COVID-19 Resources
CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot
On Thursday, September 1, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved updated COVID-19 vaccine booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The boosters contain vaccines targeting both the original COVID-19 strain and the omicron variant. Individuals are eligible for the Pfizer booster if they are age 12 and up, have received their primary vaccine series, and it has been two months since their last vaccine dose. Individuals aged 18 and up are also eligible for the Moderna booster on the same schedule. Learn more about the new booster shots on the CDC website. Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you at www.vaccines.gov.
Recent CDC News
- CDC Recommends Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine for Adolescents
- CDC Streamlined COVID-19 Guidance to Help the Public Better Protect Themselves and Understand their Risk
AMCHP COVID-19 Resources and Vaccination Pages
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 for your convenience and are updated regularly as untapped resources become available. Find out more about vaccinating MCH populations to stay up to date on well care during the pandemic here.
AMCHP Announcements
Never miss our updates! Sign up for our newsletters here, and follow us on Twitter (@DC_AMCHP), LinkedIn (Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs), Facebook (AMCHPofficial), and Instagram (@DC_AMCHP).
AMCHP Family Engagement Community of Practice (CoP)
Are you looking for ideas and insights on engaging families more in the work of your Title V program? This may be the opportunity for you!
The AMCHP Family Engagement Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of individuals who share expertise and passion about a topic and interact on an ongoing basis to further their learning and advance the field to increase the Title V capacity to engage families in their work. CoP members include those working with families on family engagement initiatives across Title V and maternal and child health.
The CoP provides a platform for subject matter experts to share ideas, innovations, lessons learned, successes, and best practices. It is an eight-month commitment with monthly meetings from October 2022 to May 2023.
Join now! Click here to express your interest by COB Friday, September 23, 2022.
More information can be found at this link. For questions, please contact Michelle Crawford at mcrawford@amchp.org.
New Pulse Newsletter Issue: Reflections on Shaping our Future
The latest issue of our Pulse newsletter is live on our website!
This Pulse issue, “Reflections on Shaping our Future,” was inspired by this year’s AMCHP Annual Conference theme, “Reflecting on our Past, Shaping our Future.” It shares strategies that lead to a more inclusive, sustainable MCH workforce, how we serve families through telehealth and other technologies, and how our “why” can inspire us moving forward. The newsletter also features powerful first-person stories – human stories complete with struggle, perseverance, support, and healing, and updates on our Replication Projects.
Articles:
- A Message from our CEO
- Shaping our Future: A More Inclusive, Sustainable Workforce
- Future of Telehealth
- Using our ‘Why’ to Create a Better Future
- Reflecting on Amá: The Untold Story of the Sterilization of Thousands of Indigenous Women at the Hands of the U.S. Government
- The Marathon
- Learning from Loss: Reflections from a First-Time Attendee at the AMCHP Conference
- Taking Action to Address Environmental Health Today to Protect the Health of Future Generations
- Overview of Replication Projects
- How Trauma-Informed Yoga is Healing a Generation
Do you want to receive our Pulse newsletter directly in your inbox? Subscribe to our email list at this link!
New MCH Bridges Podcast Episode
Public Health Across Borders: Unaccompanied Immigrant Children, Mental Health, and the U.S. Immigration System
Our newest MCH Bridges episode is now live! Episode 8 – “Public Health Across Borders: Unaccompanied Immigrant Children, Mental Health, and the U.S. Immigration System.”
This episode explores the unique experiences of unaccompanied immigrant children and how immigration impacts mental health. Guest speakers José Ortiz-Rosales, Deputy Director of the Young Center’s Child Advocate Program, and Anne Kelsey, Policy Analyst for Disability Rights at the Young Center, offer their perspectives on opportunities for the public health field to better support unaccompanied minors’ mental and physical health needs.
The Young Center, an organization dedicated to promoting immigrant children’s rights, ensures the safety and best interests of unaccompanied children in United States custody by advocating for them as they navigate the immigration system.
Share with your peers and listen to this and other episodes on www.mchbridges.org, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Overcast.
Why tune in to MCH Bridges?
