Friday, December 30, 2016

Colorado School of Public Health is Hiring


University of Colorado – Colorado School of Public Health
Professional Research Assistant - Job Number 07457

The Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health (CAIANH), Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado | Anschutz Medical Campus, seeks a part time (.50 FTE) Professional Research Assistant to serve as a Researcher/Technical Advisor for the monitoring contract issued by the Indian Health Service Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreements Program (TIPCAP). The TIPCAP monitoring contractor provides professional oversight and technical expertise in the best practices in community-based injury prevention program planning, development, implementation, evaluation, training, and resource development to two types of grantees – Part I, Injury Prevention Programs and Part II, Injury Prevention Program Effective Strategy Projects.

This half-time position will work closely with the Project Director to support the overall efforts of the project. More specifically, the Researcher/Technical Advisor will be responsible for assessing the needs of the grantees under TIPCAP and working closely with identified injury prevention consultants to determine appropriate resources and training opportunities that provide technical assistance to fulfill those needs. This position will assist in ensuring that the deliverables of the contract are completed.

Find more information and apply online here: https://cu.taleo.net/careersection/2/moresearch.ftl 

Enter the job number (07457) into the advanced search to access the job posting

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

WEBINAR: Safe Sleep: Using Home Visiting and Welcome Family Visits to Improve Safe Sleep

Our national Infant Mortality CoIIN partners are presenting the following webinar:

"Safe Sleep: Using Home Visiting and Welcome Family Visits to Improve Safe Sleep"

January 3rd, 12:00 - 1:00pm MT (2-3:00 pm ET)

Presenters: Massachusetts Welcome Family Home Visiting

Join us to learn from the Massachusetts State team about their successes and lessons learned in integrating safe sleep practices into home visiting through the Welcome Family Home Visiting pilot.

REGISTER HERE: http://www.cvent.com/surveys/Welcome.aspx?s=d4579cdc-da3c-4fbd-9e6b-03ed3a0fc119

Funding Opportunity for Local Initiatives Working on Social Determinants of Health

Health is influenced by more than an individual's health behaviors and their access to health care services. Nonclinical factors such as housing, transportation, food access, educational attainment, and income greatly impact health outcomes.  These factors are often referred to as social determinants of health or upstream factors, and they are the focus of the BUILD Health Challenge. The initiative is looking to add 17+ community collaboratives in their newest round of funding and support.

BUILD is a national funding collaborative focused on improving the health and well-being of individuals and families through BOLD, UPSTREAM, INTEGRATED, LOCAL, and DATA-DRIVEN community-driven projects.  Its diverse founders, including the Colorado Health Foundation, understand the need to build cross-sectional collaboration across disciplines as well as focusing on upstream factors to effectively and sustainably improve community health. The hospital-community-public health partnership make this program both unique and sustainable.  

Three of the grants BUILD intends to award in this next funding round will be dedicated to the state of Colorado.  Please visit the BUILD Health Challenge application website to view more details about the award and eligibility.  There will be a webinar on January 31 to go over the details of the award--interested parties must register on the BUILD Health Challenge website.  Applications for the BUILD Health Challenge will be accepted between January 10-February 21 2017 (deadline 5pm EST).

Thursday, December 22, 2016

WEBINAR: Building Effective Partnerships for Fatality Review

Our partners at the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Death are hosting an upcoming webinar:

"Building Effective Partnerships for Fatality Review"

Presented on January 11, 2017 at 12 pm MST/2pm EST

Dr. Carolyn Cumpsty-Fowler will be presenting on different aspects of partnerships as strong and diverse partnerships are the foundation of a successful mortality review team. Partnerships are vital for all aspects of mortality review work, including reviewing deaths, abstracting and collecting data and identifying and implementing prevention recommendations. This webinar will focus on identifying and engaging new partners, identifying methods for improving collaboration with existing partners, and best practices in partnership building.

REGISTER HERE: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5876092883902816260

If you are not able to watch the webinar live, you can find the recorded webinar posted with the slides on the NCFRP website: www.ncfrp.org.

Resources on the Social Determinants of Health

If you're looking for resources that explain the social determinants of health, please check out the American Public Health Association's (APHA) The Nation's Health series on the social determinants of health including data write-ups, infographics, and more (http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/site/misc/socialdeterminants.xhtml).

