September 5, 2024

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September 5, 2024

AMCHP Member Brief Banner, a bi-weekly AMCHP newsletter, including image of young child using American Sign Language.

AMCHP Announcements

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AMCHP is Awarded $3.4M to Form National Coordinating Center on Transition

AMCHP is pleased to have been awarded a $3.4 million cooperative agreement from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB) to form the new National Coordinating Center on Transition. AMCHP will work closely with partners at Family Voices, Child Trends, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), alongside other national experts working collaboratively with a National Transition Advisory Council that will be comprised of at least 50% of young people and family members/caregivers.

This five-year project aims to develop and advance national, state, and local/community-level frameworks that support a successful transition from child to adult serving systems for youth with autism and/or epilepsy who have complex health and social needs and require a higher level of family support and coordination. AMCHP and its partners will provide national leadership to improve transition outcomes for youth and their families/caregivers through training, technical assistance, evaluation, and the development and dissemination of resources to transition stakeholders, including Title V programs. The Center will specifically be tasked with supporting a total of 11 HRSA-MCHB funded Transition for Youth with Autism (4 grants) and/or Epilepsy (7 grants) Demonstration Projects in meeting their program objectives of implementing and evaluating innovative, sustainable, and scalable strategies to support youth and their families/caregivers in successfully transitioning from child to adult serving systems. Information on the Transition Program and a list of grantees can be found on the Transition for Youth with Autism and/or Epilepsy (HRSA MCHB) webpage.

“Creating a comprehensive, quality system of care for young people with disabilities and complex health needs remains a leading challenge for health leaders and other stakeholders such as jurisdictional Title V programs, health care and hospital systems, educators, workforce and employment training programs, independent community living programs, and families,” said Terrance E. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of AMCHP. “This National Center is an opportunity to model collaboration and partnerships by bringing together those agencies with historically marginalized and underserved young people and their families/caregivers to advance successful cross-sector transition outcomes for all youth with disabilities such as autism and epilepsy.” [continue reading]

New Pulse Issue Available: From Partnering with Purpose to Partnering for Impact at AMCHP 2025

The August issue of our Pulse Newsletter is now available!

As we continue to reflect on AMCHP 2024 and gear up for AMCHP 2025, this issue is the perfect blend of content as we transition from partnering with purpose, to impact. It includes a message from our CEO, Terrance E. Moore, articles on attendee experiences at this year’s AMCHP Annual Conference, a feature from Denver Health Pediatrics at Denver Public Schools, as well as a photo album you can now access on our conference webpage!

Read the articles:

Do you want to receive our Pulse newsletter directly in your inbox? Subscribe to our email list!

AMCHP Unveils New Logo: A Symbol of Opportunity and Renewed Hope

AMCHP has a new logo, and we are excited to share the news with you!

In 2021, our organization embarked on a planning process that led to the development of our strategic plan, AMCHP Future 2027, which we officially launched in 2022. The plan highlighted our organization’s direction from 2022 to 2027 and included communications and branding goals focused on AMCHP’s brand recognition and positioning.

We are thrilled to share the new AMCHP logo—the result of a collaborative effort that brought together AMCHP’s staff and Board of Directors. Our new logo features the AMCHP wordmark and our organization’s full name, as well as a new set of silhouettes reflecting the diversity of the population we serve. A semicircle sits behind the silhouettes, resembling a rising sun and symbolizing opportunity and renewed hope.

Our new logo also has improved accessibility, as the silhouettes are no longer intertwined with the AMCHP wordmark. This provides a wider range of use in smaller sizes and makes its elements more recognizable.

Other brand elements align with our goal of improving the accessibility of our communications and resources as our organization continues its journey to 2027.

Do you want to help spread the word? Download our toolkit for members and partners, which includes a newsletter and social media language, to share this exciting news from AMCHP with your audiences!

AMCHP Adds New Core Area of Work to Strategic Plan: Organizational Culture and Infrastructure

AMCHP is delighted to share the addition of a new work area to our strategic plan: Organizational Culture and Infrastructure. This new area aims to modernize critical internal processes and infrastructure and sharpen fiscal stewardship to maximize the full range of AMCHP’s core values and generate a distinct and rich organizational environment of belonging. With this addition, our plan now comprises eight core areas of work:

Interested in learning more about our journey to 2027? Explore our Strategic Map and Implementation Plan.

