October 12, 2010

Legislative Corner | Get Involved 
On Your Behalf |  | Publications & Resources 
Career Opportunities | Funding | Calendar
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LEGISLATIVE CORNER  

Congress Passes Continuing Resolution
On September 29 the U.S. House of Representatives followed the U.S. Senate and passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) extending funding for federal programs including the Title V MCH Services Block Grant. The CR will fund programs at the current FY 2010 levels through December 3, 2010. Congress has now recessed until after the November mid-term elections so that members may return to their home states. AMCHP continues to monitor developments surrounding the FY2011 budget and urges Congress to increase funding for the Title V MCH Block Grant. For any questions on funding for the Title V MCH Block Grant please contact Joshua Brown at (202) 266-3042.

Affordable Care Act Grants Awarded for Maternal and Child Health 
HHS recently announced a slew of new MCH grant awards for programs created by the Affordable Care Act, including the following:

• Pregnancy Assistance Fund - $24 million awarded to 17 states and tribes to establish statewide networks of supportive services to help pregnant and parenting teens, and women; and address violence against pregnant and parenting women.
• Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program - $3 million awarded to 13 tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to develop evidence-based home visiting programs in at-risk tribal communities.
• Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) - $55 million total; $45 million awarded as formula grants to 46 states (including DC) and U.S. territories and an additional $10 million awarded competitively to support programs that replicate evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention strategies and test innovative approaches to reducing teen pregnancy and repeat pregnancy.
• State Abstinence Grants - $33.4 million awarded to 29 states and Puerto Rico to fund activities that support decisions to abstain from sexual activity until marriage and focus on groups most likely to bear children out-of-wedlock. 

HHS also announced $100 million in awards for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2010. 

HHS Releases Draft Framework for National Prevention Strategy
On October 1, Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin hosted a nationwide conference call to discuss the development of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. The Department of Health and Human Services released a draft framework for the strategy, highlighting the intersection of two goals: creating community environments that make healthy choices easy and affordable while instituting effective preventive practices. The strategy is expected to be released in March 2011. Comments on the draft are welcome at prevention.council@hhs.gov.  

ASTHO Guide to ACA Funding
Colleagues at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) have made a comprehensive and updated guide to funding opportunities for state health agencies available here.

Guidance Issued for School-Based Health Centers Capital (SBHCC) Program
HRSA has also recently released guidance for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Grants for School-Based Health Centers Capital (SBHCC) Program. The goal of the program is to award funds to support expanded capacity of school-based health centers (SBHCs) to provide primary health care services to school-aged children. The funds are available for construction, renovation, and/or equipment expenses. HRSA expects to award approximately $100 million for 200 or more grants in FY 2011. The deadline is December 1, 2010. Application guidance is available here and additional resources are available from the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care here.

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GET INVOLVED  

Online Registration for the 2011 AMCHP & Family Voices National Conferences is Now Open!
Register today online to attend AMCHP and Family Voices National Conferences to convene on February 12-15, 2011, in Washington, DC. If you have any questions, please contact the Registration Department at (703) 964-1240, ext. 18 or e-mail amchpreg@conferencemanagers.com.  

Nominate Your Colleague for an AMCHP Award
AMCHP recognizes leadership in maternal and child health in several ways, including awards presented to MCH leaders to honor their excellence in the field. These awards will be presented at the 2011 AMCHP and Family Voices National Conferences, February 12-15, in Washington, DC. 

AMCHP is now accepting nominations for the following: 

• John MacQueen Lecture Award for innovation in the field of maternal and child health.
• Merle McPherson Family Leadership Award for exemplary contributions to further family/professional collaboration within a state Title V Program and AMCHP.
• Vince Hutchins Leadership Award for leadership in promoting a society responsive to the needs of women, children, youth and families.
  

For more information and the nomination guidelines for these awards, visit here. 

Please note: All awards use the same nomination form, but a separate form must be submitted per nominee, per award. The nominations deadline for all four awards is October 31, 2010. 