MCH Bridges is intended to help our listeners create new connections to MCH leaders, organizations, and ideas. We aim to inspire and guide listeners towards actions that will improve the systems that impact MCH populations.
Who should listen to MCH Bridges?
MCH Bridges is designed for Title V MCH & CYSHCN leaders, state and jurisdictional health department staff, individuals with lived experience and their families, MCH faculty and students, public health professionals, and others wanting to learn more about supporting MCH populations and equitable systems of care.
Maternal and Child Health Journal Supplement on Public Health Approaches to Perinatal Substance Use
The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) are pleased to announce a forthcoming supplement on “Public Health Approaches to Perinatal Substance Use,” in the Maternal and Child Health Journal. The supplement will feature articles that address policies and programs dedicated to expanding access to substance use care during the perinatal period. Please review our Call for Papers and writing workshop to learn more. The manuscript deadline has been EXTENDED to October 1, 2022.
AMCHP and ASTHO warmly invite you to serve as a peer reviewer for the journal supplement. Peer reviewing is an enriching experience that benefits both the individuals who dedicate their time and expertise to the process and the MCH community. You can learn more about the role and responsibilities of peer reviewers here. If you would like to peer review, please complete this short survey. It is possible to submit to this supplement and review a submission.
If you are interested in submitting to the supplement or being a peer reviewer, please email Amani Echols (AMCHP) at aechols@amchp.org.
AMCHP Innovation Hub
Now Accepting Submissions for the MCH Innovations Database Fall 2022 Review
Is your work effectively improving the health and well-being of MCH populations? Submit it to the MCH Innovations Database: Fall 2022 Review!
AMCHP’s Innovation Hub is currently accepting submissions to the MCH Innovations Database (formerly Innovation Station). The MCH Innovations Database is a searchable repository of “what’s working” in the field that includes effective practices, programs, and strategies that positively impact MCH populations.
Submissions to the database are assessed along a practice continuum and, if accepted, receive a designation of Cutting-Edge, Emerging, Promising, or Best Practice depending on the evidence demonstrating the practice’s impact, among other criteria. The Innovation Hub has also expanded to include policies with their own criteria to sort them into the appropriate designation, ranging from development, implementation, and evaluation. Policies are currently being accepted on a rolling basis and can be submitted at any point. Check out this short overview video of the submission process to learn more.
How to Submit a Practice?
Access our submission forms here under the “How do I Submit a Practice?” tab and learn more about how you can submit your practice for the fall. All submissions must be sent to evidence@amchp.org by COB Friday, September 30.
Not sure which designation to submit to? Check out our Minimum Criteria Checklist to figure out which designation is right for your practice, or email us at evidence@amchp.org, and we are happy to assist.
How to Submit a Policy?
Access our submission forms here under the “How do I Submit a Policy?” tab and learn more about how you can submit your policy! All submissions should be sent to evidence@amchp.org, and please remember that they are accepted on a rolling basis.
Not sure which track to submit to? Check out our Policy Track Criteria to figure out which designation is right for your practice, or email us at evidence@amchp.org, and we are happy to assist.
Refer a Practice/Policy
Don’t have anything to submit for the Fall 2022 Review, but know of one that would be a great fit for the MCH Innovations Database? Refer a practice/policy to the database on our website, and we’ll reach out to them. All referrals can be submitted on our site using the “How do I Refer a Practice/Policy?” tab here. Email us at evidence@amchp.org for any questions!
AMCHP Annual Conference
Post-Conference Reminders
You still have access to ALL conference content!
Do you wish to revisit your favorite session or engage with the content you might have missed live? For a full year, registered participants will have access to all the on-demand content, live plenary sessions, workshops, and more! Visit the conference website, log in with your access key, and continue to be inspired by all the wonderful speakers and participants this year on your own time.
Save the Date for AMCHP 2023!
Interested in receiving all the details about the AMCHP 2023 Annual Conference? Subscribe to our email list at this link!
Annual Conference Approved for Continuing Education
As of May 4, 2022, the AMCHP 2022 Annual Conference meets Accreditation and CDC’S Quality Training Standards. Please click here for more information.
