The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Youth Advisory Council created a video in support of their state COVID-19 public health safety campaign. Youth advisors wanted to convey empathy for their peers for the experiences they are missing while emphasizing the importance of taking steps to protect public health. View the video here.

CDC Interim Guidance for Immunization Providers: Safe Vaccine Administration during COVID-19 Pandemic

CDC has issued “Interim Guidance for Immunization Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic” to help immunization providers, in a variety of clinical settings, plan for the safe vaccine administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance will be updated as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. Highlights include:

Considerations for routine vaccination of all recommended vaccinations for children, adolescents, and adults, including pregnant women
General practices for the safe delivery of vaccination services, including considerations for alternative vaccination sites
Strategies for catch-up vaccinations

AMCHP COVID-19 MCH and Community Resource Page

AMCHP is committed to working alongside our federal agency and organizational partners to gather available information, resources, and guidance specific to our MCH population during the COVID-19 pandemic. These resources are on our website (www.amchp.org/covid-19) for your convenience. The site will be updated regularly as new resources become available.

Resources Regarding Separation of Mothers and Newborns

Through AMCHP’s partnership with the Maternal Health Learning & Innovation Center, we are pleased to share with you this list of resources on issues regarding the separation of newborns from mothers with COVID-19 as well as related resources on considerations for pregnant women.

American Academy of Pediatricians

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Frequently Asked Questions

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Every Mother Counts

COVID-19 and Maternal Health

Harvard Medical School: Trends in Medicine

COVID-19: Separating Infected Mothers from Newborns: Weighing the Risks and Benefits

March of Dimes

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): What you Need to Know About its Impact on Moms and Babies

National Academy for State Health Policy —State Examples

States Implement Strategies to Safeguard Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Epidemic

New York Department of Health

Pregnancy and COVID-19 Resources for Health Care Providers

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health

Should Mothers with COVID-19 be Separated from their Newborns?

New from AMCHP

Register Now for the AMCHP 2020 Virtual Conference!

Registration is open for AMCHP’s 2020 Virtual Conference — the perfect opportunity to connect and network with public health officials who share an interest in maternal and child health.

The theme for the conference – to be held virtually on August 4-6, 2020 – is The Power of Connections: Building Equity for Healthy Generations. Here are just some of the many reasons to register for the AMCHP 2020 Virtual Conference:

Gain a firsthand opportunity to learn about changes occurring in the MCH field, such as federal and state policies and health systems transformation.

Conference session topics will include ensuring equity in systems and services, building and strengthening partnerships, and practicing effective family and youth engagement.

Exchange best practices and resources with other MCH professionals, creating stronger and bolder ideas for the future.

Workshops and interactive posters featuring a mix of topics and content.

Timely themed live-streamed plenary sessions led by association leadership.

Discussion and small-group networking video groups with speakers, AMCHP staff and fellow attendees.

Continuing education (CE’s) credits (CDC CE for Physicians, Nurses, Health Educators, Public Health Examiners and other Professionals)

All content will be recorded for access on demand by registered participants after the conference.

Click here to register. We can’t wait to see you virtually!

Minority Mental Health Month #MHEquityHour Twitter Chat

Join AMCHP and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials for a Twitter chat on July 16, 1:00-2:00 p.m., ET, to commemorate Minority Mental Health Month and discuss the challenges and opportunities to achieving an equitable mental health care system for minority women and children. Let us know if you plan to participate and to receive the questions ahead of the event: https://bit.ly/mhequity

Legislation and Policy

House Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill Advances Committee with Increases for MCH!

AMCHP is pleased to share that the proposed FY21 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill passed by the full House Appropriations Committee on July 13 proposes increased funding for maternal and child health programs as follows:

HRSA Title V MCH Block Grant:

$25 million increase over FY20 level for a total of $712,700,000

(This includes an increase of $8 million increase for Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS.) Note that in our initial communication about SPRANS, we stated there would be a $4 million increase for SPRANS. When the full Committee considered the bill, they made a change that included a $4 million increase for the SPRANS portion of the MCH Block Grant.

CDC Safe Motherhood:

$10 million increase over FY20 level for a total of $68,000,000

(The entire $10 million increase is directed toward maternal mortality review committee activity.)

CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

$2 million increase over FY20 level for a total of $162,810,000

The bill also includes $24.425 billion in emergency spending to address the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. For additional details on the proposed FY21 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill, please click here.

Next steps:

As we caution every year, this was only one step in the appropriations process. While the House Appropriations Committee work is moving forward this month, the Senate has essentially put their mark-ups on hold. We anticipate a continuing resolution will be needed to continue government funding at current levels through November or December of this year.

Board Corner

DEADLINE IS JULY 17! Open Call for Nominations – Seeking Director-at-Large

We are currently seeking nominations to fill a Director-at-Large vacancy on the AMCHP Board of Directors. Filling the position requires a special election of the Board, and only current, active (paid) delegates are eligible for this position. The Director-at-Large is an interim position; the selected candidate will serve a less than two-year term, effective immediately. The term will conclude with the 2022 AMCHP Annual Conference. Because this is an interim appointment, the successful candidate will be eligible to run for re-election for up to two additional terms of office if he or she chooses to do so.