Instead of addressing poor health outcomes one patient at a time, by addressing the social determinants of health (housing, income, education, etc.), we can bolster important protective factors and therefore decrease and prevent violence and injury in our communities.

Increasing connectedness as an important protective factor for adolescent men

Research and personal experience tell us about the importance of friendships for adolescents. Still, we know that many adolescent boys struggle to make and keep close friends. A new video called “The Crisis of Connection for Adolescent Boys” underscores that adolescent boys want and need close, supportive friendships and provides guidance to professionals and family members on how to foster those relationships.

The video features NYU Professor Niobe Way, who has studied adolescents’ social development for over 30 years. She shares what young men say about increasing isolation as they move from childhood to adolescence and how social connections affect health and well-being. In this video Way encourages adults to rethink assumptions and provides strategies to encourage the friendships that help adolescent boys thrive.

This is the first in a new TAG Talks video series created as part of the Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow® (TAG) call to action from the HHS Office of Adolescent Health. Find the videos and supplemental materials on the OAH site.

NEW CoVDRS reports on violent deaths in Colorado

The Colorado Violent Death Reporting System (CoVDRS) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released a series of reports, profiling violent deaths in Colorado’s 21 health statistics regions.

The reports contain detailed information on the burden, characteristics and overall profile of suicides, homicides and unintentional firearm deaths among residents of Colorado’s health statistics regions. These 21 regions are made up of counties and aggregations of counties developed by the Health Statistics Section in partnership with state and local public health professionals using statistical and demographic criteria. The goal of these reports is to inform injury and violence prevention efforts at the local and regional level.

The data in these reports comes directly from the enhanced public health surveillance system CoVDRS which is part of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). The NVDRS is funded and maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and aims to collect detailed, multi-source data on violent deaths throughout the United States.

The reports can be found at the below link: www.chd.dphe.state.co.us/topics.aspx?q=Mortality_Data

Once on the page scroll down to the “Colorado Violent Death Reporting System” drop down, and then click on the “Regional Reports” tab. This contains a map of Colorado, click on the region of interest and the appropriate violent death report will download/open.

Please feel free to pass these reports on to any and all community stakeholders, violence and injury prevention specialists, local public health agencies, or any other interested parties.

Infographic: Youth Substance Use from the 2016 Monitoring the Future Survey

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released the results from the 2016 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. The MTF survey is administered to 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students and focuses on drug use. The results from the 2016 MTF survey are promising, showing a long-term decline in youth use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and many other illicit substances. Prescription drug misuse has also declined.

Visit the NIH to see the full infographic and to access more survey results.

WEBINAR: Health Equity for Transgender Youth

Recorded Webinar: "Health Equity for Transgender Youth"
 
Presented December 6, 2016

The first webinar in the Colorado Public Health Webinar Series focused on health equity issues related to transgender youth in Colorado. Our presenter was Leo Kattari, an inspiring advocate for health equity and social justice. He currently oversees the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Leo's background is in social work, policy/advocacy, community mobilization, and health education. He has worked with organizations, universities, and health care institutions across the country to advance the health and well-being of all people with an emphasis in LGBT health, leadership development, and community engagement.

Webinar materials: 

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Andy's Data Blog: Random musing from a data nerd

