AMCHP Announcements
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AMCHP Invites You to Our Annual Business Meeting Held Virtually on June 22
AMCHP invites our members, partners, and other interested stakeholders to our Annual Business meeting, to be held on June 22, from 3–4 PM ET. Join us virtually to recognize newly appointed Board Members and welcome 2023 Officers. Register at www.bit.ly/AMCHP-ABM23.
Survey: AMCHP Conference Investment Letter
Please help us understand the reach and impact of this year’s AMCHP Conference Investment Letter by completing this short survey. Take a few minutes to help us learn what we can do better to disseminate this letter next year!
What is the AMCHP Conference Investment Letter?
As a part of our strategic plan, AMCHP is trying to institutionalize opportunities to cultivate high-quality relationships with community-based organizations, people with lived experience, thought leaders, and others who can advance our mission and initiatives. One way AMCHP has done this is by creating and disseminating an investment letter for youth, community-based organizations (CBOs), and family leaders with the aim of making the conference more inclusive. The purpose of this letter is to encourage state Title V programs and others to financially support youth, CBOs, and family leaders to attend the conference and share their insights and expertise with others.
New MCH Bridges Podcast – Youth Perspectives on Mental Health: Supporting the Next Generation
Our newest MCH Bridges episode is now live! Episode 15– “Youth Perspectives on Mental Health: Supporting the Next Generation”
In this MCH Bridges episode, three members of The Adolescent Champion Teen Advisory Council (TAC TAC), Melanie Avila, Fanta Guindo, and Yeina Han, share what adolescent and young adult mental health looks like in their communities, what they have experienced, and what needs to change. This episode talks about important concepts like positive youth development, youth-friendly services, and culturally competent care. It also identifies strategies for addressing barriers to youth seeking and accessing mental health services.
Tune in now to listen to host Maura Leahy and youth speakers Melanie, Fanta, and Yenia as they share their experiences and insights.
Disclaimer: This episode discusses mental health issues and mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, please dial 988 immediately to call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Additionally, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides support before, during, and after pregnancy. Call or text 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746). TTY users can use a preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 988 or 1-833-943-5746. Both services are free, confidential, and available 24/7.
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.
AMCHP Commits to Workplace Well-Being
AMCHP is committed to reimagining the centrality of wellness in our work ecosystem and ways to shift organizational culture and policies to promote workplace well-being. View our newly released Commitment to Workplace Well-Being and associated press release to learn more about our dedication to this work. AMCHP’s Mental Health Team, a cross-cutting internal workgroup, championed the development of AMCHP’s Organizational Commitment to Workplace Well-Being. The driving purposes of the Organizational Commitment are to establish AMCHP’s ongoing commitment to uncover workplace well-being disparities, promote meaningful change in organizational policies, practices, and culture, and develop resources to improve workplace well-being.
Latest Pulse Newsletter Issue Available
The latest issue of our Pulse newsletter is now live! April’s Pulse issue covers Supreme Court decisions that impact the maternal and child health (MCH) community, embodying cultural humility for better MCH outcomes, and the remaining disparities in autism diagnoses. It also features a message from our CEO and an interview with AMCHP’s Board President, as well as highlights the work of March of Dimes, a longstanding AMCHP partner.
Read the articles:
- A Message From Our CEO, Terrance E. Moore
- Interview with AMCHP Outgoing Board President, Belinda Pettiford, MPH
- Spotlight on a Maternal and Child Health Case at the Supreme Court of the United States: Luna Perez v Sturgis Public Schools
- Approaching Maternal and Child Health Work with Cultural Humility: A Conceptual Model for Hastening Change
- Updated Autism Diagnosis Numbers: The Role of Maternal and Child Health Programs in Addressing Continued Disparities
- March of Dimes: 85 Years of Fighting to Help Improve the Health of All Moms, Babies and Families
Do you want to receive our Pulse newsletter directly in your inbox? Subscribe to our email list!
