February 23, 2023

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February 23, 2023

COVID-19 Resources

Create a COVID-19 Action Plan

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic almost three years ago, we have known that some people who are immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system) are more likely to get sick with COVID-19 or be sick for a longer period. Evusheld, a pre-exposure preventative treatment, gave people with weakened immune systems extra protection against severe outcomes from COVID-19. However, on January 26, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Evusheld is not currently authorized for emergency use in the United States because it is unlikely to be active against the majority of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants at this time. [read more]

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 maternal and child health (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 Presents Black History Month & Beyond

Graphic with text: "Celebrating Black History Month & Beyond" with link: bit.ly/AMCHP_BHMB. Black background with red, yellow, and green stripes (Pan-African colors). Black History Month, established by the “Father of Black History” Dr. Carter G. Woodson, is a time dedicated to celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black individuals throughout American history. It is also a time for us to honor the generations of work and sacrifices fighting for freedom and equity and incorporate that into our work today, especially within the field of maternal and child health (MCH). This February, as a part of AMCHP’s Black History Month & Beyond, we have compiled resources consisting of books, articles, films, podcasts, and more related to Black History impacting MCH from our staff. We ask that you help us celebrate Black history beyond this month by contributing items you would like to see shared throughout the year in the form here.

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Call for 2023 AMCHP Annual Award Nominations Ends February 28

Did you consider nominating a colleague or leader for the 2023 AMCHP Annual Awards but ran out of time? You have a second chance for three categories!

Nominations for the following awards have been extended until February 28, 2023:

Ryan Colburn Scholarship Award: For a youth-with-disabilities leader to attend the AMCHP Annual Conference, connect with family leaders, and continue to spread Ryan’s message of hope.
Merle McPherson Family Leadership Award: For exemplary contributions to further family/professional collaboration within a state or jurisdictional Title V Program and AMCHP.
Emerging MCH Professional Award (Regions II, IV, VII, VIII, and IX): For outstanding state MCH professionals under age 45 whose work has made substantial contributions to their state’s MCH program, their state’s MCH outcomes, or made other significant contributions to promoting and protecting the health of women, children, and families in their state or jurisdiction.

All award winners are invited to accept their award at the AMCHP Annual Conference, held in a hybrid format from May 6-9, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Limited travel support is available for some awards. If you are interested in nominating someone, please fill out this nomination form and submit all nomination materials to Nikeisha Ogletree, Chief Operating Officer at awards @amchp.org by February 28, 2023.

Deadline Approaching! Share Your How for the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference by February 28

AMCHP is thrilled to announce that we are accepting video, audio, and written submissions for our “Sharing Your How” project – a plenary session of the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference where “how” is front and center.

This plenary session builds on last year’s ”Sharing Your Why”  project, where attendees heard perspectives from a broad range of maternal and child health (MCH) professionals, youth, and families. Last year, we shared “why” they do their work in MCH, what brought them to the field, why they feel passionate about their work, and what motivates them. This year, we’ll shift our focus from “why” to “how” to learn about strategies and activities that support the development of diverse leaders in MCH.

To be a part of our “Sharing You How” project, please complete this submission form which consists of a short testimonial (video, audio, or written format) by Tuesday, February 28, at 11:59 PM PT. Please aim to share your “how” video or audio testimonial in under 3 minutes or a written testimonial in 500 words or less. AMCHP will share these creatively throughout the 2023 Annual Conference and might invite you to participate in this plenary session.

Do you need ideas for creating your submission? Get inspired by exploring testimonials for the ”Sharing Your Why” project in 2022 at this link!

Please download our “Sharing Your How” flyer  and visit our blog post for more information or to share this opportunity. For any questions, please contact Caroline Stampfel at cstampfel@amchp.org.

Announcing Innovation Hub Spring 2023 Review!

Are you a community-based organization improving the health and well-being of MCH populations?  Submit it to the MCH Innovations Database: Spring 2023!  AMCHP’s Innovation Hub is currently accepting submissions to the MCH Innovations Database. The MCH Innovations Database is a searchable repository of “what’s working” in the field that includes practices and policies that are positively impacting MCH populations. This year and moving forward, AMCHP strongly encourages community-based organizations to submit their practices to the Innovation Database, regardless of whether the practice has been evaluated by experimental or “traditional” methods. AMCHP recognizes the validity of many forms of evidence, given that public health practice is context-specific and happens in real life. We strongly believe in the power of community- and practice-defined evidence and seek to promote its use in MCH practice to center those with lived experience. To learn more about AMCHP’s view of evidence, visit this link and click on the “How AMCHP Thinks About Evidence” tab; There is also an example of community-defined evidence that is currently in the MCH Innovations Database linked here for your reference. 