Book learnin’, trivia, and practical information: what’s your preference?
By CFPS Epi, Andy Woster
The Gestalt Psychologist, Kurt Lewin, described field theory in the context of psychology and behavior in the 1940s. Prior to Lewin field theory had been used by physicists to model and describe the interaction of multiple forces. (I know what you’re thinking, but hang in there.) When I learned about field theory in my “Environmental Psychology” course during my second year in college, our discussion of Lewin’s “life space” was sophomoric. In fact, I remember only one thing about “life space,” that there were things that existed beyond our awareness that impacted our behavior. At that time, I wondered what those things might be. “I already knew about a pizza delivery deal each night of the week! What more could there be to know?” Well, except maybe how to properly dispose of all those pizza boxes!
Today, I realize more often than comfort dictates that I am unaware of just about everything. For instance, did you know the calculator on your iPhone will display scientific functions if you turn it sideways? How about that little gas tank and arrow on your gas gauge? On a number of cars this symbol can let you know that which side of the car to fuel up on. (This isn’t true for all cars, of course. That would be too easy!) Maybe you just didn’t know that you needed an ID to purchase compressed air to clean your keyboard (One person’s trash is another person’s party?).
It’s not possible to know everything and arguably no one should strive to. I am here, however, to provide you with a morsel (or two) that may make your CFPS life easier. If you’ve not already discovered this, you can login and test it. Once I share with you this little tidbit, you will call me a godsend. (That was intentionally imperative, 303-692-2477.) When you are completing case reviews and entering data into the case reporting system there is a small question mark behind the majority of the questions. Allowing your mouse to hover over those little question marks will trigger a dialogue box which often provides the criteria to objectively answer the question in question (☺). Did you also know that selecting the help section from the left-hand menu of the case reporting system provides you with access to webinars and supporting documentation from the national center? From here you can access the data dictionary and see the definitions for nearly all of the case reporting system questions and the criteria necessary for answering those questions. This is a really useful tool for those moments when you’re just not sure if a question is to be answered based on the documentation or the subjective opinion of the team.
So, there it is. In one brief paragraph I just completely revised your entire CFPS data entry experience. In all seriousness though, I hope you will be able to access some resources you were previously unaware of and this will make your life ever-so-slightly easier. Our partners at the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention work diligently on these definitions and neglecting them makes concrete interpretation of our data more difficult by creating a space where people use varying criteria to answer the same questions. This variation limits our understanding of the data and slows our progress toward effective prevention.
Did you know you know the take-out box from your recent order of Chinese also doubles as a fold-out plate?

Results from the Smart Source Pilot

The Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) released an Executive Summary of the 2015-2016 Smart Source Pilot. The pilot includes data from 451 schools throughout Colorado (25% of the K-12 schools in the state) to better understand the health-related policies and practices in place in Colorado's schools. School staff complete a comprehensive school-level assessment on a variety of topics:
  • General Health Policies and Practices  
  • Nutrition
  • Physical Education/Physical Activity
  • Health Education
  • Health Services
  • Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services
  • Healthy and Safe School Environment
  • Family, Community, and Student Involvement
  • Staff Health Promotion
Access the Colorado Healthy Schools Smart Source Executive Summary here: www.joomag.com/magazine/smart-source-2015-16-executive-summary/0153690001481220614?short

School-Based Health Center Funding Opportunity

The School-Based Heath Center (SBHC) Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment  is releasing a four-year Planning-to-Operations Request for Applications (RFA) to establish new school-based health centers in Colorado.

The funding goal of this RFA is to expand the SBHC network in Colorado by investing with schools and medical sponsors who will evaluate available resources, assess need and feasibility of a SBHC in a community and plan to develop a new SBHC. Then, once the SBHC is operational, they will provide accessible, high quality care, in the most patient-centered, efficient and sustainable way possible, and utilized by the greatest number of high-need children/youth possible to improve health outcomes.

Below a timeline for this RFA:
    - RFA release date                                                               Dec. 19, 2016
    - Question and answer period                                               Dec. 19, 2016 to Feb. 6, 2017
    - Posting of RFA webinar recording (application overview)     Jan. 4, 2017
    - RFA due date (electronic submissions only)                         Feb. 8, 2017 (by 4:00 p.m.)
    - Funding start date                                                            July 1, 2017

Find more information and apply here: www.colorado.gov/cdphe/sbhc-planning-to-operations

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Looking for more information on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)?


Funding for travel and lodging accommodations may be available for qualifying districts traveling 100 miles or more. Email Holly Haynes (hhaynes@coloradoedinitiative.org) with questions or call 720-502-4717. You may also submit a reimbursement form.

Register for free here. The registration deadline is 
Wednesday, January 11, 2017. 

New Surgeon General report on substance use in the US

The newly released U.S. Surgeon General's Report addresses a health and public health crisis affecting every community across our state. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health is a comprehensive review of the science of substance use, misuse, and disorders. Notably, the report includes a section on prevention strategies across the lifespan, from infancy to adolescence and into adulthood, and considers prevention strategies that impact the whole social ecology from individual-level interventions to social policy changes. The report also considers key risk and protective factors to prevent substance misuse from an evidence-based, public health perspective. The report is available online at https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov.

Free safeTALK Suicide Prevention Training in Douglas County

In partnership Douglas County Government – Phillip S Miller grant, Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, the Rotary of Castle Pines, the Douglas Arapahoe Suicide Prevention Alliance, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Youth Education and Safety in Schools (Y.E.S.S.) are providing a *FREE* safeTALK (suicide alertness for everyone) Training.

