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Healthy Generations eNewsletter

April 2024

Healthy GenerationseNewsletterApril 2024

This eNewsletter is brought to you by the

Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health.

Center Announcements

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Student Spotlight: How did Sara Hildreth’s Interest in Addressing MCH Vaccine Disparities Lead her to Plan and Implement a Successful Immunization Event for Hennepin County Residents?

#UMNMCH student Sara Hildreth (she/her, MPH 2024) reflects on her deployment experience with Hennepin County’s Babytracks and Immulink programs, which seek to address current disparities in infant vaccination rates in this month’s Student Spotlight. Sara helped develop surveys to understand the potential role of doulas in providing vaccine education. She also spearheaded the planning of many community events and clinics to provide vaccine education and administer immunizations. This April, they will be hosting their National Infant Immunization Week Health Childhood Event for community members in partnership with state, county, and community-based organizations. Sara wrote, “This deployment has taught me the importance of listening to community needs to address health disparities in the populations being affected.”

MCH Leads Blog: How is Ruth Arévalo’s Interest in Health Equity and Storytelling/Data Visualization Inspiring the Direction of Their Masters Program?

Ruth Arévalo, an MCH student at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, is the featured author in the Health Equity Edition of MCH Leads for April. In their blog post, Ruth reflects on the path that led them to discover their passion for maternal and child public health. “The UMN MPH MCH Program has allowed intentional time to be dedicated to the ever-pressing questions I have about identity, theories of change, health, health access, health equity, relation to community and land, and how I can cultivate a continued practice of intersectional and anticolonial praxis in my daily life (both personally and professionally).” Discover more about how Ruth applies MCH competencies 2 (Self-Reflection) and 7 (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access) to their daily work here!

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Policy Brief: State Laws on Adequate Nutrition for People Who Are Pregnant While Incarcerated

The newest policy brief from the Cross-Center Collaboration on the Health of Justice-Involved Women and Children (JIWC) (led by the Center) reveals that fewer than one-third of U.S. states have passed laws requiring health-promoting nutrition policies for pregnant people who are incarcerated. Of the 16 states that have passed legislation, none cover all of the national recommendations to ensure proper nutrition for this population. Additionally, there are no federal statutes that cover prenatal nutrition for incarcerated pregnant people. The brief is based on the March 2024 Journal of Correctional Health Care article Forgotten fundamentals: a review of legislation on nutrition for incarcerated pregnant people. Find all five JIWC policy briefs here.

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Attending the MPHA Annual Conference? Check out our Student Presenters!

The Minnesota Public Health Association's Annual Conference Theme is "Communicating and Navigating Public Health Intersections," and will take place in St. Paul on April 25-26, 2024.

Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 8:30 - 9:30 am | Poster Session

  • Focusing on the First 40 days: Postpartum Wellbeing for Somali Parents

    • Presenter: Munira Salad

  • Collaboration and Communication: The Justice-Involved Women and Children (JIWC) Collaborative

    • Presenter: Cassie Mohawk

  • Building an Awareness Campaign for Vision Health in Minnesota: Little Eyes Big Eyes Project

    • Presenters: Bella Mualem, Cassie Mohawk, and Cindy Hillyer

Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 1:20 - 2:20 pm | Concurrent Session

  • #JuevesDeNutrición: Exploring the Dominican Republic Ministry of Health’s Social Media-Based Food and Nutrition Education Initiative

    • Presenters: Dr. Estefanía Henríquez Luthje and Dr. Patricia Grullón

Friday, April 26, 2024 | 8:00 - 9:00 am | Poster Session | Rauenhorst Ballroom

  • Elevating Narratives of BIPOC Women Survivors of Sexual Violence to Enhance the Criminal Legal Response in Ramsey County, MN: MNJRC's Survivors of Sexual Violence Engagement Project

    • Presenters: Kailee Schaberg, Sharin Park, Paulina Buitrago, and Dr. Katie Remington Cunningham

  • Public Mental Health Promotion: Using a Socio-Ecological Model to Reframe Mental Health and Well-Being

