December 12, 2024

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December 12, 2024

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AMCHP Announcements

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Deadline Approaching! Call for 2025 AMCHP Annual Award Nominations is Open Until December 16

We are still accepting nominations for the 2025 AMCHP Annual Awards through December 16! The awards will be presented at the AMCHP Annual Conference, held in person only from March 15-18, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Every year, AMCHP recognizes individuals in the maternal and child health (MCH) community who have gone above and beyond to positively impact those around them. Leaders, innovators, professionals, youth, and legislators are nominated and selected based on their commitment and contributions to advancing MCH. All award winners are invited to accept their award at the conference. Limited travel support is available for some awards.

Award Categories:

John C. MacQueen Lecture Award: For innovation in the field of maternal and child health. Candidates must be able to record the lecture for distribution during the AMCHP Annual Conference in March 2025.
Community Partnership Award: For exemplary collaborations between Title V entities and community-based organizations. This award uplifts the importance of sustainable and outcome-focused partnerships in promoting the dignity and overall well-being of communities.
Emerging MCH Professional Award: For outstanding state MCH professionals under age 45 or with less than 10 years of experience 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.
Excellence in State MCH Leadership Award: For an outstanding state MCH professional whose career has made significant contributions to the health of women, children, and families in their state or jurisdiction.
Merle McPherson Family Leadership Award: For exemplary contributions to further family/professional collaboration within a state or jurisdictional Title V Program and AMCHP.
Ryan Colburn Scholarship Award: For a young adult who identifies as having complex health care needs or disabilities to attend the AMCHP Annual Conference, grow as a leader in MCH, and continue to honor Ryan’s legacy.
Vince Hutchins Leadership Award: For leadership in promoting a society responsive to the needs of women, children, youth, and families.

Interested in nominating someone but need more information?

We’ve got you covered! Watch the recording of our informational webinar to learn about the awards, including the categories and the nomination process from our staff and Board leadership. You can also visit our webpage to view past winners from 2024 and 2023 for inspiration.

Ready to nominate?

If you would like to get started, please fill out the online nomination form and submit it along with all nomination materials by December 16.

FORE Awards $2.4 Million to Eight Organizations, Including AMCHP, to Ensure Evidence-Based Practices Reach At-Risk Populations

AMCHP is excited to share that we are among the organizations awarded funding by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) to promote evidence-based practices for at-risk populations!

A total of $2.4 million will be allocated to the following eight organizations working to combat youth overdose, improve outcomes for families impacted by perinatal substance use disorder, and increase access to care for underserved communities:

The American College of Emergency Physicians will help 20 emergency departments (EDs) implement protocols for identifying adolescents who may exposed to fentanyl and other opioids and administering life-saving medications including naloxone and buprenorphine.
Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital will conduct a national survey of U.S. adolescents to better understand how they describe current patterns of drug use. The findings will be used to update clinical assessment tools, screening guidelines, and prevention strategies.
The Opportunity Labs Foundation will develop a platform that enables health and education leaders to compare state-level policies and regulations related to overdose prevention and response in schools. It will also conduct a national survey of school superintendents and staff to gauge their knowledge of the overdose crisis and existing overdose prevention policies.
The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs will create a national resource hub to scale evidence-based perinatal SUD practices. It will also offer training and technical assistance to organizations interested in replicating effective program models.
The Friends Research Institute will expand its Doing Right by Birth program, which educates health care professionals about the legal, scientific, and ethical dimensions of reporting pregnant people with opioid use disorder (OUD) to child welfare agencies.
The Health and Reentry Project will develop a toolkit to guide state Medicaid agencies as they implement new policies for covering OUD services in carceral settings.
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing will develop a toolkit and training curricula to support Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in integrating peer recovery support and services in their operations. The council plans to pilot the toolkit in 30 CCBHCs.
The Public Health Institute will continue to improve access to medications for OUD in EDs nationwide through the Bridge program, building on previous funding from FORE.

Visit FORE’s website to read the announcement and learn more.

Innovation Hub Open Call for Practices and Policies Focusing on Perinatal Substance Use Disorder

AMCHP is excited to invite organizations to submit their practices or policies on perinatal substance use disorder (SUD) to the MCH Innovations Database, a searchable repository of “what’s working” in the field that includes practices and policies that are positively impacting MCH populations.  This special call is part of AMCHP’s new Perinatal SUD Implementation & Policy Hub, a two-year initiative aimed at improving outcomes for families affected by perinatal SUD with funding from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts and the Perigee Fund.

During this special review, AMCHP has streamlined the submission process to ensure a lower burden of time and energy on potential submitters. In this process, submitters will…

Fill out the interest form to set up an informational call
Supply the Innovation Hub team with any reports, evaluations, or existing documents.

The team will take this information and use it to fill out the appropriate Innovation Hub submission form. The informational call will serve as an opportunity to gather any additional information before the handout is completed and sent to the submitter for revision and finalization. If interested, submitters can also use our traditional review process and fill out the appropriate practice or policy submission form for review.