Date and time: January 31, 2017 / Dinner is provided by the Rotary from 5-5:30pm / Training runs from 5:30-8:30pm
Location: Castle Rock Adventist Hospital (2350 Meadows Blvd., Castle Rock, CO 80109—Gateway Mesa Conference Room)

To register, email Phyllis Harvey at pharvey@dcsheriff.net

If you have questions, please feel free to call: 303-814-7033

Reserve your spot now and for those who have already attended, the organizers are asking that you share this flyer with your friends, coworkers, networks so that others can gain the same great skills you learned at the training.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Free Resource for Professionals Working with Youth

Are you looking for resources on how to have difficult conversations about substance use with youth that you work with and care about? Kognito's interactive online training allows you to "practice conversations about challenging topics with virtual patients." A variety of professionals can use these free trainings to practice screening and brief interventions to address substance use with youth.

Access the trainings here: www.improvinghealthcolorado.org/online-training

Please use and share widely! 

Center on Domestic Violence at the University of Colorado Denver is hiring

The Center on Domestic Violence at the University of Colorado Denver is hiring! Please see the brief descriptions and links to further application information below:

Youth Technical Assistance Program Manager
This full-time, University staff position within the Center on Domestic Violence will oversee and carry out the daily operations of the Center’s Fostering Safe Futures (FSF) project. FSF provides training and technical assistance to domestic and sexual violence organizations specifically around youth led prevention initiatives and services to youth victims of gender-based violence. The project is funded by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women to serve their Rural, Tribal, and Consolidated Youth grantees and STOP (Services, Training, Officers & Prosecutors) sub-grantees. For details on this opportunity and to apply, go to: https://cu.taleo.net/careersection/jobdetail.ftl?job=07771&lang=en

Research to Practice (R2P) Coordinator
The Center on Domestic Violence has been funded by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Office for Victims Programs to carry out a statewide initiative to assist the victim services field in becoming more educated consumers of—and contributors to—program evaluation and evidence based practice with a goal of producing more effective and cost-efficient services for victims of crime. This half time (benefits eligible) Research to Practice (R2P) Coordinator position will facilitate and assist in carrying out the activities of this project. For details and to apply, go to: https://cu.taleo.net/careersection/jobdetail.ftl?job=07761&lang=en

DPH Hiring Youth for YHA Youth Leadership Team

Denver’s health departments are looking to young people in Denver to help us better understand what health issues really matter to youth. If you know any young people who live in Denver and are between 15 and 25, please encourage them to apply for this paid opportunity to be a part of the Youth Leadership Team for the 2017 Youth Health Assessment (YHA).  

The YHA Youth Leadership Team will be made up of 6-10 Denver youth who are committed to helping the public health agencies in Denver better understand the key issues in youth health from the youth perspective. This work will be coordinated by Denver Public Health and Denver Environmental Health and will use a youth-led research approach to determine what matters most in youth health!

Please share this opportunity with your networks, particularly those that reach young people between the ages of 15-25.  Learn more about this opportunity. Interested youth can apply online.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until January 10th, 2017.

Please direct questions to Abbie Steiner, Youth Health Assessment Project Manager (Abigail.Steiner@dhha.org).

CDPHE is hiring a Prevention and Technical Assistance Coordinator

The Prevention and Technical Assistance Coordinator will focus on providing technical assistance and training to local partners engaged in motor vehicle safety work, collaborate with other state agencies to improve motor vehicle safety in Colorado and coordinate state-level task forces and work groups. This position will actively participate in statewide work groups and task forces and/or coalitions related to impaired driving, motorcycle safety, teen driving, traffic records, and injury prevention.

Please apply or share with anyone who may be interested.


Monday, December 5, 2016

Children's Safety Network: Toy Safety

Children's Safety Network (CSN) created a mini-infographic about toy safety that is especially important for the upcoming holiday season. You can read the inforgraphic and find more information on toy safety, including product recalls and guidance for buying age-appropriate toys here: www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/blog/tis-season-toy-safety



WEBINAR: AAP Safe to Sleep Guidelines: What’s new in 2016?


In case you missed it, on November 29, 2016 Dr. Rachel Moon presented on the new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) safe sleep recommendations, providing in-depth explanation and some historical context of the new recommendations and answering questions from the audience.