    • Presenters: Ashlee Cermak and Paige J. Erickson

Research

Navigating Tensions of Community Engagement Evaluation through Culturally Responsive and Equity-Oriented Approaches | Metropolitan Universities

For decades, community-campus partnerships have helped transform traditional notions of research. Through approaches such as community-based participatory research (CBPR), decolonizing methodologies, and participatory action research (PAR), community and academic partners have expanded the confines of expertise, centering local, experiential, Indigenous, and professional knowledge in research. Voices in our field have challenged narrow conceptualizations of who is a “researcher,” redefined concepts like validity to account for the process and impact of research-in-action, critiqued racist and colonial practices embedded in traditional research approaches, and expanded what research products look like beyond the narrow confines of academic publishing.

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Black Maternal Health Week Events

Black Doula Day Virtual Pep Rally

April 11, 2024 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM CDT | Virtual

Kicking off Black Maternal Health Week 2024 (#BMHW24), in collaboration with Jamaa Birth Village, this event aims to celebrate the joy of Black birth, honor holistic restoration, and ensure sustainability in Black Maternal Health efforts. While acknowledging the importance of supporting Black women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum; Black Doula Day consists of a national collaborative effort of doulas creating this safe space for doulas, mothers, birthing people, and supporters alike.

-Register

Our Journey: The Black Maternal Health Institute and Incubator Hub

April 12, 2024 | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT | Virtual

Join Black Mamas Matter Alliance as they highlight the accomplishments of the Black Maternal Health Incubator Hub (BMH-IH) pilot project and hear directly from the participants and trainers about their experience.

-Register

Faithful Advocacy: Faith Communities and the Pursuit of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice

April 16, 2024 | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM CDT | Virtual

Join Black Mamas Matter Alliance as they discuss the importance of faith and policy in Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice with Black women experts and scholars in the field.

-Register

Other Events

Advocacy 101: Supporting Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

April 12, 2024 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT | Virtual

This session, hosted by the Center for Practice Transformation, will allow behavioral health professionals to learn about services offered by confidential advocates to victims/survivors of sexual and domestic violence. They will discuss the three forms of advocacy: general, legal, and medical. Attendees will learn how advocacy and social work professionals can work together and make referrals in order to holistically support survivors of gender-based violence. Information will be provided on advocacy services available to all survivors from diverse backgrounds, as well as specific context related to the University of Minnesota and supporting students.

-Register

Separating Fact from Fiction: Developmental and Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Gender Health

April 12, 2024 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT | Virtual

Even though an increasing amount of data shows the benefits of gender-affirming healthcare for transgender and gender-diverse youth and their families, in 2023 close to half of all transgender and gender-diverse youth in the US lost their access to this essential care due to bans introduced in state legislature. Disinformation about pediatric and adolescent gender affirming continues to grow making conversations about care decisions increasingly difficult. While our social and cultural understandings of gender as a spectrum becomes more accepted, medical and public spaces for transgender folks have become more restrictive. The wide difference in opinion and variable access to accurate information can make it difficult to find a framework on how to ethically think about decisions relating to gender-affirming care for youth.

-Register

AMCHP Annual Conference: Partnering with Purpose

April 13-16, 2024 | $295+ | Oakland, CA and Virtual

The AMCHP Annual Conference is one of the country’s largest MCH professional gatherings. Every year, the conference aims to highlight the impact MCH programs are making at all levels for women, children, and families and to provide participants with tools and resources to develop, enhance, and sustain vital MCH programs and services.

-Register

2024 Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare Spring Conference–Looking Back, Moving Forward: COVID-19's Impact on the Delivery of Child Welfare Services

April 23, 2024 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM CDT | Minneapolis

The Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare will offer participants the chance to hear from a variety of speakers, as well as each other, as they explore lessons learned related to crisis response, child maltreatment, virtual engagement, family preservation, emerging promising practices, and more.