Celebrating Title V at 75 Nationwide Webcast Now Available
If you missed the webinar on September 27, no worries, it is now available for viewing! AMCHP and MCHB hosted a national webinar to celebrate the legacy of the Title V MCH Services Block Grant and shared thoughts on its future. The webinar was designed to “virtually” connect MCH leaders across the country at the same time and kick off this fall’s commemoration of Title V in Washington, DC. To view a recording of the webinar, visit here. 

Live Video Streaming of HCRC’s Fall Conference
The Human Capital Research Collaborative’s (HCRC) second national conference will convene on October 14-15, 2010, focusing on the impact of health and early childhood development on school readiness and other educational outcomes. The conference will provide a deeper understanding of scientific data relevant to current models of prevention and intervention in early childhood and the significance of their impact on the well-being of young children as they grow to adulthood. While the conference is by invitation only, video coverage will stream live via the Internet. To learn more, visit here. 

HHS Seeks Comments for the Development of a National Health Care Quality Strategy and Plan
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking public input in the development of a National Health Care Quality Strategy and Plan. HHS welcomes comments and suggestions on all aspects of the proposed structure, principles conceptualization and specific details of the national quality strategy by October 15. To learn more, visit here.  

RWJF Call for Nominations
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Community Health Leaders (CHL) each year honors up to 10 outstanding and otherwise unrecognized individuals who overcome daunting odds to improve health and health care, especially to underserved populations in communities across the United States. The program aims to elevate the work of these unsung heroes through enhanced recognition, technical assistance and new leadership opportunities. The application deadline is October 22. To learn more, visit here. 

HRSA Webinar on Bullying Prevention
The webinar, “Keeping the Momentum Going: A Webcast Follow-up to the Federal Bullying Prevention Summit,” hosted by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will convene on October 27 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EST. The webinar will bring together organizational, federal and academic leaders in addition to teachers, principals, school resource officers, students and parents to continue the national conversation on bullying prevention. To register, visit here. 

RWJF Health Policy Fellows Program Call for Applications
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows program provides the nation’s most comprehensive fellowship experience at the nexus of health science, policy and politics in Washington, DC. It is an outstanding opportunity for exceptional midcareer health professionals and behavioral and social scientists with an interest in health and health care policy. The application deadline is November 11. To learn more, visit here.  

CDC Call for Nominations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control is accepting nominations for its Injury Prevention and Control Health Impact Awards. The deadline is November 15. Nomination should be e-mailed to NCIPCHIA@cdc.gov. 

Women’s Health 2011: Call for Abstracts
Researchers are invited to submit abstracts for the Women's Health & Sex Differences Research Scientific Poster Session on current and emerging issues in women's health; including basic science, clinical, translational, behavioral, epidemiologic, disparities, and health services, for the Women’s Health 2011: 19th Annual Congress to be held on April 1-3, 2011, in Washington, DC. The deadline for abstract submissions is December 1. You will be notified about the outcome of your submission no later than January 10, 2011. For complete information about submitting your abstract and for the electronic submission tool, visit here. If you have questions about the abstract submission process, please contact the Abstract Review Committee.

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ON YOUR BEHALF 

AMCHP Partners on Childhood Obesity Prevention
AMCHP is pleased to be a partner in a newly funded National Prevention Center for Healthy Weight. This $5 million grant awarded to the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) from HRSA will guide and support the activities of teams from at least 50 communities across the nation to better prevent and treat obesity. In addition to AMCHP, other expert partners include the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, CSI Solutions, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Let’s Go!: Maine Medical Center, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Association of Community Health Centers and Nemours. For more information, please see the press release here.

PUBLICATIONS & RESOURCES   

General Maternal & Child Health

CDC Releases New Guide for Training Professionals
The guide, “Training Professionals in the Primary Prevention of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence: A Planning Guide,” produced by CDC’s Injury Center, describes how to develop, implement and evaluate a process for training professionals to engage in sexual violence and intimate partner violence prevention. It is designed to help practitioners tailor individual trainings to different groups of professionals. It provides definitions of sexual violence and intimate partner violence and includes real-life examples to illustrate theory put into practice. In addition to step-by-step guidance on all the tasks necessary for planning a training, the guide includes tip sheets, worksheets, checklists and an extensive resource list. To download the guide, visit here.  