AMCHP invites perinatal SUD-focused practices and policies to consider submission regardless of whether the work has been evaluated by experimental or “traditional” methods. We believe in the power of community- and practice-defined evidence and seek to promote its use in MCH practice to better center those with lived experience. There is more information on community-defined evidence and AMCHP’s beliefs  linked under the “How AMCHP Thinks About Evidence” tab. 

If you would like to submit your work, please fill out this Google Form to set up an informational call with the AMCHP team! If you are interested and would like to learn more, please email evidence@amchp.org and we will be happy to answer any questions and support you through the process.

New MCH Bridges Podcast Episode – Black Trans Joy: Childbirth & Medicine

Our newest MCH Bridges episode is now live! Episode 22 – Black Trans Joy: Childbirth & Medicine

November was Transgender Awareness Month. Tune in to the latest episode of What The Health?! a special feature led by AMCHP’s Youth Voice Amplified Committee, presented by MCH Bridges. Guest Host Dorcas A guides us through a powerful conversation with Allyn Cropper and Eve Lovelace-Cropper, a Black trans couple sharing their experiences of navigating the journey of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.

In this episode, Allyn reflects on his personal experience of pregnancy and childbirth, sharing the joys, challenges, and complexities of giving birth as a transmasculine man. Eve, his wife, also offers her perspective on their shared journey and her experiences as a transwoman embarking upon parenthood. The couple discusses the support and strategies that helped them navigate the healthcare system and their advice for other trans people interested in starting a family.

This conversation invites listeners to reflect on the importance of joy, community, and affirming spaces for trans people in the healthcare system. It offers valuable lessons for those in the maternal and child health field, challenging us all to advocate for more inclusive and equitable reproductive care — especially for those who exist at the intersection of gender and racial identities.

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.

Recent AMCHP Announcements

MCH Bridges Podcast Episode – Navigating Prenatal Diagnoses: Fostering Equity & Reducing Harm for Parents of Children with Down Syndrome

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

We Can’t Wait to See You In Person at AMCHP 2025

The 2025 AMCHP Annual Conference will be an in-person-only event. AMCHP is delighted to have offered a hybrid experience for the past two years, and while we will miss you in the virtual space, we cannot wait to see you in person in Washington, DC!

Quick Links:

Why Join Us in Washington, DC, for AMCHP 2025?

Gain firsthand opportunities to learn about changes occurring in the maternal and child health (MCH) field.
Participate in discussions about ensuring equity in systems and services, building and strengthening partnerships, and practicing effective family and youth engagement.
Exchange best practices and resources with other MCH professionals.
Participate in workshops, roundtables, and posters featuring a mix of topics and content.
Be part of timely-themed live plenary sessions led by association leadership.
Participate in discussions and small-group networking in live groups with speakers, AMCHP staff, and fellow attendees.

Don’t Miss Out on our Early Bird Rates

Early bird registration for the 2025 AMCHP Annual Conference is open through January 17, 2025, and you won’t want to miss out on the savings!

Take advantage of our early bird pricing to attend our much-awaited annual conference in person only from March 15 – 18, 2025, at The Westin, Washington DC Downtown, in Washington, DC.

Elevating Diverse Leaders: The AMCHP Voice for Impact Scholarship

In November, AMCHP announced the launch of the 2025 AMCHP Voice for Impact Scholarship, an opportunity for individuals and organizations interested in supporting diverse maternal and child health (MCH) leaders in attending the 2025 AMCHP Annual Conference and making a lasting impact in the MCH field.

This month, we sat with the two members of the workgroup behind this initiative, Lynda Krisowaty, AMCHP’s Associate Director of Evidence and Implementation, and Candice Simon, AMCHP’s Program Manager of Workforce Development and Capacity Building, to learn about the scholarship and its impact in previous years. [continue reading]

Exhibit & Sponsorship Opportunities

Do you know of an entity looking for an opportunity to enhance the recognition of its products or services and make a lasting impression in the MCH field?

The 2025 AMCHP Annual Conference is offering exhibit and sponsorship opportunities to get their products and services directly in front of the country’s highest leaders caring for the needs of women, children, youth, and families. In 2024, over 1,300 MCH leaders and thinkers from nearly every state, territory, and jurisdiction in the United States joined our conference, surpassing all previous records. We expect this year’s in-person-only conference will be another strong showing!

View or download our sponsorship prospectus and share it widely with companies or organizations that could benefit from exhibiting at or sponsoring our conference. If you have any questions, please email our team of advisors at AMCHPexhibits@conferencemanagers.com.

AMCHP Events & Webinars

Join AMCHP’s MCH Housing Champion Forum Workshop 2

The federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) recently added a new National Performance Measure (NPM) that aims to track and reduce housing instability among women with a recent live birth and children ages 0 through 11. Recognizing that this work may be new to some in Title V, AMCHP wants to support you to identify your existing strengths and resources, determine what a possible role in the housing space might look like for your specific context, as well as design concrete next steps to work towards positively impacting housing stability for MCH populations.

Join the second session of our two-part workshop series, AMCHP’s MCH Housing Champion Forum, to learn about tools, resources, and examples from the field that you and your colleagues can use to incorporate housing as a priority in MCH policies and programs and to encourage prioritization of MCH populations in broader housing efforts.

