysis. 

Niemann said she hopes to have the community's help in identifying gaps in the local response to community health needs.  

"We are so grateful for the community's time and support in this venture." 

"If someone knocks on your door, please answer. Your responses are invaluable to the future health of our communities." 

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete at the resident's doorstep, after which they will be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card.  

The CASPER Survey is a quick and reliable series of questions that provide leaders with household-based information about a community, strengthening our county's public health response and resilience.  

Community members who have questions about the CASPER survey should email Lewis and Clark Public Health at [email protected]. If you are interested in volunteering, please call Lewis and Clark Public Health Prevention Program Supervisor Julie Bir at 406-457-8979 or email her at [email protected].