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 practice’s demonstrated impact among other criteria. The Innovation Hub has also expanded to include policies, which have their own criteria to sort them into the appropriate designation including Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Policies are 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 Spring! All submissions must be sent to evidence@amchp.org by COB Friday, April 21.

Not sure which designation to submit to? Check out our Minimum Criteria Checklist  to figure out which designation is right for your practice.

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 for review! 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 policy.

Refer a Practice/Policy: Don’t have anything to submit for the Spring 2023 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 this link.

If you would like greater assistance with which practice designation or policy track to submit to or have any questions, please email us at evidence@amchp.org, and we will be happy to help you!

Recent AMCHP News

AMCHP Annual Conference 

AMCHP 2023 Annual Conference Banner includes an icon of a human holding their hands up with different shades of green leaves above it so it looks like it's growing. Next to it is the theme displayed in green, "Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal & Child Health", and the date/location of the conference in white on a brown rectangle background, "May 6-9, 2023 | New Orleans, LA"

Have you saved the date for the 2023 Annual Conference? Mark your calendars for May 6-9, 2023, to attend in New Orleans, Louisiana! Our 2023 edition of the AMCHP Annual Conference will offer content in-person and through our virtual conference platform with the theme Cultivating Diverse Leaders in Maternal and Child Health. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to receive updates and information about the conference!

Conference Platform is Live

Visit our conference platform to view the full schedule (which includes opportunities for networking and skill-building sessions as well as plenty of impactful workshops and inspiring plenary sessions.), hotel and travel information, exhibits and sponsor information, and much more!

Early Bird Registration is Open

Early Bird registration for the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference is now open! Register to attend in person or virtually by Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT, to take advantage of the early bird pricing. Are you not sure whether you will attend in person or virtually? You can change your attendance status without penalties until Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT.

You can register now to secure your spot here!

Now Accepting Hotel Reservations

You can now make your hotel reservation to attend the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference in person. Book your stay at the New Orleans Marriot in New Orleans, LA, by EOD April 13, 2023, or until the block sells out. We look forward to seeing you!

Full Schedule Now Available

The FULL schedule of 57 workshops, nine skills-building sessions, and two roundtables for the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference is now available! Sessions are organized along the following subject matter tracks:

Clinical and Community Engagement and Partnership
Communication and Health Communication
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Epidemiology, Data, Assessment, and Evaluation
Equity and Access for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)
Family Engagement and Partnership
Health Equity and Addressing Social Determinants of Health
Maternal and Child Health History and Systems
Mental Health/Behavioral Health
Policy and Advocacy
We Are All Connected: Global Health, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice
Workforce development and Leadership
Youth Engagement and Partnership

Click on the full schedule to view sessions by date or by doing a keyword search. All sessions are displayed in Central Time (CT). Start creating your list of must-see sessions today!

Snapshot of the Virtual Conference Experience

Registered to attend AMCHP 2023 virtually? We strive to provide virtual participants with a meaningful experience that is flexible for any schedule. Here are a few of the items to look forward to:

Watch ALL three live-streamed plenaries and participate in the discussion chat with other participants on the live-stream platform.
Enjoy live-streamed workshop sessions – one broadcast session during each of the concurrent workshop sessions.
Participate in two rounds of live virtual workshop sessions hosted on Zoom.
Access more than 100 posters on the conference platform, including both those being presented in person and those presented virtually.
Take advantage of virtual networking opportunities.
Dedicated AMCHP staff who will support virtual engagement opportunities.

For more information, view the full schedule on our conference platform.

Support CBOs, Tribal Government Representatives, and Youth at Our Upcoming Annual Conference!

