September 21, 2023

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September 21, 2023

Graphic alerting AMCHP Member Briefs: A Bi-Weekly AMCHP Newsletter. Photo of dad holding a child on his shoulders with their arms spread out.

AMCHP Annual Conference

AMCHP 2024 Annual Conference Banner includes an image of a palm tree and the skyline of Oakland, CA. Date and location of the conference displayed in white on a blue rectangle background, "2024 Annual Conference: April 13-16, 2024 | Oakland, CA"

Have you saved the date for the 2 024 Annual Conference? Mark your calendars to join us April 13-16, 2024, at the Oakland Marriott City Center, in Oakland, California! We will continue to offer content in-person and virtually through our conference platform with the theme Partnering with Purpose. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to receive updates and information about the conference!

Call for Proposals is Now Open!

The Call for Proposals for the 2024 AMCHP Annual Conference is now open! AMCHP is seeking proposals for skills–building sessions, workshops, posters, and roundtables that support the theme, Partnering with Purpose.

Our theme focuses on how people who work in MCH have the power to be intentional about who we partner with and how we can engage with partners to make a positive impact on children and families. Partnering with purpose opens up a space for us to clarify our intentions and combine our resources, ideas, and skills for greater impact in our communities. The conference theme invites us to ask important questions about power – How do good partnerships share and build power? How are our partnerships amplifying the voices of the people we serve?

AMCHP encourages those working in community organizations and tribal entities, family leaders, students, and early career professionals to share their completed (or in progress) work. Given this year’s theme, it is especially important that AMCHP recognizes that the work of Title V and our members is enhanced immeasurably by working in partnership with community organizations, tribal governments, and family leaders. A key piece of this partnership is listening to and learning from people with lived experience about effective initiatives in their communities and collaborating on ways to further support and sustain that work at the state level. It is also important that we hold space for the voices and ideas of those exploring or preparing to explore career pathways in our diverse field. [read more]

Inspired by our theme and want to know more? Register for our informational how-to webinar on the proposal process on Tuesday, September 26 at 3:30pm ET. This webinar will be recorded and shared as a resource to aid your proposal development and submission.

Ready to get started? Submit a proposal under one of 10 subject-focused tracks by Friday, November 3 at 11:59 pm PT. Submitters with completed proposals by this deadline will be notified of their session status by the end of December.

Revisit AMCHP 2023 Annual Conference

For one 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.

AMCHP Announcements

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AMCHP Announces Updated Roadmap for Early Childhood Collaboration Resource

AMCHP is excited to share our recently revamped Roadmap for Collaboration among Title V, Home Visiting, and Early Childhood Systems Programs.

This interactive, accessible web-based collection of resources is centered around AMCHP’s framework for collaboration among:

Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant;
Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV); and
Early Childhood Systems (ECS) programs.

The full updated resource includes the following sections:

Analysis and Recommendations: Discover the results of a qualitative analysis of the facilitators and barriers to early childhood collaboration and ten recommendations for programs to improve collaboration.
Refined Collaboration Framework: Explore this thoroughly pilot-tested framework with practical and replicable strategies on how to better work together to create meaningful change and accomplish shared goals. State-level early childhood leaders can also adapt it to increase collaboration in leveraging shared measures.
Apply Real-world Case Studies: Learn from the successes of Guam, Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi as they demonstrate how their Title V, MIECHV, and ECS programs came together to implement the framework.
Infographic on Provider Outreach: As an added bonus, the newly relaunched Roadmap resource features an infographic created in collaboration with Georgetown University School of Medicine’s Population Health Scholar Program. This infographic presents the results of an analysis of AMCHP survey data on what factors are associated with a coordinated intake and referral system having outreach to different types of healthcare providers.

The re-launch of this resource focused on increasing digital accessibility, emphasizing the long-term impacts of the case studies, and creating stand-alone sections to easily use and share among your networks. Visit our webpage to access this resource and learn more about how you can use this resource to benefit your program.

For additional questions or if you are interested in receiving technical assistance related to this roadmap, please contact Maura Leahy (mleahy@amchp.org).