Adolescent Health 

The MCH Library Releases New Edition of its Adolescent Violence Prevention Knowledge Path
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library at Georgetown University released a new edition of the knowledge path, Adolescent Violence Prevention. The knowledge path directs readers to recent resources from the public health, medical, criminal justice, education, and social services literature that measure, document, and monitor adolescent violence; identify risk and protective factors; and report on promising intervention strategies. Separate sections identify resources on specific aspects of adolescent violence: bullying, dating violence, family violence, firearms, gangs, media violence, school violence, suicide and violent-crime victimization. The path was created for health and social services professionals, educators, policymakers and community advocates. To learn more, visit here. A resource brief for families accompanies the knowledge path and is available here.  

GWU Case Study on Preconception Counseling for Adolescents
The case study, “Social Marketing of a Preconception Counseling Interactive Health Technology: Reproductive-Health Education and Awareness of Diabetes in Youth for Girls (READY-Girls),” published by the George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services, describes the development, promotion and evaluation of an interactive preconception counseling product for adolescent females with diabetes. To download the case study, visit here. 

The National Campaign Releases New Teen Pregnancy Report
The report, “The Odyssey Years: Preventing Teen Pregnancy Among Older Teens,” published by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (National Campaign), provides data on older teens, exposes commonly-held myths about older teens and how to reach them, and provides some real-world examples of how groups are reaching older teens. To download the report, visit here. 

GroundSpark Releases New Video on Gender and Sexuality
The film “Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up,” produced by GroundSpark’s Respect for All Project, unearths how popular pressures around gender and sexuality are confining American teens. Their stories reflect a diversity of experiences, demonstrating how gender role expectations and homophobia are interwoven, and illustrating the different ways that these expectations connect with culture, race and class. To learn more, visit here. 

Safe Schools Coalition
The Safe Schools Coalition is an international public-private partnership in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, which is working to help schools become safe places for everyone regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. To learn more, visit here. 

Children’s Health

OHRC Issues Dental Sealants Resources

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) has developed two new resources designed to stimulate thinking about and the use of dental sealants to prevent tooth decay. The resources are: 

·         Dental Sealants: A Resource Guide, 3rd Edition: Provides information about the use and application of dental sealants. The resource guide offers annotated lists of journal articles, materials and organizations that may serve as resources.  

·         Preventing Tooth Decay and Saving Teeth with Dental Sealants, 3rd Edition (fact sheet): Provides information about dental sealants and their uses, effectiveness, service delivery, disparities, public awareness, cost-effectiveness and programs.  

New Manual on Developing a System to Link Families to Community Resources
The online manual, “How to Develop a Statewide System to Link Families with Community Resources: A Manual for Replication of the Help Me Grow System,” produced by the Commonwealth Fund, offers guidance for exploring, creating, and/or enhancing an easily accessible system for connecting children with or at risk for developmental or behavioral problems with community resources. The material is based on Connecticut's Help Me Grow initiative, a program of the State of Connecticut's Children's Trust Fund within the Department of Social Services. To learn more, visit here.

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES  

AMCHP Associate Director for Women's and Infant Health and Senior Epidemiologist
The Associate Director for Women's and Infant Health and Senior Epidemiologist is accountable for the development, implementation and evaluation of program activities related to women's and infant health and maternal and child health data and assessment through cooperative agreements and other funding sources. The Associate Director and Senior Epidemiologist leads the Women's and Infant Health Team and contributes to the advancement of maternal and child health (MCH) programs, in particular to strengthening the capacity of MCH epidemiology at the state and national levels. This position leads the tracking, analysis, and reporting on federal and state programs impacting women's and perinatal health and plays a critical role in fund development for women's and infant programmatic efforts. The Associate Director and Senior Epidemiologist develops and maintains partnerships with relevant federal agencies, funders, and other national organizations, coalitions and groups concerned with women's and infant health and MCH epidemiology. The Associate Director and Senior Epidemiologist leads capacity building and technical assistance efforts for the organization related to women's and infant health. For more information about this open position, visit AMCHP’s Career Center. 