December 18, 2-3:30 PM ET – Laying the Bricks: Implementing, Evaluating, and Communicating about MCH Programs with a Housing Emphasis

Missed Workshop 1 in November? We’ve got you covered! Revisit the recording, and register for our upcoming December workshop.

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, which outlines 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 Leads Organization Letter Supporting the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act

AMCHP, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), March of Dimes, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine led a letter with 125 signatories to Congressional leadership urging them to swiftly pass the bipartisan Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 3838/S. 2415) or include the bill in the final FY 2025 appropriations package or any other must-pass legislative package. This legislation is vital in addressing America’s worsening maternal mortality crisis, which disproportionately impacts Black and Indigenous birthing people.

Congress must act urgently to address the maternal mortality crisis and prevent future unnecessary deaths. Read the full Legislative Alert.

AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Halls

Thank you to those of you who joined us for our last AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall in 2024! You can find the full recordings of past Town Halls on our Government Affairs webpage.

Town Halls for this year have concluded but check back in January for the updated cadence and 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.

Apply for AMCHP’s MCH Emergency Preparedness & Response Leadership Academy by December 18

Are you a Title V, PHEP, or related professional looking to build your leadership skill set and better influence critical emergency operation decisions that affect maternal child health (MCH)? Apply to join AMCHP’s inaugural MCH Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Leadership Academy!

The MCH EPR Leadership Academy is intended for state/territory governmental staff with explicit or functional responsibility for prioritizing MCH in the context of broader EPR efforts. The cohort is expected to run from February to August 2025.

This hybrid, collaborative experience will include:

Half-day virtual sessions covering a range of interconnected topics
Exploration of the strengths and opportunities associated with participants’ leadership style
Completion of a capstone project with access to “hot seat coaching”
An in-person forum to support community building

If you have a commitment to advancing health equity and the desire to learn, share, and grow with a cohort of peers, this opportunity is for you! Fill out the application by December 18, and share our informational flyer with your peers.

Deadline Approaching! Opportunity to Inform Maternal and Child Health Initiatives

You’re invited to participate in an important survey designed to support and strengthen maternal and child health-focused community-based organizations (MCH CBOs). This survey is part of a collaborative project led by Karna, LLC., and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cooperative Agreement 6 NU01DD000040-02-01, seeking to provide critical capacity-building assistance to organizations like yours.

Why participate?

By participating in this survey, you’ll help ensure the tools and resources Karna creates will address the needs and challenges faced by MCH CBOs. The data collected will guide the development of tailored support that can enhance your organization’s ability to serve mothers, children, and families more effectively.

Survey Details:

Your Input Matters: Your input is essential to help Karna better understand the needs of CBOs working in the MCH space.
Estimated Completion Time: 6 minutes
Deadline to complete: December 13
Confidentiality: All responses are confidential, and Karna values your honest feedback.

To participate, please fill out the needs assessment survey.

Your insights will directly contribute to strengthening the support available to MCH CBOs across the country. Thank you for your time and partnership in this important initiative! Questions should be directed to Kate Froeb at ResearchInfo@Karna.com.

ASTHO Over-the-Counter Contraception Policy Academy

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is currently accepting applications for participation in the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Contraception Policy Academy. The OTC Contraception Policy Academy is designed to help state and territorial governmental public health leaders and their partners develop the skills and competencies required to advance and support state-level policies and use those to engage in policy-related work. The deadline to apply to the policy academy is January 10, 2025. Learn more about the opportunity.

CDC Drug-Free Communities Support Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program fiscal year 2025 Notice of Funding of Opportunity will be released in late January 2025. DFC program provides grants to community coalitions to reduce local youth substance use by identifying and responding to the drug problems unique to their community and changing local community environmental conditions tied to substance use. More than 750 community coalitions across the country receive up to $125,000 per year to strengthen collaboration among local partners and create an infrastructure that reduces youth substance use. Learn more about this opportunity.

Partner Events & Webinars

Webinar: Introducing the Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships

Altarum, in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), AMCHP, and Family Voices, is pleased to invite you to an introductory webinar for the newly established Center for Maternal and Child Health Medicaid Partnerships (CMMP).

When: Tuesday, December 17 from 3-4 PM ET

Who: Medicaid, CHIP, and Title V leaders and staff from states and US-affiliated jurisdictions, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, and other public health professionals and partners serving maternal and child health populations.

What: A 5-year initiative, the CMMP aims to strengthen partnerships and guide coordination between Medicaid, CHIP, and Title V programs in states and US-affiliated jurisdictions. The CMMP will provide training and technical assistance to help state-level public health systems grow their knowledge, identify shared priorities, update interagency agreements, maximize financial resources, and sustain improvements contributing to improved eligibility, coverage, access, and quality of care for maternal and child health populations.

Speakers will:

Introduce the CMMP team and goals
Describe the direct, state-specific, tailored support that will be offered to improve interagency agreements and advance innovative financing strategies
Describe technical assistance activities and resources that will be offered to advance collaboration, communication, and information sharing across all states/jurisdictions
Provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and offer insights to help shape center activities