AMCHP Staff and Members Recognized by the de Beaumont Foundation as a Leader in Public Health

Graphic alerting 40 Under 40 in Public Health Class of 2023 Honorees by the de Beaumont Foundation. Headshots of selected honorees spread out through the graphic in smaller squares. AMCHP is delighted to share that our very own staff member Mallory Cyr been recognized as one of the 40 Under 40 in Public Health! The de Beaumont Foundation announced its 2023 honorees this morning after reviewing nominations from hundreds of leaders in public health. The class was selected by a distinguished panel of public health professionals for their leadership and impact on their community’s health.

“We are so proud of Mallory for this well-deserved recognition of her work and dedication to not only our organization, but public health as a whole,” said Terrance E. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of AMCHP. “Mallory truly exemplifies the values of equity and inclusion we aim to uphold as leaders in maternal and child health.” [read the full news release]

In addition to Mallory, AMCHP also wants to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our members, Heather Pangelinan (Director of Public Health Services for the Northern Mariana Islands), Dr. Shelly Choo (Director of the Bureau of MCH at the Maryland Department of Health), and Shamaree Cromartie Jones (Blood Disorders Program Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Health) who are also a part of the 40 Under 40 in Public Health Class of 2023 honorees. It is a privilege for our organization to engage with and learn from these dedicated leaders in MCH.

Recent AMCHP Announcements

Voices of AMCHP

Dawn Bailey, Family Representative (2023-2026)

Headshot of Dawn Bailey, Family Representative (2023-2026) As part of our Voices of AMCHP series, designed to highlight our dedicated Board members and their work, we invited Dawn to share some insights on her background, experience serving on AMCHP’s Board of Directors, and her advice for other family leaders who want to make an impact on their community.

What motivated you to join AMCHP’s Board of Directors?

When I became a Family Delegate in 2015, I had the chance to attend my first AMCHP Conference and to see that there were Family Representatives on the Board of Directors was really encouraging to me. As I had the chance over the years to meet some of the Family Delegates and prior Family Representatives on the Board, I saw a great opportunity to lend my voice to the work and appreciated the opportunities that AMCHP supported for those voices.

How do your background and experience contribute to your role as a Family Representative on AMCHP’s Board of Directors?

Having the opportunity to be a family advisor directly embedded with Arizona’s Title V program has given me an opportunity to learn more about the programmatic side of Arizona’s work and how it interacts with the other systems of care in Arizona. I am able to connect that with my lived experience as a user of these systems and programs. I believe having a lens into both sides allows me an opportunity to braid both sides for more impactful solutions.

Read the full interview.

AMCHP Events & Webinars

AMCHP and the American Academy of Pediatrics Virtual Learning Café on Pediatric Mental Health

Please join AMCHP and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) for webinar on Tuesday, September 26, from 1-2 pm ET. The webinar focuses on advancing perinatal substance use policy with people with lived experience. Register today!

Punitive policies, stigmatization, and discrimination harm families and pregnant people seeking support for a substance use disorder (SUD), leading to adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. This virtual learning session will explore opportunities for public health programs to authentically and equitably engage people impacted by perinatal SUD via examples from the field, storytelling strategies, and a discussion of key considerations for trauma-informed engagement and policy approaches.

Speakers include:

Brittany Westmoreland, Certified Addiction Technician and Peer Support Specialist at the University of Colorado’s Perinatal Peer Support Doula Program
Jenné Massie, DrPH, MS, Senior Research Scientist at George Washington University’s Intersectionality Research Institute
Ruchi Fitzgerald, MD, Family Medicine Physician and Addiction Specialist, Chief of Inpatient Addiction Medicine at PCC Wellness Center

AMCHP and the American Academy of Pediatrics Virtual Learning Café Series on Pediatric Mental Health

Graphic alerting Virtual Learning Cafe on Pediatric Mental Health. A collaboration between the American Academy of Pediatrics & AMCHP to promote peer learning and opportunities for Title V involvement in Pediatric Mental Health Care Access programs and pediatric primary care. December 7, 2023 from 12 to 1 pm ET. Register: bit.ly/3YwGjCU

Come learn about how Title V is addressing the youth mental health crisis. AMCHP and the American Academy of Pediatrics are hosting a virtual learning café series to increase awareness of community-based mental health supports that are available to children, youth, and families. Each learning café will include a short didactic presentation, followed by peer-to-peer discussion and questions. Presenters will include staff from MCH Title V programs who have ongoing mental health programs that involve Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) programs and/or pediatric primary care professionals.

