Key Partners: Local ADRCs, faith-based organizations, senior centers, county health departments   

Montana has started a pilot outreach project, targeted toward faith-based organizations, senior centers, and county health departments, with a seven-county rural Area Agency on Aging (AAA). The AAA has hired a recent college graduate for a 30 hour a week position to conduct vaccine outreach. The graduate has created an informative presentation on vaccines to give at senior centers throughout the seven counties. It was discovered, during his first presentation, that everyone in the room had already been vaccinated. He has now taken a new angle and reworked the presentation (attached) towards how the vaccinated can debunk vaccine rumors and address vaccine hesitancy among friends and family. It includes a gentle way for people to be able to talk to their family members and offer trusted sources. He is also developing partnerships with all the county health departments, to brainstorm ideas for outreach due to the recent stall in vaccination rates. In addition, the graduate has recently started reaching out to faith-based organizations in hopes to gain trusted leaders across the region. See the toolkit for faith-based leaders attached. In addition, check out the MadetoSave and Faith4vaccines Vaccine Equity Faith Summit Toolkit.