Celebrating the 2023 AMCHP Annual Award Winners
AMCHP is pleased to celebrate the winners of its 2023 AMCHP Annual Awards. The awards recognize maternal and child health (MCH) leaders for their outstanding contributions to the field and will be presented at the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference, held May 6-9, 2023.
Awardees of the 2023 AMCHP Annual Awards include:
- Dr. Fleda Mask Jackson (John MacQueen Lecture Award)
- Dr. Vanessa Walker Harris (Excellence in State MCH Leadership Award)
- Dr. Emily Naiser (Vince Hutchins Leadership Award)
- Gina Pola Money (Merle McPherson Family Leadership Award)
Awardees for the 2023 Emerging MCH Professional category include:
- William Arias (Region I)
- Dr. Dane De Silva (Region III)
- Dr. Anne Odusanya (Region IV)
- Sara Haig (Region V)
- Audrey Young (Region VI)
- Dr. Stephanie Radke (Region VII)
- Angie Goodger (Region VIII)
- Ipuniuesea Eliapo-Unutoa (Region IX)
- Caroline Sedano (Region X)
This year’s edition of the AMCHP Annual Awards also recognizes Resilient Kern (Innovation Hub Best Practices Award), EACH Mom and Baby Collaborative (Innovation Hub Empowerment and Partnership Award), and Building Capacity for Food Systems and Health Systems to Partner (Innovation Hub Advancing Health Equity Award).
Congratulations to all the winners! For more information about this year’s awardees please visit our blog post.
AMCHP and Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures© Hosted Crescent City SMILEFEST for Elementary School Children in New Orleans
On Friday, May 5, AMCHP and Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures© hosted a Crescent City SMILEFEST for hundreds of children at Sherwood Forest Elementary School, in New Orleans. The event highlighted the importance of Establishing and Maintaining habits that promote good oral health, hygiene, nutrition, and fitness.
SMILEFEST featured a host of games and activities focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) that tested students’ health and wellness knowledge and provided tips and information to help them care for their health, minds, and bodies. The students visited the Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures© mobile dental van, where they received free dental screenings, oral health education, treatment referrals, and product giveaways. New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Trey Murphy III also made a special appearance and joined the students, teachers, parents, and other guests in a SMILEFEST second-line strut.
The SMILEFEST celebration kicked off the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference, providing AMCHP’s leadership and early conferees an opportunity to participate in a day of community service, interact with state and local health professionals, and promote strategies for improving the health and lives of Louisiana mothers, children, and families.
“Integrating oral health practices at a young age is a key building block to good overall health across the lifespan,” said Terrance E. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs. “We are thrilled to be here today to support learning and dental care for children and their families, one of the simplest yet unmet health needs in the U.S.”
Read the full news release.
AMCHP Annual Conference
Thank you to the more than 1,300 maternal and child health (MCH) leaders and thinkers that joined us in New Orleans or virtually from May 6–9, 2023 for our 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference. Over 1,000 individuals joined us in person and more than 300 virtually, making this event again one of the largest gatherings of MCH professionals in the United States.
Subscribe to our mailing list at the bottom of our conference webpage to be among the first to receive updates about our conference in 2024 and share the subscribe link with your friends and peers! Stay up to date with the latest on MCH and AMCHP information, resources, events, and job openings by following us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Interested in revisiting information on the 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference? Make sure to visit our blog and podcast page to read the latest on this year’s conference!
AMCHP 2023 Post-Conference Evaluation Survey
Keep an eye out for an email with a survey link to evaluate the conference! This survey is extremely important for AMCHP to continue putting your voice first when crafting the next conference experience. Help our conference planning committee serve you better by filling out the survey to the best of your ability!
The survey will be sent directly from SurveyMonkey – please check your spam/junk folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.
You Still Have Access to All Conference Content!
Do you wish to revisit your favorite session or engage with the live content you might have missed? For a year, registered participants will have access to all the on-demand content, live plenary sessions, workshops, and more! Visit the conference platform, log in with your access key, and continue to be inspired by all the outstanding speakers and participants this year on your own time.