AMCHP Associate Director of the National Center on Health Reform Implementation
This position is accountable for the development, implementation and evaluation of program activities related to support for AMCHP’s National Center for Health Reform Implementation through cooperative agreements and other funding sources. The position reports to the Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs. The Associate Director will be responsible for tracking, analyzing, and reporting on federal and state legislation and programs impacting state maternal and child health programs. This person will play a critical role in fund development for programmatic efforts related to implementation of health reform for Title V/MCH Programs. The Associate Director will partner with relevant policymakers and agencies in addition to other national organizations, coalitions and groups concerned with women’s and infant health. To learn more about this open position, visit AMCHP’s Career Center.  

AMCHP Program Manager of Family Involvement
This part-time position supports and assists the Associate Director for Workforce and Leadership Development, Family Involvement in the development, implementation and evaluation of program activities related to family involvement and leadership development. The Program Manager will also assist in implementing project activities related to children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), birth defects and disabilities and early childhood. To learn more about this open position, visit AMCHP’s Career Center. 

March of Dimes Senior Vice President Public Policy and Government Affairs
The March of Dimes Foundation has initiated a search to identify candidates for the position of Senior Vice President Public Policy and Government Affairs. Reporting directly to the President, the individual occupying this position will be a critical member of the Foundation’s senior leadership team and will play a major role in leading the Foundation’s advocacy efforts. The individual will also lead the development of public policies related to or impacting the Foundation’s mission and operations, recommend the Foundation’s stance on public policy and public health matters in consultation with internal stakeholders and the President’s office, and ensure that external advocacy efforts are congruent with internal policies and programs. For more information on the responsibilities and qualifications for this position or to recommend a qualified candidate, please contact executivesearch@marchofdimes.com. 

RWJF Scholars in Health Policy Research Program Fellowship Opportunities
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Scholars in Health Policy Research program is looking for up to nine highly qualified individuals for two-year fellowships at one of three nationally prominent universities with the expectation that they will make important research contributions to future U.S. health policy. The program seeks recent graduates of doctoral programs in economics, political science and sociology, including junior faculty, to apply. The program will give preference to applicants who have not previously worked extensively in health or health policy research. The deadline to apply is October 13. To learn more, visit here.  

Fellowships for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
The Doris Duke Fellowships for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect aim to identify and nurture promising leaders in child abuse prevention in doctoral and dissertation students. Each fellow will receive an annual stipend of $25,000. The deadline to apply is December 15. To learn more, visit here. 

AMCHP’s CAREER CENTER
The Career Center is the premiere online job board for individuals seeking employment in Maternal and Child Health programs. Whether you are looking for an entry-level position or are a more seasoned professional looking for new opportunities, AMCHP's Career Center has great openings for great people! Searching our database is free and open to all job-seekers. AMCHP members receive a discount on job-postings - so sign up today!

FUNDING   

HRSA Funding for Healthy Tomorrows Partnership For Children Program
Deadline: October 15
The purpose of this program is to stimulate innovative community-based programs that employ prevention strategies to promote access to health care for children and their families nationwide. Healthy Tomorrows Partnership For Children Program (HTPC) funding supports direct service projects, not research projects. It is anticipated that HTPC grants will be awarded to approximately 12 recipients. The intent of HTPC-General grants are: 1) to support the development of family-centered, community-based initiatives that plan and implement innovative and cost-effective approaches for focusing resources to promote community defined preventive child health and developmental objectives for vulnerable children and their families, especially those with limited access to quality health services; 2) foster/promote collaboration among community organizations, individuals, agencies, businesses, and families; 3) involve pediatricians and other pediatric health professionals in community-based service programs; 4) build community and statewide partnerships among professionals in health, education, social services, government, and business to achieve self-sustaining programs to assure healthy children and families. The program encourages the use of innovative health information technology to increase access to a wide variety of stakeholders in communities. To learn more, visit here.  