To submit a self-nomination for this position, please complete the candidate questionnaire and email it to Nikeisha Ogletree, Associate Director, Human Resources and Administration, nogletree@amchp.org no later than Friday, July 17, 2020. The AMCHP Governance Committee will conduct telephone interviews with candidates on a rolling basis once they receive the full nomination package. The AMCHP Board of Directors will vote on the interim appointment by late July 2020.

National AMCHP Policy Calls

AMCHP National MCH COVID-19 Townhall Series

Thanks to those of you who joined us on the 8th webinar in this series on July 9th. The link to the recording is available here. The next call in this series is July 23, 2:00-3:00 p.m., ET. Please use this link to register. For follow-up materials and resources from previous calls, please be sure to check out AMCHP's COVID-19 page.

This series will continue to provide an opportunity for our members to hear about the current state-of-play related to COVID-19 and national policy as well as other pressing policy updates, as needed. We will be joined by leaders from HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AMCHP (and our federal agency partners) are very interested in talking with you to share information to assist in your planning around COVID-19, as well as to hear about your evolving needs and/or stories from the field.

Get Involved

Women’s Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) Public Comment Opportunity Extended

The Women’s Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) has extended its public comment period for new topics, preventing obesity in midlife women. Public comment is an opportunity for broad public input that increases the transparency and quality of our program. The comment period for the new topic is July 13 –August 10, 2020. For timeliness, all comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PT on the final day of the comment period.

Your Feedback is Needed: Help Inform Planning for the 2021 Annual Conference on Adolescent Health

The Adolescent Health Initiative (AHI) is currently seeking feedback to inform the development of the 2021 Annual Conference on Adolescent Health. Fill out the 5-minute survey here. All interested survey responders will be entered to receive a complimentary conference registration.

The AHI team is working to understand how to best facilitate an accessible event to the multidisciplinary adolescent health community. The feedback received will inform the decision-making process in determining the format and delivery of the upcoming conference, to be held on May 13-14, 2021.

Health Resources and Services Administration is Soliciting Public Comments for the Federal Register Notice for the Revised Title V MCH Services Block Grant to States Program Application/Annual Report Guidance and Forms

The Office of Management and Budget has completed the clearance process for an update of the current Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant Application/Annual Report Guidance. (The current one expires on Dec. 31, 2020.) The Federal Register Notice published on June 15, 2020, announced the Agency’s plans to submit an Information Collection Request to the OMB for the revised Title V MCH Services Block Grant to States Program Application/Annual Report Guidance and Forms. Please view the published Federal Register Notice here.

Please submit your comments to paperwork@hrsa.gov, or mail them in hard copy form to:

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Information Collection Clearance Officer
Room 14N136B
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857

All comments must be received by August 14, 2020. If you would like additional project information or a copy of the proposed data collection plan and draft reporting instruments, contact the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at paperwork@hrsa.gov or 301-443-1984.

Partnership for Male Youth – Call for Submissions for Mental Health Writing Fellows Program

The Partnership for Male Youth is pleased to announce its Young Male Mental Health Writing Fellows Program. Under a competitive system, selected Fellows ages 18 to 25 will create a collection of stories, drawing on personal experiences, news, and culture that will amplify their voices and perspectives on young adult male mental health. The collection will be posted online on an interactive text and video platform, designed to encourage other young males to respond to the stories.

Statistically, young men have been reluctant to speak out about their battles with mental health. This program aims to open dialogue among male youth themselves about how they can safeguard their mental health. A secondary objective is to educate the public about the mental health challenges young males face.

Participants can submit an already completed essay or submit a pitch. We can also provide a brief instructional guide on how to put together a personal essay. Grants for up to $500 will be awarded for the best submissions. For more information, click here. The submission deadline is August 15, 2020.

Webinars

Center of Excellence for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) and Children’s Equity Project: Webinar Series- April 30–July 30, 2020

Equity in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Webinar Series

This webinar series aims to promote equity through IECMHC by building awareness of the impact of institutional racism and other forms of bias that affect the experiences of children and families from disadvantaged communities. The series identifies policies that support more equitable systems and strengthens culturally responsive IECMHC practices that reduce disparities and improve child outcomes.

The series will consist of one additional 90-minute webinar:

Culture, Identity, and History as Sources of Strength and Resilience for Latino Children and Families
July 30, 2020, 12:30 p.m.- 2:00 p.m., ET | Register here

Space is limited. Register today!

ONE REMAINING WEBINAR in the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center’s Summer Seminar Series

Maternal and Child Health Graduate Education Programs to Educate the Next Generation of MCH Leaders

Participants - The Summer Seminar Series is open to students enrolled in any of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau-funded Graduate Education Programs to Educate the Next Generation of MCH Leaders:

Centers of Excellence
Public Health Catalyst
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND)
Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAD)
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
MCH Nutrition
Pediatric Pulmonary Centers

The webinars are also open to MCH professionals interested in lifelong learning!