Graphic calling to support community based organizations, tribal government representatives, and youth at the Annual Conference. Learn more at www.bit.ly/2023-Letter. Our annual conference is fast approaching. While we can’t wait to see you at AMCHP 2023, we also recognize the deep value of having youth and young adult leaders, community-based organizations (CBOs), and those representing tribal entities attend as well. Here is a letter from our President and CEO providing further details about ways to support these individuals to attend. We shared a similar letter last year, and based on our conference evaluation, it inspired jurisdictions to financially support 10 youth and young adult leaders (including students), CBOs, and tribal government representatives to participate. Nearly a quarter of those who received the letter indicated that it helped them build or strengthen relationships with the individuals that they sponsored to attend the conference.

We are hopeful that this letter will have the same, or an even larger, impact this year. We also hope that it inspires you and your colleagues to have conversations about ways that you can further partner with and support these individuals and groups in your own work. Check out our conference registration page for further information.

New Blog Posts

AMCHP 2023: A Flexible Gathering of MCH Leaders and Thinkers: The deadline for early bird registration to participate in the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference is approaching. So, if you are still pondering your participation or are undecided about participating in person or virtually, we have you covered! Join us in this post as we revisit some of the benefits offered by our conference and reasons to connect with maternal and child health (MCH) leaders and thinkers at AMCHP 2023. [read more]
Introducing Conference Plenary Session #1: “Strengthening Our Roots: Tending to the Local MCH Ecosystem”: AMCHP is thrilled to announce the opening plenary of this year’s edition of our conference: “Strengthening Our Roots: Tending to the Local MCH Ecosystem.” This dynamic opening plenary will explore the maternal and child health (MCH) ecosystem that grows and sustains healthy families in New Orleans through a panel of local leaders in MCH, including Dr. Mary Ann Ross, Executive Director of the Arc of Greater New Orleans, Amy Zapata, Director of Louisiana’s Bureau of Family Health, and other community-based leaders of the field. [read more]

New From AMCHP

New State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC) Website!

This promotional image announces the launch of a new website (https://spharc.amchp.org) for the State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC). A screenshot of the new website shows four focus areas of Resources, Technical Assistance, Peer Learning, and Centering Lived Experience. AMCHP is pleased to announce the launch of a new State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC) website. SPHARC is a comprehensive web-based resource center intended to provide ongoing technical assistance and facilitate cross-state learning to increase the capacity of states, particularly Title V programs, in developing and implementing systems of care for children and youth with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities (ASD/DD).

The new website was designed to make it easier to understand SPHARC’s work and the populations it reaches. The website is broken down into the four major areas of SPHARC’s work:

Resource development
Technical assistance
Peer learning
Centering lived experience

The new SPHARC website features:

Easy navigation around four focus areas
Fillable online forms to request technical assistance or contact SPHARC staff
Searchable resource library

This website was developed for anyone who is working to increase the ability of states and jurisdictions to develop and implement systems of care for children and youth with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities (ASD/DD). It will also be of use to state and local decision-makers, public health professionals and leaders, family and community leaders, students, policymakers, Autistic adolescents, young adults, and adults, and anyone who wants to center Autistic voices in their work and co-design programs and policies with Autistic people.

You can access the new SPHARC website here. You may also contact the SPHARC team at spharc@amchp.org for additional questions or information requests.

AMCHP Events & Webinars

Webinar Opportunity TODAY at 3PM ET! Tracking Progress Towards Your Goals: Utilizing Key Performance Indicators

AMCHP is excited to announce the launch of the Innovation Hub Learning Community (IHLC). The IHLC is the latest evolution of the programmatic support and learning opportunities offered through Innovation Hub and is an expansion of the previous Cutting-Edge Learning Community (CELC).

The IHLC Webinar Series: The webinar series is open to everyone and will focus on skills and strategies that you can apply to your work to improve your organizational processes, expand the scope and impact of your practice, and plan for program sustainability.

Register for the first webinar in the series happening TODAY, February 23, 2023, at 3pm ET “Tracking Progress Towards Your Goals: Utilizing Key Performance Indicators”. This webinar will introduce Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), demonstrate how to use KPIs to track progress towards your strategic goals, and present ways to fit KPIs into your broader evaluation plan.

Looking for more information on the IHLC? Check out our website under the technical assistance tab or email us at evidence@amchp.org with any questions!

Save the Date! Title V and ECCS Partner Meeting

The Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance Center (ECS-TACC) is hosting a partner networking meeting for Title V and Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) partners on Wednesday, March 22 from 2:00-3:30pm ET. Title V administrators, family leaders, and program staff from ECCS-awarded states are encouraged to attend (list of ECCS-awarded states below).

