STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTO BY JOY PRUDEK

Blaine County residents are invited to share their thoughts on behavioral health needs in a survey being conducted to enhance the quality of life for the county’s residents.

The Community Behavioral Health Needs Survey is being conducted by the Blaine County Mental Well-Being Initiative in partnership with St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation.

It is online at https://www.prcsurvey.com/begin/BlaineCounty2025 through March 21, 2025.

The anonymous survey seeks to gather input from those 18 and older who live and/or work in Blaine County on such topics as community connections, quality of life and mental challenges, including alcohol use.

It is available in both English and Spanish and takes five minutes to complete.

"This survey is a crucial step toward deepening our understanding of the behavioral health needs in Blaine County," said Jenna Vagias, Project Manager for the Mental Well-Being Initiative. "By hearing directly from our community, we can pinpoint where support is most needed and work together to enhance services and foster stronger connections.”

The Mental Well-Being initiative plans to conduct the survey annually and then biannually to develop a long-term strategy to address behavioral health challenges. A random selection of households will be contacted to participate in a confidential phone survey.

“Unlike previous health surveys that focused broadly on community health, this survey zeroes in on behavioral health issues, giving us a much-needed baseline for our strategic planning,” Vagias said. “By participating, you’re helping us shape a comprehensive and informed approach to improving mental well-being in Blaine County.”

The Mental Well-Being initiative aims to gather at least 500 responses from a diverse, representative range of voices. Administered by Professional Research Consultants and funded by the Katz Amsterdam Foundation, the survey is part of a collaborative effort to track behavioral health data across nine mountain resort communities in the western United States.

“Partnering with the Katz Amsterdam Foundation on mental and behavioral health in the Mountain West will help us measure progress toward our goal of ensuring everyone in our community can achieve well-being,” said Megan Tanous, Chief Development Officer at St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation.

The Blaine County Mental Well-Being Initiative was launched in 2023. Spearheaded by St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation, it brings together 40 partners from local government, healthcare, nonprofits, education, business and religious organizations to build a mental well-being ecosystem.

Over an 18-month period, five community-identified goals have emerged: Building stronger connections, offering mental health training, improving access to behavioral health care, enhancing crisis response and strengthening infrastructure.