Continuing Education
Virtual and in-person workshops and plenaries have been granted Continuing Education (CE) credits through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The maximum number of credits for Virtual Credits for CNE, CME, and CHES is fifteen (15). The maximum number of credits for In-Person Credits for CNE, CME, and CHES is twenty-one (21). Additional CE information is available on the conference platform.
To receive CE credits for CM4652 – 2023 AMCHP Annual Conference: Limited Virtual, please visit TCEO and follow these 9 Simple Steps before June 12.
Call to Action: Nurturing the Now Plenary Session
Thank you to those who joined our closing plenary at AMCHP 2023: Nurturing the Now. You can further support our presenters by following @eyeforprevention and @neworleansyouthalliance on Instagram and by visiting their websites, StrongerWithout.com and NewOrleansYouthAlliance.org! You can also connect with our presenters and artists directly:
- Sedona Moreno-Castelan: Revolutionarysedona@gmail.com | Instagram: @RevolutionarySedona
- Aariyah Johnson: Aariyah30@gmail.com
- Ahmaad Lott: ahmaad@neworleansyouthalliance.org
- Nakeshia Buckner: nbuckner@eqaschools.org
- Julio Bermudez: Julio@sonofsaint.org
- Akiala I: Website | Direct link to Amazon
- Jovanny Moreno-Castelan: Jovanny120221@gmail.com
- Deja Jones: dejamjones96@gmail.com
Call to action:
- Do your own inner healing work to be able to show up to help bring forth this change.
- Be a trusted adult / accomplice for youth.
- Plan and invest in authentic youth engagement. One way to do that is to plan to bring a young person to the conference next year.
Share your feedback:
The EYE for Prevention Team is interested in understanding the outcomes of this presentation to assist them with grant reporting requirements and would appreciate your open and honest feedback. This anonymous survey should take you less than 5 minutes to complete. Note: This is a different survey than the general conference evaluation sent directly to your inbox.
Let us continue to NURTURE THE NOW!
AMCHP Social Offset
AMCHP has partnered with SocialOffset to offer meeting attendees the opportunity to contribute to local organizations in New Orleans that make a difference in people’s lives. Donating provides a way to channel the discomfort or internal conflict some attendees feel about the location into meaningful action.
We invite you to use this campaign to offset any tax spending in New Orleans that doesn’t align with your values by supporting local charities that do. Take action now.
Save the Date for AMCHP 2024 and Beyond!
AMCHP Events & Webinars
Upcoming Coffee Chat with AMCHP CEO: MCH Talent
Join our Workforce and Leadership Development Committee for our last session of the Coffee Chats with AMCHP CEO, Terrance E. Moore series to discuss one of the core areas of our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Talent.
From these discussions, we hope to provide our members and current/potential partners with:
- An overview of available workforce-related data relevant to the MCH field;
- An open forum to share and gather strategies that AMCHP can implement to achieve our MCH talent and workforce objectives; and
- Opportunities to inform and guide our strategic plan.
If you are an AMCHP Member interested in joining, please register for this session happening virtually on June 20, 1-2:15 PM ET.
AMCHP Mental Health Corner
Although Mental Health Month has ended, we must prioritize our mental health all year round — something AMCHP strives to exemplify, as stated in our Commitment to Workplace Well-Being. AMCHP is committed to promoting and bolstering Title V’s role in supporting mental health across the life-course. AMCHP also recognizes the importance of creating healthy workplace environments to advance Title V mental health, including substance use disorder, initiatives. Please explore the mental health activities AMCHP promoted in May and critical partner resources in our latest blog post.
Mental health is an important component of well-being for maternal, child, and adolescent health (MCAH) populations. Read more about AMCHP’s organizational work on mental health and substance use.
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.
Legislation & Policy
Explore our revamped Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health. Also, download AMCHP’s 2023 Federal Policy Agenda outlining where we intend to focus our advocacy work.
