Monday, August 29, 2016

Colorado 9to25 Council is looking for youth!




Colorado 9to25 is a collective, action-oriented statewide network of youth and adults working in partnership to align efforts to achieve positive outcomes for all youth in Colorado. It takes collaborative action to ensure that all young people ages 9-25 are safe, healthy, educated, connected and contributing.

The Colorado 9to25 Council is a partnership between 30 youth and 30 adults working collaboratively to make positive changes in Colorado. The Council currently has several openings in both youth and adult positions.

If you are a young person between the ages 9 to 25 and/or know of motivated youth that would be interested in applying please take a closer look at the application. Youth from all over the state are encouraged to apply. Accommodations such as housing and transportation compensation can be made to youth who will be traveling far distances to Council meetings. Below is the link to the google survey that will allow them to apply.

Accepting new applications until SEPTEMBER 16, 2016. Interviews will be held on the week of September 19th through the 22nd. Orientation will be held the Tuesday afterward, September 29th. The very first Council meeting for new members will be October 8th.

Follow this link to apply: http://bit.ly/2bsk354

Please share this application with ANY young people you may know.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

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

“The fall is cool and full of missing variables: data entry from the perspective of parallel Jo(h)n Snows.”

by CFPS Epi, Andy Woster

Being a Child Fatality Prevention System epidemiologist can sometimes be a lonely undertaking. Like  Cub or Girl Scouts yearning to stitch on those camping or “Cookie CEO” badges, CFPS epis pour over the data from January through July, variable by variable, sleuthing for that one nugget that will complete their metamorphosis into a modern day Jo(h)n Snow. While not preparing for the “coming winter” or mapping out Broad St. water supplies, CFPS epidemiologists do have the potential to change the narrative, battling incomplete SUIDIRF utilization with the kind of fury generally reserved for White Walkers and pump handles.

Now, however, it is August and the life of a CFPS epi is not nearly as romantic. The end of the data year will be upon us in just over 4 short months and if the speed of the summer is any indication it will be December 31, 2016, in just about a week. That date is important because it is the date by which all 2015 CFPS cases must be reviewed and entered into the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention Case Reporting System. This also means that over the next few months, I will quickly become your arch-nemesis (or best friend; it’s all about perception, right?), reviewing all of your cases and contacting you when I come across inconsistencies or missing information. Though there are always many tasks competing for your attention, this necessary process ensures that we have captured the most consistent and complete case information possible to inform our analysis and prevention efforts.

In order to keep the peace, there are a handful of things that you can do.
1.       First, ensure that your death certificate numbers are entered into the case definition page of case reporting system. This small step helps me identify that you’ve started the review.
2.       Next, make sure that you’ve entered the date of death, child’s age, and state of residence. Keep in mind that entering any other residence information in section A creates the potential for a breach of confidentiality. This is not something we like in CFPS!
3.       Finally, make sure, if the case review is complete, that you’ve checked the box in Section L indicating that the child death review (CDR) is complete. If the review is complete and the data entry is complete, check the box in Section O indicating data entry is completed for this case.

Completing these small steps will let me know that your case is ready for review and prevent additional unnecessary contacts from me.

So, just as cartography skills end epidemics and disprove miasma theory and Dragonglass expunges White Walkers and forestalls the coming winter, proper data entry and cooperation with your CFPS epi increases the likelihood of saving lives. Together we can improve the quality of CFPS data and win the battle for case completion! When your CFPS epi calls on you this fall, will you answer?  

Early Childhood Colorado Partnership - Mini-grants Available


In partnership with the Children’s Hospital Colorado, the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership (ECCP) will award mini-grants ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 to up to 4 qualified communities whose work in Colorado aligns with the Partnership’s 2016 priority areas:


Required Components:
1. Gathering to launch or continue work (project or initiative).
2. Frames Training and Introduction to the ECCP Shared Message bank, partner usage (provided by the ECCP).
3. ECCP will coordinate with local public health and Children’s Hospital Colorado where appropriate.

Awarded organizations must host Community Gatherings prior to March 31, 2017. 

The deadline to submit an application is Wednesday, September 14, 2016 by 5pm, and award notifications will be made by Friday, September 30, 2016. 

For more information and to apply, contact earlychildhood@civiccanopy.org.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Positive Youth Development (PYD) Training, Fall 2016

Interested in learning how to incorporate a Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach into your work?

Attend a PYD training hosted by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment this fall:

  • August 26, 9:00am-3:00pm, Center
  • September 20, 9:00am-3:00pm, Denver
  • October 6, 9:00am-3:00pm, Boulder
  • October 21, 9:00am-3:00pm, Greeley

What is PYD? PYD a universal approach with a practical lens that cuts across multiple risk factors and across all levels of prevention. PYD in Colorado is an evidence-based approach that guides communities and organizations in the way that they organize services, opportunities and supports so that all youth can be engaged and reach their full potential. Register now!

Find more information about PYD and a tool for incorporating the approach in your work here: PYD in Action. Questions? Email Erin Flynn (erin.flynn@state.co.us).

Monday, August 15, 2016

"Dad's on Duty" Denver's safe sleep education video

Looking for safe sleep education materials for fathers and male caregivers? 
Look no further! 

In partnership, Denver community members, Denver Prevention Training Center and Denver Public Health created Dad's on Duty, a safe sleep educational video focused on men as the primary audience. The video shows how dads can ensure that the sleeping environment for their babies is "safe for sleep" and provides information on sleep-related deaths. Watch now

Monday, August 1, 2016

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is hiring!




Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is hiring!

The Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Program implementing Communities That Care (CTC) is excited to announce that we are hiring for up to three open positions for coaches to work with communities across the state as they implement CTC with fidelity, review local data on risk and protective factors among youth, select evidence-based and evidence-informed prevention strategies, and implement and evaluate impact locally.

Please apply yourself or send this posting along to professional, diverse, interested and qualified people in your networks. The post will be up for 2 weeks, but may close sooner if we have an adequate pool of qualified candidates from which to draw for interviews.

Check out the posting and the application information here.