AMCHP and state partners will share examples of coordination and alignment across Title V and ECCS initiatives. This meeting will support state-specific sharing and partnership opportunities. Register for the meeting.

A map of the United States with ECCS awarded states highlighted in red. ECCS states: Washington, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Virginia Vermont, Florida

Save the Date for NBDPN 2023

NBDPN Conference Banner alerting the date; August 14-16, 2023; location, Atlanta, Georgia; and theme, Connect. Share. Collaborate. Also pictured is a digitized image of a pregnant woman on the far left.

AMCHP is pleased to announce the return of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) Conference, taking place August 14-16, 2023 in Atlanta, GA. Save the date for this outstanding event that AMCHP is co-hosting, which will offer relevant and timely content in the areas of Surveillance Operations, Partnerships and Family Engagement, Epidemiology/Data, and Prevention, Intervention, and Public Policy as it relates to birth defects and overall maternal and child health.

Visit the website to learn about the conference, the Call for Proposals (deadline extension: March 3, 2023), and information regarding registration, hotel, and much more. Additionally, the conference organizers are opening a call for Reviewers and/or Track Coordinators. Please view this form for a short description and if you are interested, please proceed to fill it out by February 24.

For questions about this event, please contact NBDPNmeetings@conferencemanagers.com. We hope to see you there!

AMCHP Mental Health Corner

Mental health is an important component of well-being for MCAH populations. Read more about AMCHP’s organizational work on mental health and substance use here.

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 check 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! #ScreenToInterveneForAYAs Blog Highlights AYA Mental Health Capacity Building Resources for Title V

This month, the blog highlights a set of four e-learning modules that were developed for Title V staff interested in how they can leverage their jurisdiction’s MCH block grant program to improve systems of mental health care for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Each of the four modules functions as a standalone learning experience, and users can navigate between each module at their leisure, and in the order they prefer. Within each module, learners will find an introduction and background to the topic, key resources, examples of MCH programs in action, a summary of takeaways, and an opportunity for individual reflection on the content that’s been covered. The topics covered by each module include: 

Emerging Topical Issues in AYA Mental Health: Learn about the state of mental health among AYAs and trends over the last decade.  
Innovation in Service Delivery: Learn about the ways in which creativity in youth screening procedures has reduced some existing barriers to high-quality treatment & support. 
Integration of Mental Health into Primary Care for AYAs: Learn about frameworks, strategies, and real-world examples of effective approaches to integrating mental health services into primary care encounters for AYAs. 
MCH Workforce Capacity and Skillsets: Learn about pivoted approaches in workforce development to the skillsets of the AYA-MCH workforce to improve mental health care systems.

Access the series and view the blog post here.

AMCHP National Policy Calls

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

Thank you to those of you who joined us for AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls. You can find the full recordings of past Town Halls here. Town Halls occur on the second Thursday of every month from 2 to 3 pm EST. We invite you to register for all 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.

AMCHP Releases Federal Policy Priorities for 2023

The AMCHP Policy and Government Affairs Team has released the AMCHP 2023 Federal Policy Agenda. The identified priorities include funding the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant at $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2024 and affirm AMCHP’s commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of our nation’s women, children, and families. To learn more, visit AMCHP’s website or contact Amy Haddad, AMCHP’s Chief Government Affairs Officer, at ahaddad@amchp.org.

White House Announces Public Health Emergency to End in May

The Biden Administration has announced that they intend to let the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) expire on May 11, 2023. A separate declaration of a national emergency will also end that day. The announcement comes after multiple extensions to the PHE since it was first declared in January 2020. The unwinding of the PHE could impact millions of Medicaid enrollees as states begin the redetermination process. Learn more with the following AMCHP resources:

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 and opportunities! Search for Jobs | Post a Job. 

AMCHP Career Opportunities

Be part of our team! AMCHP is seeking individuals for the role listed below. AMCHP offers a 100% virtual work/telework environment for all positions.