Black Maternal Health Momnibus, Other Maternal Health Bills Introduced in Congress in Recognition of Mother’s Day
Federal lawmakers introduced a flurry of legislation aimed at improving maternal health care, access, and outcomes to coincide with Mother’s Day on May 15th. Amongst the bills was the comprehensive set of bills known as the Black Maternal Health Momnibus. Each of the 13 individual bills addresses a driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States. Learn more about the Black Maternal Health Momnibus on the Black Maternal Health Caucus website, and about this and other maternal health legislation on the AMCHP Maternal and Child Health Bill Tracker.
U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has issued an advisory warning on the impacts of social media on youth mental health. While the advisory acknowledges the positive effects of social media for some children, it focuses on the known negative impacts that have played a role in the current youth mental health crisis. Dr. Murthy calls for lawmakers and technology companies to consider policies strengthening protections, increasing data security, and supporting technology literacy curricula in schools, amongst other calls to action. To learn more, you can read the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health and view federal legislation to improve youth mental health on the AMCHP Maternal and Child Health Bill Tracker.
White House Announces New Federal Actions to Address Behavioral Health Crisis
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the White House has announced a series of new federal actions to increase access to quality behavioral health care. Of note to maternal and child health populations are increased investments in early childhood and youth mental health services; guidance on providing mental health services in schools under Medicaid; and the announcement of $65 million for HRSA-funded health centers to provide maternal mental health services. The actions also include the launch of a new online resource finder for individuals seeking behavioral health services. You can read the comprehensive list of federal actions addressing behavioral health on the White House website.
AMCHP Leads on Funding for Federal Maternal Health Programs Through the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Process
As Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations negotiations progress on Capitol Hill, AMCHP has engaged national organizations, academic institutions, and Members of Congress in urging funding for federal maternal health programs, including Title V. AMCHP has led on a series of letters addressed to the leadership of House and Senate Appropriations Committees demonstrating the broad, bipartisan support for myriad federal programs to improve maternal and child health. Read the letters and view signers below:
Support for funding federal maternal and child health programs:
- AMCHP Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant: Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Ask Sheet
- National and academic organization letter on Title V
- Bipartisan Senate letter on Title V, Healthy Start, Safe Motherhood, and NIH
- Bipartisan House letter on Title V, Healthy Start, Safe Motherhood, and NIH
- Bipartisan House letter on Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health and Rural Maternal Health
Support for funding the CDC Surveillance for Emerging Threat to Mothers and Babies (SET-NET) initiative:
- National and academic organization SET-NET letter
- Senate SET-NET letter
- Bipartisan House SET-NET letter
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 on our Government Affairs webpage. Town Halls occur on the second Thursday of every month from 2-3 PM ET. We invite you to register for all future Town Halls at this link.
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.
RWJF Funding Opportunity: Addressing Structural Barriers to Economic Inclusion for Children and Families
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is offering funding ranging between $250,000 and $750,000 per project (for up to 10 projects) for ideas/approaches that reimagine existing policies to better serve families; and build an economy that prioritizes their success. Proposals should demonstrate:
- A clear benefit to families with children grounded in families’ realities and their stated resource needs to raise healthy, thriving children.
- Potential to shift current economic practices, approaches, and tactics by demonstrating the feasibility and benefit of alternative structural solutions.
- Understanding of the opportunity to leverage and build from this idea to advance toward transformative change for families.
Visit their webpage to learn more about eligibility, application requirements, and applicant webinar. Application deadline is June 21.
Commemorations
June 2023
Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month
Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month
National Aphasia Awareness Month
National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month
National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
National Scleroderma Awareness Month
Weeks to Note:
Men’s Health Week, June 12-18
Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week, June 25-July 1
Days to Note:
National Cancer Survivors Day, June 4
World Brain Tumor Day, June 8
Family Health and Fitness Day, June 10
World Blood Donor Day, June 14
Autistic Pride Day, June 18
Juneteenth, June 19
World Sickle Cell Day, June 19
World Vitiligo Day, June 25
National HIV Testing Day, June 27