You can access a recording of the hour-long webinar here: https://fccdl.in/tMg3njNLB

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Supporting Family-Friendly Employers in Colorado

Employers play a critical role in the lives of their employees, after all, the average person in the United Sates spends 8.9 hours a day at work in comparison to 1.2 hours they spend caring for others.[1] Employees, in every stage of life, should feel supported in the workplace. It is for that reason that partners in Colorado are teaming up to better understand family-friendly workplace policies and practices.

EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children)Essentials for Childhood (EfC) and Health Links have formed a strategic alliance to lead Colorado’s conversation about family-friendly employers. In June 2016, this alliance launched two initiatives to understand and strengthen family-friendly employment practices:
  • The Family-Friendly Workplace Toolkit highlights best practices and the components of a family-friendly workplace. We will continue to update the toolkit with relevant examples of corporate best practices as more and more employers are adding family-friendly policies.
  • The Family-Friendly Workplace Assessment assists employers to assess and evaluate their culture and benefits. Businesses of any size can benefit from utilizing the assessment. Upon completion, organizations receive a family-friendly score (FF+) and are directed to resources and coaching.
Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are essential to prevent child abuse and neglect and to assure all children reach their full potential. Essentials for Childhood (EfC) proposes strategies to promote relationships and environments that help children grow up to be healthy and productive citizens. Family-friendly employers are one of four key strategies in Colorado’s EfC Framework.

Those who work to prevent child fatalities in Colorado can also work towards incorporating family-friendly workplace policies and practices. We encourage you to take the Family-Friendly Assessment and use the resources and coaching that come along with it. Additionally, you can read more about what other organizations are doing on the Family-Friendly Workplace Toolkit which is available on the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership website. Together we can work to reduce work-life stress and ensure that employees with young children feel supported.

[1] U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Time Use on Work Days, 2014.

WEBINAR (archived): Suicide Screening and Prevention in the Autism Community: New Developments, New Perspectives

According to an emerging research, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk of suicide. Furthermore, traditional screening tools and mental health interventions have limited use in working with individuals with ASD.

Speakers included: Sara Luterman, MFA, AUCD Technical Assistance team for the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs); Lisa M. Horowitz, PhD, MPH, Staff Scientist / Pediatric Psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Intramural Research Program at the National Institutes of Health; Audrey Thurm, Ph.D., staff scientist and licensed child clinical psychologist; and Julie Steck, Ph.D., HSPP, CRG/Children's Resource Group.

To learn more about the risk of death by suicide for individuals with ASD, you can access the recorded webinar here.

NEW: Report on Homicides in Colorado, including Youth


The Colorado Violent Death Reporting System (CoVDRS) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment just released a report on homicide deaths in Colorado.

The report Health Watch No.101: Homicide in Colorado, 2004-2014: A Summary from the Colorado Violent Death Reporting System contains detailed information on the burden, characteristics and overall profile of homicide deaths among Colorado residents of all ages. The goal of this report is to inform injury and violence prevention efforts, as well as raise awareness about the impact of homicide deaths in Colorado.

The data in the report come directly from the enhanced public health surveillance system CoVDRS which is part of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). The NVDRS collects detailed, multi-source data on violent deaths throughout the United States and is funded and maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If you have questions or want more information about CoVDRS contact Ethan Jamison, CoVDRS Coordinator, at: ethan.jamison@state.co.us or 303-692-2093.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Save the Date: 2017 Bridging the Divide (BtD) Suicide Awareness and Prevention Summit

Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado (SPCC) is excited to announce that the 2017 Bridging the Divide (BtD) Suicide Awareness and Prevention Summit will be held May 11-12, 2017, at the Regis University Lowell Campus.

This year's theme is “Join the Movement: Aspiring Toward Zero Suicide in Colorado,” and the BtD Planning Committee has been hard at work to make sure you have an educational and thought provoking experience.

The BtD Planning Committee is seeking presentations to round out the educational offerings at the Summit. We are eager to learn how you are working in your profession to aspire toward zero suicide in Colorado. We know it takes everyone to stop suicide. Please take advantage of this opportunity to share your expertise so that everyone may benefit from your experience. The Call for Presentations will be open on December 1. Submissions are due on February 1, and speakers will be notified by February 17.

