The Community Indicators Report is an information resource which provides a snapshot of current community conditions and trends based on selected quantitative data gathered from a variety of sources. The monitoring and analysis of trends can help show strengths and weaknesses of community life. It is an important tool to be used in building community and strengthening the infrastructure for collaboration.

The Community Indicators Report is designed to be a complementary tool for identifying needs along with other methods of assessment which are available such as public surveys or focus group results. A single approach to the assessment of community needs doesn't meet the most basic requirement of a generalized assessment of need in a community.

• The document is provided for the use of organizations, institutions and individuals concerned with the well-being of the residents of Yellowstone County. Such information can be used in:
• improving community awareness and education
• inspiring a community to focus and work together
• determining better resource and asset utilization
• identifying whether initiatives and collective actions are improving the community
• identifying community priorities and providing a basis for setting goals and targets for action
• improving organizational and program planning and development
• increasing the ability of grant writers to "make the case"
• supporting and validating community concerns and priorities

The first Community Indicators Report was prepared in 1998. The key elements or areas of community wellness and the indicators to be included were selected by a task force with review by selected "experts." The reporting areas were aligned with the categories included in the 1994 Community Needs Assessment. Slight adjustments were made in the 1999 report based on input from those using the first report and in consultation with some of the original task force members.

The data included in this report is from existing official sources that had the ability to provide data over a period of time so an indication of trends was possible. The statements indicating trends, in most cases, reflect trends beginning three years back from the most current information shown. State comparisons were shown where only requested for the most current year.

Readers are cautioned to use this report as the tool it was intended to be and not draw instant conclusions about the trends based solely on the presentation of data. The data provided does not represent community problems until they are judged to be indications of negative or harmful conditions.

The State of Montana Prevention Resource Center awarded a grant to the United Way of Yellowstone County to participate in a state-wide, prevention coalition building project.

The project was designed to build the capacity of the community to work more cooperatively and collaboratively to ensure the healthy development and well-being of children and families in order to reduce the incidence of child abuse, drug-alcohol use, teen pregnancy, school dropouts and youth violence. Having information about local situations helps a community to focus its resources, and the development and updating of this Community Indicators Report has been a part of the Yellowstone County Prevention Resource Center Project.

The Montana Prevention Resource Center helped fund Sara Christensen, AmeriCorps VISTA, who was placed with the United Way of Yellowstone County. Sara's exceptional work including her motivation, diligence and persistence is the reason this edition of the Community Indicators Report is available for your use.

UNITED WAY OF YELLOWSTONE COUNTY

The United Way of Yellowstone County is a local, not-for-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to increasing the organized capacity of people to care for one another by generating financial resources and mobilizing community involvement and action to build a strong, healthy, more compassionate community. United Way strives to provide opportunities for all of us to magnify and multiply our caring. United Way was founded and continues to operate from the basic premise that working together we can do more than we could ever do alone.