Dates/Times and Topics - Experts from the National MCH Workforce Development Center discuss core topics critical to increasing workforce capacity for MCH professionals. Participants will learn how to navigate an increasingly complex health landscape.

In each of summer seminar series webinars, experts introduce the core areas of MCH Workforce Development Center focus, teach a tool to aid thinking and skill-building in this area, and share how the topic and tool have been used with state Title V MCH programs. The final webinar will cover the following topic:

Evidence-Based Decision Making, July 22, 2:00 p.m., ET, register here.

For more information, contact rebecca_greenleaf@unc.edu.

COMING IN THE FALL: Virtual Webinar on Practicing Adolescent-Centered Trauma-Informed Care in a Clinical Setting

Adolescent Health Initiative (AHI)

AHI is pleased to announce the Fifth Annual Connection Session, "Practicing Adolescent-Centered Trauma-Informed Care in a Clinical Setting," which will be completely virtual this fall!

The 2020 Connection Session is designed for health care professionals who serve adolescents, including physicians, nurses, social workers, health center managers, and other youth-serving community professionals. This interactive event is funded in part through support from the Office of Continuing Medical Education and Lifelong Learning at Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan). The date will be announced soon, followed by registration!

Publications and Resources

Strategies for Improving Emotional Well-Being Among LGBTQ Youth: Stories from the Field of MCH

The latest post in the #ScreenToInteveneForAYAs (Adolescents and Young Adults) blog highlights the efforts of several state MCH programs to improve the emotional well-being of LGBTQ youth in their settings and shares several resources for MCH programs and their partners, including a model school policy for suicide prevention. Sign up here to receive updates from the #ScreenToInterveneForAYAs blog. To write a guest blog post or if you have any questions, contact Anna Corona.

Updated Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition™ and Revamped Got Transition® Website

Got Transition®, the federally funded national resource center on health care transition (HCT), now offers exciting new and updated resources on its revamped user-friendly website.

After extensive review and input from clinicians, youth, young adults, and family health care transition (HCT) experts, Got Transition® has updated the Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition™ 3.0, which define the basic components of HCT support. As part of the updated Six Core Elements packages, Got Transition has revised its measurement tools and has made available customizable sample tools in both English and Spanish. To help practices transform their practices, Got Transition has developed new practical step-by-step Implementation Guides for each core element. Finally, Got Transition has completely transformed its website, www.GotTransition.org, to include an interactive experience featuring new toolkits, online quizzes, Frequently Asked Questions, Six Core Element samples, and other HCT-related resources and information.

Funding

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (RCORP-NAS)

Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Deadline: July 20, 2020

HRSA will award approximately 30 grants to rural consortia to reduce the incidence and impact of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Successful RCORP-NAS award recipients will receive up to $500,000 over a three-year period of performance to conduct a combination of prevention, treatment, and recovery activities designed to improve systems of care, family supports, and social determinants of health. The focus of these grants is primarily opioid use disorder (OUD); however, applicants may also choose to address additional substances of concern or substance use disorders (SUDs) among the target population. The target population is pregnant women, mothers, and women of childbearing age who have a history of, or who are at risk for, SUD/OUD, and their children, families, and caregivers who reside in rural areas. View the funding opportunity on grants.gov.

An informational webinar will be held on Tuesday, June 23 at 2:00 p.m., ET for interested applicants. Please refer to page ii on the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the dial-in and webinar playback information. For questions related to the NOFO, contact ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov. To learn more about how HRSA is addressing the opioid epidemic, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/opioids.

Community Collaborations to Study COVID-19 Testing Disparities

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Deadline: August 7, 2020

Through its Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) initiative, the National Institutes of Health aims to understand the factors that lead to COVID-19–related health disparities, in order to implement effective interventions. As part of this initiative, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is supporting two-year community-engaged testing research projects. These projects will examine SARS-CoV-2 infection patterns and efforts to increase access and effectiveness of testing among underserved populations.

This testing research project funding opportunity will supplement relevant active research grants and cooperative agreements with community collaborations or partnerships to support COVID-19 testing among underserved and/or vulnerable populations.

NIMHD encourages investigators to participate in this important public health activity and welcomes inquiries about this funding opportunity. Review the funding opportunity announcement for more information on eligibility and application submissions.

Request for Proposals for Second Cohort of “Safer Childbirth Cities” Supporting Locally Created Solutions to Improve Maternal Health and Reduce Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Merk for Mothers

Deadline: August 24, 2020

This initiative aims to support community-based organizations in U.S. cities with a high burden of maternal mortality and morbidity. This initiative implements evidence-based interventions and innovative approaches to help these places become safer – and more equitable – places to give birth. In 2020, the initiative aims to expand to new geographical areas. This second cohort of grantees aims to improve maternal health outcomes and promote health equity in their communities. The goal is to catalyze solutions that will have the greatest impact on vulnerable populations in maternal health. To learn more about Safer Childbirth Cities and the application process and eligibility criteria, click here.

Commemorations

Cord Blood Awareness Month

Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

Minority Mental Health Month

National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month

Sarcoma Awareness Month

World Hepatitis Day- July 28