Registration for the 2017 BtD Summit will also open on February 17th.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

NEW AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations


An estimated 3,500 infants die in the United States each year from sleep-related deaths. On Oct. 24, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new safe sleep recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS and sleep-related infant death. AAP and CDPHE recommend that infants sleep in the same room as their caregivers for at least the first six months and, ideally, for the first year of an infant's life. The AAP reports that sharing a room decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent.

Room-sharing is part of creating a safe sleep environment. Babies should sleep on their backs in a bare crib on a firm mattress with a tight-fitting sheet, but no blankets, bumper, stuffed animals or pillows. Babies should always sleep alone in their cribs, never with other children, pets or adults on an adult bed, couch or chair.

Breastfeeding, using a pacifier at nap time and bedtime, receiving recommended vaccinations, and supervised, awake tummy time can all help protect against SIDS and sleep-related death. Additionally, the AAP recommends avoiding babies' exposure to smoke, alcohol and other illicit drugs.

WEBINAR: Recognizing and Responding to Vicarious Trauma in Fatality Review



The National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention announces an upcoming Webinar on:
Recognizing and Responding to Vicarious Trauma in Fatality Review

WHEN: December 14, 2016 from  2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 - 1:00 p.m. MT)

WHY attend: Fatality review is hard work, and team members may frequently participate in difficult reviews about deaths. This exposure, whether one time or repeated over time, can bring about symptoms of vicarious trauma. The webinar will identify what vicarious trauma is, how to recognize it, and how to respond to it. Speakers will include CDR program representatives and an expert in vicarious trauma.

WHO should attend: CDR and FIMR coordinators and team members, facilitators, abstractors, interviewers

Speakers:
Bethany Miller, M.Ed., MSW, Health Resources and Services Administration, Director of Injury and Violence Prevention Programs at US HRSA, MCHB

Anne Pedrick MS, Delaware Child Death Review Commission, Executive Director, Delaware Child Death Review Commission

Tammy H. Scheidegger, PhD, LPC, NCC, Associate Professor, Mount Mary University

Vick Zittle, Pennsylvania Child Death Review Program Coordinator, Pennsylvania AAP Chapter, Pennsylvania Child Death Review Program Coordinator


Webinar will be recorded and posted on the NCFRP website.

Healthy School Champions Recognition program


Are you a healthy school?  The Healthy School Champions Recognition program recognizes and awards schools for their successes in creating a healthy school environment and implementing effective school health efforts. To be eligible for recognition, schools must complete Smart Source (either in the 2015-16 or 2016-17 administrations), complete the application, and obtain three letters of support.



Colorado schools and small districts have the opportunity to apply by Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

CDPHE is Hiring! 2 Coordinator Positions: Motor Vehicle Safety and School Recruitment and Data Collection Coordinator


The Violence and Injury Prevention - Mental Health Promotion (VIP-MHP) Branch at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is hiring for the following two positions:

Motor Vehicle Safety Coordinator 

This primary purpose of this position is to serve as the motor vehicle safety coordinator for the VIP-MHP Branch, with a focus on providing technical assistance and training to local partners engaged in motor vehicle safety work, collaborating with other state agencies to improve motor vehicle safety in Colorado, and coordinating state-level task forces and work groups. This position will:

  • Actively participate in statewide work groups and task forces and/or coalitions related to impaired driving, motorcycle safety, teen driving, traffic records, and injury prevention;
  • Lead meetings or subcommittees and give presentations to these task forces and work groups, which are made up of diverse professions;
  • Build and maintain relationships at the community and state levels in order to support implementation and evaluation of motor vehicle safety projects; and
  • Collaborate with other VIP-MHP Branch programs as needed to further the goals of the Branch such as helping to coordinate components of the State Violence and Injury Prevention Program (SVIPP) work plan and working with Child Fatality Prevention System (CFPS) program staff to provide technical assistance to local child fatality review teams.


School Recruitment and Data Collection Coordinator

The purpose of the School Recruitment and Data Collection Coordinator is to serve as the school recruitment and data collection coordinator for a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention-funded research grant titled, "The Impact of Sources of Strength, a Primary Prevention Youth Suicide Program, on Sexual Violence Perpetration among Colorado High School Students." This position will be responsible for the coordination and successful execution of all activities related to school recruitment and data collection for the research project. Activities include:

  • Recruitment of 24 schools across Colorado
  • Development of memorandums of agreement with participating schools
  • Supervision of temporary research assistants
  • Data collection from all participating schools across the state, inclusive of leading data collection sessions with young people
  • Coordination of efforts with researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Rochester, and participation on the Research Advisory Team. 
  • Work with young people and use of a positive youth development approach to engage youth participants. 