AMCHP Events & Webinars
Recording – Making the Call for MCH: Exploring the Maternal Mental Health Hotline and the 988 Crisis Lifeline
On Wednesday, August 17, AMCHP and ASTHO hosted a virtual session in which they explored the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, the 988 Suicide Prevention Crisis Lifeline, and opportunities for public health agencies to partner to promote their success and support maternal and child health populations’ mental health and well-being.
Panelists included:
- John Draper, Executive Vice President, National Networks, Vibrant Emotional Health & Executive Director, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
- Dawn Levinson, Behavioral Health Lead, Division of Healthy Start and Perinatal Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
- Richard McKeon, Chief, Suicide Prevention Branch, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
You can now watch the recording at this link and access the materials, including the slide deck and handouts here.
Recording – August 23 Round Table: Telehealth Policy After the Public Health Emergency
Hear from Mei Wa Kwong, J.D., Executive Director of the Center for Connected Health Policy, on how telehealth policy has changed during the pandemic, and how these changes can impact maternal and child health beyond the public health emergency. [watch the recording]
Recording – August 18 Round Table: Working with Families Virtually
Molly Martzke, Senior Program Manager, National Genetics Education and Family Support Center at Expecting Health, shares how the organization is engaging families nationwide with virtual programming and what Expecting Health has learned about supporting families virtually during the pandemic and beyond. [watch the recording]
Recording – August 16 Round Table: My Evaluation is Done. What’s Next?
AMCHP’s Equity, Epidemiology, and Evaluation team presents how to use evidence and evaluation to implement changes in your telehealth program. [watch the recording]
Recording – August 4 Round Table: Taking EHDI Telehealth to the Next Level
Hear from Bill Campbell (Audiologist in Thunder Bay, Ontario), Todd Houston (University of Akron), Alex Meibos (University of Akron), Arlene Stredler Brown (University of Colorado), Pamela Dawson (Hear ME Now), Julie Purdy (Rady Children’s Hospital) as they share EHDI telehealth activities and experiences from around the country. [watch the recording]
AMCHP Mental Health Corner
Mental health is an important component of well-being for maternal, child, and adolescent health (MCAH) populations. To recognize its importance, we will use this space to highlight resources for MCAH professionals to support their own mental health, as well as the mental health of those they serve. Read more about AMCHP’s organizational work on mental health and substance use here.
In September, AMCHP’s mental health social media will primarily focus on National Suicide Prevention Month! We encourage you to retweet our material and use the hashtag: #AMCHPMentalHealth.
Interested in receiving more information on what’s happening related to mental health/substance use and MCH? Sign-up for the PRISM Digest, our monthly mental health/substance use newsletter, by emailing jsimon@amchp.org and checking out the #AMCHPMentalHealth hashtag on Twitter. Have questions or want to learn more? Contact the mental health team at mentalhealth@amchp.org.
New Post Alert! Community Crisis Response Programs: Implications for MCH Populations
In observance of Suicide Prevention Month, AMCHP published a blog on community behavioral health crisis response for maternal and child health (MCH). With the growing youth mental health crisis, equitable and trauma-informed community services are a clear step toward suicide prevention. Check out our blog to explore opportunities for MCH programs to support their local community crisis services and ensure equitable, family-centered behavioral health services are available to all.
New Post Alert! #ScreenToInterveneForAYAs Blog Spotlights the Pennsylvania MCH Approach to Supporting AYA Mental Health
This latest blog post highlights the Pennsylvania MCH program’s approach to improving mental health, behavioral health, and developmental outcomes for children and youth with and without special health care needs. Pennsylvania is one of five state teams participating in the Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Behavioral Health CoIIN project, which seeks to increase the rate of depression screenings among AYAs with an appropriate follow-up care plan, if necessary.
Read about the Pennsylvania MCH approach here. If you would like to receive an e-mail notification when a new blog post is available for viewing, please sign up here.
AMCHP National Policy Calls
AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls
Thank you to those who joined us on the August 11 AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall. You can watch the full recording here:
The next call in this series is October 13, 2022, from 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT. We invite you to register for this and our future Town Halls at this link.