Senior Program Manager, Reproductive and Maternal Health: The Senior Program Manager develops, implements, and evaluates program activities that impact health outcomes across the life course and disrupt sources of historical, structural, and institutional racism and oppression in governmental public health agencies and health systems that drive inequities in sexual and reproductive wellbeing and maternal health. This position will partner and coordinate with private funders and federal agencies as well as national, state, and community organizational leaders to support collaborative efforts and maximize impact for justice. [learn more and apply]
Associate Director/Director – Health Equity Innovation & Implementation: The Associate Director/Director will expand the organization and its membership capacity to interrogate, research, design, and implement sound health equity programs and interconnected policy work in their jurisdictions. The Associate Director/Director will 1) lead health equity capacity-building and technical assistance efforts through a transdisciplinary, anti-racist framework and 2) create a process and mechanisms toward accomplishing stated health equity and anti-racism goals in AMCHP’s 5-year strategic plan, AMCHP Future 27. [learn more and apply]
Program Analyst – Special Projects: The Program Analyst will have a primary role in providing effective and responsive administration & maintenance of the web-based resource hub, www.ReviewtoAction.org, that supports quality and comprehensiveness of the maternal mortality review process. The Program Analyst will also provide integrative data and evaluation support to assist measurement and evaluation of other special projects and maintenance of associated data platforms and websites, and to support the organizational efforts to measure, track, analyze, and report on progress toward accomplishing AMCHP’s current strategic plan. [learn more and apply]
Consultant – Qualitative Data Collection: AMCHP is seeking a consultant skilled in qualitative facilitation of focus groups and key informant interviews for our Equity Landscape Assessment. The consultant will also present findings to AMCHP project staff via virtual meeting and draft report; report will be incorporated into larger landscape assessment and is not required to be copyedited or professionally designed. [learn more and apply]
Consultant – Landscape Analysis Report: AMCHP is seeking a consultant skilled in synthesizing key findings from each assessment as well as the overall themes and recommendations as conveyed in meetings with the AMCHP staff team in a summary report for our Equity Landscape Assessment. [learn more and apply]
Senior Manager – Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Metrics: This position will assist in the facilitation of AMCHP’s mission to optimize equity in its internal and external processes and provide integrative evaluation support coupled with organizational metrics development and tracking. Primarily, this position will support capacity-building and technical assistance efforts for epidemiology, evaluation, and metrics, and support the organizational efforts to measure, track, analyze, and regularly report on progress toward accomplishing AMCHP’s current strategic plan. [learn more and apply]

To learn more about AMCHP’s career opportunities, please visit this link.

Deadline Approaching! Become a 2023 Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Host Site

PHAP is a paid two-year, on-the-job, training program for early-career public health professionals. PHAP currently has more than 300 associates fulfilling hands-on workforce needs at host sites across 47 states, the District of Columbia, and 4 US territories.

PHAP is seeking exceptional sites to host an associate from October 2023 to October 2025. PHAP host sites enjoy numerous benefits, including:

Gaining CDC-funded field assignees who are energetic, intelligent, flexible, career-minded individuals with unlimited potential
Forming a unique partnership with CDC to develop the nation’s next generation of public health professionals
Filling workforce gaps caused by budget cuts and staffing shortages

Associates are employed by CDC and work in state, tribal, local, and territorial public health departments; nongovernmental organizations; public health institutes and associations; academic institutions; and community-based organizations. Public health organizations have hosted associates working in a variety of public health areas, such as prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, HIV, and other communicable diseases; chronic disease prevention; environmental health; public health preparedness; immunization; injury and violence prevention; maternal and child health promotion; accreditation; and access to healthcare.

Prospective host sites can learn more about PHAP and how to become a host site on the PHAP website. The application period closes at 5:00pm ET on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. The website has helpful program and application information, including webinar recordings, information about eligibility, answers to frequently asked questions, and testimonials from previous host sites. If you need more information about PHAP or the application process, please don’t hesitate to email phap@cdc.gov or call 404-498-0030.

Funding Opportunity: 2023 RWJF Culture of Health Prize

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is launching its Culture of Health Prize award process that recognizes communities “who are collaborating to build positive solutions to structural barriers that have created unequal opportunity.” The awarded communities will receive $250,000, receive national recognition and opportunities to connect with other award winners along with “access to technical assistance, coaching, and workshops to enable Prize winners to accelerate their progress.” For more information to share with your local communities, see the 2023 Culture of Health Prize webpage. Application due date is March 29.