Wednesday, November 9, 2016


The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) at CU Boulder is beginning a Communities That Care (CTC) Program Evaluation project, funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). This project will evaluate the CTC model, which seeks to identify and implement evidence-based youth substance abuse prevention strategies in communities across Colorado. Our team at CSPV will partner with CDPHE to develop and collect process and outcome evaluation data that support CTC program effectiveness.

CSPV IS HIRING:

·       One full-time Project Director – The Project Director will oversee the evaluation of the CTC model in Colorado. This includes collecting data related to the implementation of CTC and the community-level prevention strategies and data on relevant and available outcome indicators.  Additionally, this position will analyze data, develop reports, and coordinate the provision of technical assistance to Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs). The Project Director will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day project operations to ensure project deliverables are high quality and achieved within the project timeline. Significant in-state travel required.

·       Two full-time Community Site Research Analysts - Responsibilities include assisting the Project Director in collecting and reporting on data related to: (1) the implementation of CTC and the community-level prevention strategies and (2) relevant and available outcome indicators. These positions will also provide evaluation support and technical assistance to the Local Public Health Agencies (LPHA) implementing CTC. Significant in-state travel required.

For more information and to apply, visit the University of Colorado's job website (https://www.cu.edu/cu-careers/cu-boulderand search for Job #07419 (Project Director) or #07420 (Community Site Research Analyst).

Friday, November 4, 2016

Hiring a Violence and Injury Prevention Program Evaluator

The Violence and Injury Prevention - Mental Health Promotion Branch at CDPHE is hiring a Violence and Injury Prevention Program Evaluator!

Learn more and apply through the CO State Jobs website.

What You'll Be Doing:
This position is responsible for the evaluation plan to assess fidelity to the Communities that Care (CTC) model, contextual indicators that impact the success of CTC and prevention strategy implementation, impact of the implementation of prevention strategies across funded Communities that Care sites, and outcome monitoring over time.

This position is also responsible for providing support for the planning and implementation of the Core State Violence and Injury Prevention Program (SVIPP). This position will be responsible for linking the two evaluation plans where appropriate to assess CTC's impact on injury and violence outcomes.




Monday, October 24, 2016

Looking for feedback from youth?

QPR Suicide Prevention Training in Castle Rock


WHEN: Monday, November 7, 2016  6:30 - 8:00 pm
WHERE: Canyons Community Church, 4825 N. Crowfoot Valley Road, Castle Rock 80108
For more information: call (303) 663-5751 or email info@canyonscc.org

Registration is limited. Please register online: http://www.canyonscc.org/suicide-prevention

CDPHE is hiring an Injury Epidemiologist

The Violence and Injury Prevention - Mental Health Promotion Branch at Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is hiring! If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, please share:

Position Title: Injury Epidemiologist
Job Location: Denver
Close Date: November 1, 2016 OR until we have identified an adequate applicant pool

TO APPLY: Injury Epidemiologist - 1329

If you have difficulty with the link, please access the State of Colorado job website at
https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/jobs.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Oct 22: National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Saturday, October 22 10am-2pm is the 12th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day


Protect children, youth and your family as well as the environment from harm and accidental overdose by removing unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications from your home. Narcotics and other prescribed controlled substances will be accepted. Find a list of locations and access an interactive map for the one nearest you.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

ASIST Suicide Training in Douglas County

Do you live in Douglas County and want to become ASIST certified? 

Community partners in the Douglas County area are hosting Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) workshops open to all in 2016 and 2017. ASIST is a 2-day workshop designed to teach skills to confidently intervene with someone at risk of suicide. ASIST is a standardized suicide intervention program developed by LivingWorks Education, Inc.