Register for the Title V Federal-State Maternal & Child Health Partnership Meeting

AMCHP is partnering with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to convene the 2024 Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Federal-State Partnership Meeting from October 20-23 at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

This meeting is a unique opportunity for MCH stakeholders to engage in thoughtful discussion around issues addressed by the Title V MCH Block Grant. It provides an opportunity for peer learning and sharing, networking, guidance, technical support, and thought partnership to shape policies and practices for achieving optimal health outcomes for the MCH population.

The theme for this year’s meeting is Partnering Together, Going for GOLD!

Title V Federal-State MCH Partnership Meeting attendees can explore and strengthen their work related to…

Guidance for the Title V MCH Block Grant including the Needs Assessment
Opportunities for peer sharing and better integration of Title V and other MCH investments
Leadership within the MCH Workforce, Family Leaders, and other MCH advocates
Diversity of the workforce and in using innovative approaches to address the needs of all MCH populations.

Register for the meeting, and visit our webpage for more information on event details, location, food, and preliminary agenda! Stay tuned for an updated agenda to be posted the week of September 9.

Recent AMCHP Announcements

AMCHP Annual Conference

The AMCHP Annual Conference is one of the largest gatherings of maternal and child health (MCH) professionals in the United States. Every year, our conference aims to highlight MCH programs’ impact at all levels on women, children, and families and to provide participants with tools and resources to develop, enhance, and sustain vital MCH programs and services.

Save the dates to attend AMCHP 2025 in Washington, DC! Subscribe to our Annual Conference Newsletter to be the first to receive updates and information about AMCHP 2025.

The Call for Proposals for AMCHP 2025 is Open

Proposals for skills-building sessions, workshops, posters, and roundtables that support our 2025 theme, Partnering for Impact, are now being accepted for evaluation through September 27, under any of the 14 subject-focused tracks:

Adolescent and Young Adult Health
Children and Youth with Complex Health Care Needs and Disabilities
Epidemiology, Data, Assessment, and Evaluation
Family & Community Engagement & Partnership
Health Equity & Disability Justice
Housing, Nutrition, and Other Social Determinants of Health
Indigeneity and Health
Mental Health/Behavioral Health
Prenatal to Three Continuum
Policy & Advocacy
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Title V Program Administration
Workforce Development and Leadership
Youth Engagement & Partnership

Plan to share your work by the September 27 deadline! AMCHP staff estimates that it takes about 4-5 hours to put all the content pieces together and 15-20 minutes to fill out the submission forms. Submitters with completed proposals by September 27, will be notified of their sessions’ status by the end of November.

New this year — AMCHP is accepting video submissions in place of the written submission for workshops and skills-builder sessions. Please focus your 5-minute submission video on questions 4-13 of the session/proposal details page.

Start planning your sessions or poster proposal now! The deadline will not be extended.

Now available! Please watch this webinar for more information about the submission and review process and download the slides. A full audio transcript and Q&A are also available for download with the passcode KW@U=Cg7.

Visit our 2025 Annual Conference Session and Poster Proposals page to learn more.

The AMCHP 2025 Theme: Partnering for Impact

In 2024, AMCHP’s theme of Partnering with Purpose highlighted how essential meaningful and purposeful partnerships are for achieving our goals in maternal and child health (MCH). The theme of partnership resonated deeply and widely with our participants, leading us to revisit it in 2025 with the theme Partnering for Impact. This theme captures our collective commitment to making our world better – where people have equitable access, equitable outcomes, and the opportunity to thrive. This theme takes us a step further in our purposeful partnerships towards the “why” of partnership—we partner to make things happen.

Partnering for Impact places results in the spotlight. Our collective work together matters because of what we hope to accomplish together. We model partnering intentionally to change the status quo, disrupt harmful narratives, and close the gaps in MCH outcomes. We partner not just because it looks good on paper or because it feels good to work with like-minded people but because we want to impact our communities for the better. We are difference-makers. We are change-makers. We are partnering for impact.

AMCHP’s goal is to have at least 50% of accepted proposal submissions directly address the conference theme. Visit our conference page to explore our AMCHP 2025 learning objectives.