The next virtual café will be on December 7, from 12-1 pm ET. Please register for the second virtual café. The final two sessions of the four-part series will occur in early 2024. These dates will be released soon. 

AMCHP Information & Resources

2023 Medicaid Renewal Process Update

Graphic alerting AMCHP: Visit Our Resource Library. Use the filter "Promoting Coverage for MCH" to view resources related to the Medicaid redetermination process such as PSA videos, webinars, and facts sheets! bit.ly/CoverageMCH The Medicaid eligibility renewal process is off to a troubled start. According to Kaiser Family Foundation Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker, as of September 15, five months into the redetermination process, over 6.5 million Medicaid and CHIP enrollees nationwide have lost their coverage, including children.

Across all states with available data, nearly 74% of people were disenrolled for procedural reasons. Procedural terminations can result from outdated contact information, confusing communication from the state Medicaid agency, or incomplete renewal paperwork.

As AMCHP continues to monitor this issue, we encourage you to visit AMCHP’s Resource Library and filter by “Promoting Coverage for MCH” to find more information, facts sheets, toolkits, webinar recordings, and more. Within our resource library, we especially invite you to view and share:

Our latest blog post that covers the landscape of the Medicaid unwinding process, including the alarming national disenrollment trends, and recommends actions for state MCH/Title V programs.
AMCHP’s new consumer brochure for families that you work to help them understand their options if they have lost Medicaid/CHIP coverage.

Be sure to also follow AMCHP on social media as we will continue to post timely information, resources, and events on this topic. If you have any questions or want to connect with an AMCHP team member on this topic, please contact Stacy Collins at scollins@amchp.org.

AMCHP Mental Health Corner

Mental health is an important component of well-being for maternal, child, and adolescent health (MCAH) populations. Read more about our Commitment to Workplace Well-Being as well as 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 MCAH? 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.

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. 

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.

Chief Government Affairs Officer: This position is accountable for the development and implementation of AMCHP’s public policy and government affairs strategies and the advancement of maternal and child health (MCH) in the U.S. by working on initiatives that support AMCHP’s legislative agenda. This individual maintains a commitment to dismantling structural racism and rebuilding the policy systems that serve our communities in ways that center racial and other forms of equity. The position reports to the CEO. [learn more and apply]

Call for Letters of Interest for the 2024 National MCH Workforce Development Center Learning Journey

Join the National MCH Workforce Development Center for an engaging and interactive Learning Journey designed to develop your team, explore core challenges, consider the evidence, and plan next steps.

What is included?

Ongoing support from a Center coach experienced in working with teams of MCH professionals
A two-day, virtual Systems Exploration Workshop to help you examine your challenge
A four-day, in-person Learning Institute
Monthly learning webinars designed to help you apply new tools and skills
An in-state consultation by a team of WDC experts co-designed by your team and Center coach
Additional support and coaching for team co-leads
Additional support and coaching for individuals interested in measurement and evaluation
Opportunities to connect with Title V peers from across the country

Letters of interest will be accepted until Monday, October 2, and should be sent via email to Thea Calhoun (Dorothea_Calhoun@UNC.edu).

Publications & Resources

ASTHO’s Policies for Inclusive Emergency Preparedness Planning

As natural disasters and other public health emergencies continue to impact maternal and child health populations, response planning should continue to center equity and inclusiveness. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) recently released the Policies for Inclusive Emergency Preparedness Planning resource that highlights how states and territories can better plan to support their disabled populations. If you’re interested in specific steps and strategies to take to support your MCH populations before, during, and after emergencies, check out AMCHP’s own Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Checklist for Maternal and Infant Health.