When: 8:30am - 4:30pm on both days                   Where: Douglas County Sheriff's Office - 
October 18 - 19, 2017                                                             Highlands Ranch Substation
November 17 - 18, 2016                                            9250 Zotos Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
February 28 - March 1, 2017                               
April 11 - 12, 2017                                                 Costs: $50 for community members, $25 for
June 1 - 2, 2017                             Douglas/Arapahoe Suicide Prevention Alliance (DASPA) members
September 12 - 13, 2017                                      
November 7 - 8, 2017                    

Registration: Completed via the Douglas County School District: www.dcsdk12.org 
Select the District A-Z tab, choose Professional Development under employee resources in the second hand column and then choose the PD Catalog button. If you do not have an account created, you will be prompted to do so. Select ASIST and the available courses will be listed. Questions contact: Roxanne Derks, Roxanne.Derks@dcsdk12.org or 303-387-9508.


Monday, October 3, 2016

NEW: Positive School Climate Toolkit


School Climate is defined as the quality of school life as experienced by those interacting with school environments (students, caregivers, school personnel). A positive school climate can have impacts on a wide range of outcomes, both health and academic, and has increasingly become an essential component in school improvement and bullying prevention.

This toolkit was developed to provide an introduction into how public health practitioners can use their expertise to create meaningful partnerships with schools and work to strengthen positive school climate. Appreciating the contextual differences within communities and schools, this toolkit focuses on broad-based approaches that can be implemented concurrently and with any strategy.

Using three approaches, Shared Risk and Protective Factors; Positive Youth Development; and Data Informed Processes, public health practitioners can partner with schools in multiple ways including:
  1. Ensuring a focus on primary prevention
  2. Encouraging evidence-based programming and best practices
  3.  Making the health connection meaningful to schools
  4. Leveraging and developing community partnerships
  5. Strengthening school-based policy supports

Communities that Care: RFA for Additional Communities


Communities That Care RFA is now available! Please apply and share with your networks. 

CDPHE received funding from the marijuana tax cash fund to support substance abuse prevention among youth using the Communities That Care across Colorado. Communities That Care is a community-based prevention model that was evaluated across the country with significant results, including preventing youth substance use initiation and youth crime and violence. This model helps local communities assess the specific risk and protective factors among the youth in their communities. The communities then pick from a menu of effective, evidence-based programs and strategies to address the specific needs of local youth.


APPLY NOW: Supplemental CFPS Funding to Support Prevention Efforts

The CFPS State Support Team at CDPHE is happy to announce the availability of supplemental CFPS funding to support child fatality prevention efforts in your community!

Local child fatality review teams are eligible to apply for funding awards ranging from $3,000 - $10,000 to support evidence-based, data-driven child fatality prevention efforts at the local level. Awarded funds will be incorporated into existing contracts between CDPHE and coordinating agencies of local child fatality review teams. If you have any questions about this supplemental funding or the process, please contact the CFPS State Support Team: ​support@cfps.freshdesk.com.

Proposals must be submitted no later than Friday, November 18, 2016 at 11:59pm MST.

Andy's Data Blog: Random musings from a data nerd

What do hanging chads, Billie Mays, and the space-time continuum have in common with the new fillable SUIDIRF? Not that much it turns out.

by CFPS Epi, Andy Woster

Have you ever spent hours working on a project only to have the dog chew it up right before turning it in? Been to a home closing only to have your pen explode and cover your new home mortgage documents in ink? How about spilling coffee all over the Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form (SUIDIRF) you just spent so much time completing? Even Billy Mays, were he still alive, would find these scenarios cringeworthy! If any of these have ever happened to you, you understand what a time burden it can be to go back and correct.
Now you can put that fear behind you when you or your investigators are completing Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) investigations. Introducing the new and improved, entirely electronic, and completely fillable SUIDIRF! It’s a less-than-revolutionary way to complete your scene investigations and capture all of your relevant investigation details! Yes, like a DeLorean reaching 88 miles per hour the CDC raced through time and has finally come to rest in the world of 21st century investigative methodology. Great Scott! Emmit L. Brown would be proud.
Like the extinction of the hanging chad, gone are the days of your co-workers and partners interpreting your checklists to decipher which responses are actually selected. With both checkboxes and fillable text entry fields alike, you can now provide your investigation details like a pro. Eliminate the need for expensive, confidential file storage systems or complicated document shredding processes. No more intimidating visits from your agency’s Records Compliance Officer, looming over you in a not-so-subtly- threatening way! Yes, Biff, someone is home! Complete the form, save your work, and be on your way!
Replace your outdated tech in an eco-conscious way and let the new fillable SUIDIRF revolutionize your investigations the way Mr. Fusion did for Doc Brown. Just remember as you wander haphazardly through this new world of investigative tools to watch out for sharks!