AMCHP Events & Webinars

Webinar Happening Today – ***How Title V Can Help a Family Leader Develop Their Advocacy Voice*, hosted by AMCHP’s Family LEAD Committee**

Join AMCHP’s Family LEAD Committee for a six-session series, Highlighting Family Leadership within Title V, that will feature a different topic for each discussion.

Our upcoming session, How Title V Can Help a Family Leader Develop Their Advocacy Voice, will be held on September 5 from 3-4 PM ET. By seeking parent engagement in Title V programs, Title V staff can help family leaders grow in leadership skills in ways they never imagined. By working alongside staff, parents can develop an ability to interact with positive outcomes for children. Parents will be able to build an expanded set of connections across many systems and programs where they can offer their lived expertise. They will have access to a broader resource network for support and information. Ultimately, families gain respect and recognition through meaningful leadership development and civic engagement opportunities.

Learn more and register for this or all the webinar sessions!

Congressional Briefing on Investing in Community Solutions for Maternal Health: Lessons Learned from the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative

Join AMCHP and the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative, in cooperation with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), ), for an informative briefing, “Investing in Community Solutions for Maternal Health: Lessons Learned from the Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative,” on strategies for investing in and sustaining essential community-rooted solutions to improve maternal health. The congressional briefing will celebrate the successful efforts of 20 U.S. cities with a high burden of maternal mortality and morbidity in improving systems of care and support for mothers, infants, and families.

The briefing is on September 17 from 12-1 PM ET at Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G11. Lunch will be provided in person, and there will also be a livestream option for virtual attendance.

Upcoming Innovation Hub Learning Community Series Webinar – “Say More About That”: Qualitative Research and Interviewing Considerations

Join us for the third Innovation Hub Learning Community (IHLC) webinar of the year on September 26 from 3-4 PM ET! The Innovation Hub Learning Community (IHLC) offers programmatic support to all practices in the MCH Innovations Database through one-on-one tailored coaching, didactic webinars, and peer-sharing opportunities. Throughout 2024, AMCHP is hosting four webinars on topics related to programmatic best practices that all MCH professionals and advocates are welcome to attend.  

Our next session, “Say More About That”: Qualitative Research and Interviewing Considerations will explore ways qualitative interviewing can add a dimension to your evaluation practices, and how to incorporate it into your evaluation plans. 

Legislation & Policy

Explore our Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker for more information about pending federal legislation to improve maternal health. Also, download AMCHP’s 2024 Federal Policy Agenda outlining where we are focusing our advocacy work this year.

Subscribe to AMCHP’s Legislative Alerts and Policy Digest to stay up to date with the latest policy information.

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

Thank you to those of you who joined us for our last AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall! 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, including our next edition on September 12. We invite you to register for all future Town Halls at this registration 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.

Submit to the MCH Innovations Database Ahead of our Fall 2024 Review Period

Submit to the MCH Innovations Database ahead of our Fall 2024 Review, which will begin on Friday, September 20, and include all the submissions received on or before this date. All submissions received on or after September 21 will be rolled into our Spring 2025 review cycle (date to be announced). All application materials, including submission forms for each practice or policy designation, are currently available on AMCHP’s Innovation Hub webpage. Check out this short overview video of the submission process to learn more.

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.  AMCHP strongly encourages community-based organizations to submit their practices and policies to the MCH Innovations Database, regardless of whether they have been evaluated by traditional methods.

AMCHP recognizes the validity of many forms of evidence, given that public health work is context-specific and happens in real life. We strongly believe in the power of community-defined evidence and seek to promote its use in the MCH field to center and highlight the expertise and perspectives of those with lived experience. Learn more about how AMCHP thinks about evidence and view an example of community-defined evidence. 

How to Submit a Practice? Access the practice submission forms on our webpage and learn more about how you can submit your practice for review! All submissions must be sent to evidence@amchp.org by September 20 to be considered for Fall review, but are still accepted on a rolling basis. 

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 the policy submission forms on our webpage and learn more about how you can submit your policy for review! All submissions should be sent to evidence@amchp.org by September 20 to be considered for Fall review, but are still accepted on a rolling basis.

Refer a Practice or Policy: Don’t have anything to submit 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.

If you would like 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! 

