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.