ORISE Fellowship Position- HRSA Maternal and Child Health Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems Health Research Fellowship

Interested recent Masters or Doctoral degree graduates or current graduate students are encouraged to apply for the ORISE/Maternal and Child Health Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems Health Research Fellowship. The ORISE Fellow will collaborate with the Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems to support activities focused on advancing health equity and strengthening Early Childhood Systems. See the full announcement for details on the fellowship, eligibility, and how to apply. The fellow will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with their educational level and experience. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Call for Reviewers: Maternal and Child Health Journal Supplement on Public Health Approaches to Perinatal Substance Use

Maternal and Child Health Journal Cover AMCHP and ASTHO invite you to serve as a peer reviewer for our journal supplement on Public Health Approaches to Perinatal Substance Use in the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Journal. 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. The information provided will be shared with the Editor-in-Chief of the MCH Journal to initiate matching you to papers within your interests and expertise. (Note: it is possible to submit to this supplement AND review a submission). For questions, please email Amani Echols (AMCHP) at aechols@amchp.org.

Partner Events & Webinars

Registration for #AHI2023 Now Open

Graphic to promote the 9th Annual Conference on Adolescent Health on May 11-12, Translating Research Into Practice. Registration opened February 6, 2023. Join a multi-disciplinary, international audience of over 450 health professionals for two days of dynamic breakout sessions, poster presentations, youth-led sessions, and networking events. As the Adolescent Health Initiative (AHI) works to translate research into practice, 100% of the sessions at this year’s event will be co-facilitated by youth, and the planning of the Conference will be guided by the AHI Teen Advisory Council (TAC TAC). Continuing Education Credits will be available for attending.

The Annual Conference on Adolescent Health offers sessions on Primary Care, Mental Health, Sexual Health, School-Based Health, and Community-Based Interventions. For the 2023 Conference, AHI added two new categories – Youth Engagement and Technology & Communication. This year’s event will also showcase sessions that address social determinants of health, racism as a public health crisis, PCOR/CER-funded research, and works that address the many needs of youth as it relates to their intersecting identities.

A few exciting presentations that interdisciplinary health care professionals will facilitate are Promoting Positive Transitions from Pediatric to Adult Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Adolescents, Centering Young People and Their Many Intersecting Identities in Adolescent Health Research, and Sex Education for Learners with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

With the Conference’s shift to a virtual event, AHI has adjusted attendance fees accordingly. Follow this link to learn more about Conference pricing and scholarship support for 2023.

Publications & Resources

Seeking Title V/CYSHCN Leaders to Complete Newborn Screening Contingency Plan Survey

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) has convened a workgroup of experts from state newborn screening (NBS) programs, federal partners, and other non-profit organizations, including AMCHP, to update the national NBS contingency plan (CONPLAN). The CONPLAN was last updated in 2017 and was revised from the original version to include a greater emphasis on newborn screening follow-up considerations during emergencies that could disrupt NBS programs, among other changes.

This survey, for which AMCHP members are invited to participate in, is intended to gather feedback from the NBS community, including Title V and CYSHCN leaders, on general and/or specific areas that need updating for the next iteration of the NBS CONPLAN. Please find the survey and more details  here. Estimated completion time: 20-45 minutes. The deadline is Friday, March 3, 2023, and for questions, contact, guisou.zarbalian@aphl.org

Free Father Engagement Resources in Newly Designed Learning Center

The National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) is well known for providing great father involvement research, programs, resources, and other planning services to help you and your organization engage fathers effectively. The initiative has recently redesigned its FREE Learning Center, which houses over 170 free resources to help programs engage fathers, to create an even better user experience! Check out some examples of their newest resources:

Helping Children Grow Through Fun Dad-Child Activities (Dad’s Guides in English and Spanish)
Benefits of Father Presence Infographic in English & Spanish
Why Involved Dads are Good for Moms Infographic in English & Spanish

Browse the Free Learning Center here!

Five Strategies to Promote Reproductive Justice and Family Well-being for Black Girls and Women

Systemic racism has led to disproportionately adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes for Black girls and women, including lower rates of access to and use of contraceptives, higher rates of unintended pregnancies, higher rates of preterm births and infant deaths, and higher rates of maternal mortality. Additionally, many Black families lack access to high-quality childcare services due to the high costs of available programs in their neighborhoods.

In their new Child Trends blog, Fadumo Abdi, Abigail Wulah, and Mavis Sanders highlight strategies for policymakers and practitioners to address these inequities and promote the sexual and reproductive health of Black girls and women. The blog post also discusses how federal and state efforts to improve access can help Black girls and women raise their children in safe and sustainable environments. [read more]