HRSA Funding for Alliance for Information on Maternal and Child Health (AIM) Cooperative Agreement Program
Deadline: October 21
The AIM program is a collaborative of national membership organizations whose members include decision makers within state and local government, MCH professions, foundations, the health insurance industry, and business, as well as advocates for families. The purpose of the AIM Program is to help individual organization members to make well informed decisions affecting public health policies and programs for women, children and families. To learn more, visit here.  

HRSA Funding for SUID/SIDS Prevention and Bereavement Support Resource Centers
Deadline: October 25
The purpose of the Sudden and Unexpected Infant Death/Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SUID/SIDS) Cooperative Agreement program is to meet the needs of families and others that are impacted by the tragedy of SIDS/ID and provide a mechanism for communication and collaboration among the State SIDS/ID programs, associated groups, organizations, and Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) staff to assure improved infant health status through improved health care systems. To learn more, visit here.  

AMCHP Funding for Act Early State Systems Grant
Deadline: November 3
Through funding from the CDC, AMCHP will provide grants to state teams, led by either the Title V program or a member of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) network, to support the collaboration of Act Early Regional Summit Project teams and to further activities initiated by state teams during the Summits. Approximately 10 to 15 state grants will be awarded in the amount of up to $15,000 each. All states and territories who have participated in an Act Early Regional Summit except for those who currently have received a State Implementation Grant for Improving Services for Child and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other Developmental Disabilities grant are eligible to apply. For more information, please contact Treeby Brown or Melody Gilbert. 

HRSA Funding for Health Center New Access Points Funded Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010
Deadline: November 17
The purpose of the New Access Points opportunity is to establish health service delivery sites to improve the health of the nation's underserved communities and vulnerable populations by assuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. To learn more, visit here.  

HRSA Funding for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Grants for School-Based Health Centers Capital (SBHCC) Program
Deadline: December 1
It is expected that the proposed projects will support the SBHC in providing more effective, efficient, and quality health care. Applicants must also demonstrate how their proposal will lead to improvements in access to health services for children at a SBHC. A funding preference will be used for this announcement. In order to be eligible for the funding preference, applicants must certify that the SBHC site(s) serves a large population of children eligible for medical assistance under the State Medicaid plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act (the Act) or under a waiver of such plan or children eligible for child health assistance under the State child health plan under title XXI of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.). An eligible applicant may submit one application proposing a maximum of 10 projects including any combination of site-specific, stand-alone facility projects and one project to purchase moveable equipment and supplies for multiple SBHC sites. To learn more, visit here. 

CDC Funding for Cooperative Agreement Program for the National Academic Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention
Deadline: December 6
The goal of this program is to establish National Academic Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention (ACEs). The specific objective of this program is to support Academic Centers of Excellence to reduce youth violence in one defined high-risk community by implementing and evaluating a multifaceted, evidence-based approach to prevent the perpetration of youth violence. To learn more, visit here. 

CDC Funding for National Spina Bifida Patient Registry - Clinic Demonstration Project
Deadline: December 7
The purpose of this program is to solicit applications in the form of cooperative agreements to: 1) establish the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR) as an approach to improving quality of care; 2) expand the use of the standardized spina bifida registry tool; 3) advance the understanding of patient characteristics for persons seen in spina bifida clinics; and 4) utilize registry data to determine outcomes of specific clinical interventions. To learn more, visit here. 

RWJF Grant for Childhood Obesity Prevention
Deadline: July 1, 2011
The purpose of this funding opportunity, provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), is to support research to analyze and improve policy and environmental strategies to increase physical activity among children and adolescents. Proposals will support opportunistic, time-sensitive studies on emerging or anticipated changes in physical activity-related policies or environments. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis until the deadline. To learn more, visit here.

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