Partner Events & Webinars

2024 National WIC Association Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Promotion Conference

The National WIC Association (NWA) is hosting its Annual Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Promotion Conference in Baltimore, Maryland at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront on November 19-21. This year’s theme, Nourishing Generations – The Next 50 Years of WIC, reflects NWA’s commitment to advancing WIC’s mission and supporting families nationwide for the next 50 years! This conference is a popular event for nutrition and lactation professionals in the U.S., drawing over 1,200 participants from the USDA, state and local WIC agencies, and vendors serving the WIC community.

 Learn more about the conference and register.

Publications & Resources

New CDC Interim Guidance for Evaluation and Management of Infants Born to Pregnant People with Confirmed or Probable Oropouche Virus Disease

On August 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published interim guidance for evaluating and managing infants born to pregnant people with confirmed or probable Oropouche Virus Disease (Oropouche).

Key takeaways include:

Data on congenital Oropouche virus disease is currently limited.
Findings among people in Brazil with Oropouche during pregnancy have included stillbirth and severe microcephaly.
Infants born to people with confirmed or probable Oropouche during pregnancy should receive a comprehensive evaluation by a healthcare provider at birth and at each well-child visit.
Infants and children with congenital anomalies might benefit from multidisciplinary care.

Visit the CDC webpage to read the full guidance.

AMCHP Resources Highlighted in the Summer 2024 Edition of the NCEMCH MCHalert Newsletter

The National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) has published its Summer 2024 edition of the MCHalert Newsletter! The newsletter provides resources in five areas: New from NCEMCH, From the Field, What Works, Advancing Academics, and Leveraging Learning.

Of note is the inclusion of TWO AMCHP resources: AMCHP’s Webinar on Trauma-Informed Workplaces in Public Health and the mention of the Innovation Hub as a place to find programs related to the newly released MCH Evidence Accelerators that focus on National Performance Measures. Access the newsletter to read about these and other helpful resources in MCH!

New Perinatal Mental Health Training Database for Health Care Professionals

Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance Logo

The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) recently announced the launch of its new Perinatal Mental Health Training Database. The database offers over 160 trainings on various topics, allowing users to filter by topic, profession, duration, continuing education credits, and more. This centralized, searchable platform addresses the immediate need for accessible perinatal mental health training. MMHLA aims to integrate perinatal mental health education into existing curricula and training programs for all professionals supporting pregnant and postpartum individuals to enhance their knowledge of perinatal mental health conditions.

Learn more about the database on their webpage.

2024 State of Mental Health in America Report

On July 29, Mental Health America (MHA) released its annual State of Mental Health in America report, which ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to 15 mental health access and prevalence measures.

The report provides a snapshot of mental health among youth and adults and tracks changes in the prevalence of mental health conditions.

MHA’s analysis shows the U.S. continues to be in a mental health crisis. The need for care is urgent, but persistent barriers to access prevent many Americans from obtaining treatment. With this report, MHA aims to increase dialogue with, and improve outcomes for, individuals and families with mental health needs.

Read the 2024 State of Mental Health in America report.

Get NSCH Data on the Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health (DRC) Now!

Did you know that you can find data on over 350 child health indicators on the Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health (DRC)? The new National Performance Measures (NPM), National Outcome Measures (NOM), and Standardized Measures (SM) for the Title V MCH Services Block Grant are available for the first time in the DRC 2021-2022 combined NSCH datasets! Look at your state’s data by race, ethnicity, primary language, household income level, adverse childhood experiences, and more. Get an overview of the DRC website by watching an informative webinar.

Ready for more data? 2023 NSCH data will be available on Children’s Health Day, October 7. Check out the full survey instruments used in the survey or read a synopsis of changes made in the 2023 survey.

Did you hear that MCHB and Census retroactively applied new weights to the NSCH 2016-2021 surveys? The Census has recently updated all datasets to reflect new weighting procedures and has made them available on its website. The CAHMI’s DRC recently released the updated datasets for the 2016-2017, 2018-2019 and 2020-2021 NSCH. Read the full report.

The NSCH is a national survey, funded and directed by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB), that provides rich data on multiple, intersecting aspects of children’s health and well-being – including physical and mental health, access to and quality of health care, and the child’s family, neighborhood, school, and social context. Request NSCH datasets in SAS, Stata, and SPSS formats with accompanying codebooks on the DRC website.

The DRC is a project of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) supported by HRSA MCHB. For more information, take a short video tour or contact the CAHMI-DRC team through the Ask Us a Question page.