Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Webinar: Infant Mental Health

 


What Fatality Review Teams Need to Know About Infant Mental Health

Presented by the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 from 12:30-1:30 MTN


Infant Mental Health (IMH) is the study of mental health as it applies to infants, toddlers, and their families. The field investigates optimal social and emotional development of infants and their families in the first three years of life. This webinar will assist fatality review personnel to explore when a referral to an IMH provider is needed and what services an IMH provider can offer a family. CDR and FIMR personnel will be equipped to find solutions and resources for families following the death of a child, including the surviving children's emotional and social growth and development.

Monday, October 18, 2021

Teen Driver Safety Week Oct 17-23



From 2015-2019, 159 infants, children, and youth died in Colorado as a result of passenger vehicle crashes. Youth ages 15-17 had a significantly higher death rate than other age groups. Nationally, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for youth ages 15-18 years old. Learn more about motor vehicle deaths in Colorado in this data brief

Parents and caregivers provide crucial influence over the choices young drivers make. School staff, medical providers, and others in the community also play an important role in young driver safety. 

The Colorado Young Driver's Alliance (CYDA) is seeking injury prevention partners to help raise awareness about young driver safety and Colorado's Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) laws. Examples of GDL awareness activities could include hosting a table at a school event or sharing GDL and driver safety messages in a school newsletter or community-wide platform.

The Colorado GDL Toolkit is one important resource, created by the CYDA, and has resources for young drivers, families, and networks.  

Please contact CDPHE's Motor Vehicle Program Coordinator, Ashley Nicks, ashley.nicks@state.co.us, if you'd like to learn more about partnering with CYDA or to find out what's already planned in your community.

Additionally, the Children's Safety Network recently shared the following resources on young driver safety and crash prevention:

Teen Driving Safety: Recent Research and Implications for Prevention - Children's Safety Network Webinar

A New GDL Framework: Evidence Base to Integrate Novice Driver Strategies - National Safety Council

A New GDL Framework: Planning for the Future - National Safety Council

Keep Teen Drivers Safe - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Child First - New Home Visiting Program in CO

 

Colorado has a new home visiting program and you can help ensure that eligible families know about and are referred to this service. 

Child First is a program that seeks to support young children and their caregivers who are most impacted by systemic and structural inequities. Child First launched in Colorado in July of this year and they are currently looking to boost referrals in the following counties:

  • Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Conejos, Costilla, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache
Additionally, Invest in Kids, one of the agencies implementing Child First, is seeking four additional counties to support launching Child First programs. 

You can help families access the Child First program by spreading the word in your personal and professional circles:

  1. Referrals are currently happening in the 13 counties listed above. For more information about referring families to Child First, please contact Amanda Fixsen, Director of Implementation, afixsen@iik.org.  
  2. If an agency in your county is interested in adopting Child First, please contact the following staff at Invest in Kids: Marisa Gullicksrud, Child First Program Director, mgullicksrud@iik.org or Amanda Fixsen, Director of Implementation, afixsen@iik.org. You can find an overview of the priorities and requirements to be an official Child First affiliate agency here (scroll to "Cohort 2" box at bottom of page).