Legislation & Policy
Explore our Maternal Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health. Stay up to date by checking out the recent news shared under our Member Briefs Legislation and Policy sections on August 25 and August 11.
Opportunities & Funding
AMCHP Career Center: Connecting Talent with Opportunity
AMCHP lists the top jobs available in our industry. Access the AMCHP Career Center to search and apply for open positions or post your jobs on opportunities! Search for Jobs | Post a Job.
AMCHP Career Opportunities
Be part of our team! AMCHP is seeking individuals for the roles listed below. AMCHP offers a 100% virtual work/telework environment for all positions.
- Special Project Senior Analyst – Evidence and Implementation: This position will support the Evidence and Implementation (EI) team to strengthen the alignment of AMCHP’s Innovation Hub and the MCH Evidence Center’s tools and resources. It will also help build the EI team’s evidence-related content, tools, and resources portfolio. [learn more and apply]
- Equity, Epidemiology, & Evaluation Equity Metrics Intern: AMCHP is looking to employ a paid intern to support AMCHP’s Equity, Epidemiology, & Evaluation team. This individual will assist in conducting an equity assessment of the AMCHP Life Course Indicators (LCI) and coordinating/tracking our internal and external equity committees’ efforts, outputs, and impacts. Expected work hours are 15‐20 hours per week for the duration of the 16‐week internship. [learn more and apply]
To learn more about AMCHP’s career opportunities, please visit this link.
Partner Events & Webinars
Panel Discussion: Leveraging Opportunities to Support and Strengthen the MCH Public Health Workforce
Join the University of North Carolina’s Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Education, Science, and Practice as they explore topics presented in three journal articles featured in the upcoming MCH Journal Special Issue, Developing and Strengthening the Current and Future MCH Public Health Workforce: Building Capacity, Aligning Systems and Addressing Emerging Challenges.
Panelists Lauren Raskin Ramos, Isabella Guynn, and Jimmy Dills will each present on their publications included in the special issue of MCH Journal and describe how they leverage opportunities that support and strengthen the MCH public health workforce.
Register now at this link.
Publications & Resources
The National MCH Workforce Development Center: Academic – Practice Partnership Newsletter
The National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Workforce Development Center is pleased to share its inaugural Academic – Practice Partnership (APP) Newsletter!
The APP Newsletter is designed for leaders in Title V MCH, state and public health, and academia. The newsletter aims to identify and share case studies, best/promising practices of collaborations between academia and public health, and share peer-reviewed literature, tools, and resources. Read, share, and subscribe to the APP Newsletter!
The APP would love to hear about your experiences working with academia and public health practitioners. Your expertise and experience can truly help build pathways for others to learn. If you would like, reach out to Leslie deRosset, the APP Coordinator, at derosset@email.unc.edu.
Commemorations
September 2022
Blood Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Food Safety Education Month
Healthy Aging ® Month
National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
National Cholesterol Education Month
National ITP (Platelet Disorder) Awareness Month
National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
National Recovery Month
National Sickle Cell Month
National Yoga Awareness Month
Newborn Screening Awareness Month
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Pain Awareness Month
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Month
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Sepsis Awareness Month
Sexual Health Awareness Month
Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month
World Alzheimer’s Month
Weeks to Note:
National Suicide Prevention Week; September 5 – 11
National Folic Acid Awareness Week; September 12-18
Malnutrition Awareness Week; September 19 – 23
Global ITP Awareness Week; September 20-24
Falls Prevention Awareness Week; September 20-24
Fungal Disease Awareness Week; September 20-24
National Rehabilitation Awareness Week; September 20 – 26
Days to Note:
World Sexual Health Day; September 4
World Suicide Prevention Day; September 10
World Sepsis Day; September 13
National Celiac Disease Awareness Day; September 13
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day; September 18
Get Ready for Flu Day; September 21
World Alzheimer’s Day; September 21
Sport Purple for Platelets Day; September 24
World Lung Day; September 25
Mesothelioma Awareness Day; September 26
World Rabies Day; September 28
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day; September 29
World Heart Day; September 29