-Register

AWARE 2024: On Purpose–Radically Recentering Ourselves in Rest, Boundaries, and Care

April 25, 2024 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT | Prices Vary | Virtual

Self-care isn't something we do INSTEAD of the work. Self-care IS the work. When we care for ourselves and each other, we can better serve victims/survivors of violence. Join the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) for a conversation about burnout, community care, and radical rest in the movement to end violence.

-Register

Equity and the ACA’s Impact on Indigenous Birth Givers

April 26, 2024 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT | UMN East Bank, West Bank Office Building #364

At this UMN Division of Epidemiology and Community Health Seminar, you will hear from Danielle Gartner, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, from Michigan State University. The series brings together leading public health practitioners and researchers who address the Division's mission to improve the public’s health through state-of-the-art research, translation of research into practice, and innovative training. All are welcome.

Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH) 2024 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference: Harmony in Connection–Nurturing Mental Wellness Together

April 28-30, 2024 | $199+ | Duluth, MN

MACMH welcomes teachers, therapists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, infant and early childhood professionals, health care workers, parents, and all others who support children from prenatal to age 24.

-Register

Caring for People with Substance Use Disorder to Improve Maternal Health

April 30, 2024 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT | Virtual

This webinar, hosted by the Reproductive Health National Training Center (RHNTC), will present high-impact practices to care for people with substance use disorder (SUD) in the outpatient sexual and reproductive health setting. This webinar is part of a series on High Impact Practice Sets (HIPS) that address leading causes of maternal mortality and racial disparities in maternal health. Speakers will describe the impact of SUD on maternal health, including racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality; the importance of addressing SUD in the reproductive health setting; high-impact practices for addressing SUD; and new RHNTC resources to help address SUD.

-Register

UMN School of Public Health 2024 Public Health Institute

May 13-31, 2024 | Prices Vary | In-Person and Virtual

The Summer Public Health Institute offers courses for students and practicing professionals in public health and related fields. Participants can build or expand their professional expertise, learn best practices, broaden career options, network with other professionals, or explore a new area of interest. The institute will feature over 20 course offerings with topics in:

  • Policy Development and Program Planning

  • Communications and Cultural Competence

  • Analysis and Assessment

  • Systems Thinking Skills and Leadership

-Learn more


*One of the courses offered this summer is PUBH 7200 - Reproductive Justice: A Primer led by MCH Program alumni Asha Hassan and Center faculty member, J’Mag Karbeah, on May 20, 2024, from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT and May 21-22, 24, 2024 from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT.


Course Description: Reproductive Justice (RJ) is the human right to maintain bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. This course will draw on the RJ framework to engage students in a public health analysis of historical and contemporary reproductive health issues. Topics will include American gynecological history, the eugenics movement, prenatal care and birthing, contraception, abortion access, adoption, child welfare, and state intervention.

Resources

Newsletter: Innovations for Maternal Health Outcomes in Minnesota

The I-MOM (Innovations in Maternal Outcomes in Minnesota) program is funded by a 5-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The vision of I-MOM is to align and strengthen the implementation of innovative, data-driven, and community-informed and supported perinatal health programs to improve outcomes for Minnesota communities experiencing the highest rates of disparities (Black, American Indian, other populations of color, new immigrants, refugees, and rural). The program has three main goals: build a shared vision for perinatal health, improve data access and expand surveillance, and improve the collection, reporting, and analysis of AIM (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) data. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Recording: 2024 Status of Women and Girls+ in Minnesota

In 2009, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota launched the Status of Women and Girls in Minnesota (Status) research project in partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School’s Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy. Annually, data specific to Minnesota women and girls has been gathered, analyzed, and published in economics, safety, health, and leadership. The Status research and community input informs the Foundation’s annual grantmaking, and policy agenda as well as identifies new areas where research is needed.

Recording: A Place to Play–Working Towards Fairness of Place for All Children

Play and access to safe green spaces – like parks and playgrounds – support a child’s healthy growth and development. Yet access to safe, stimulating, and joyful play spaces is not equally distributed. Structural forces, such as zoning regulations and underinvestment in communities, have led to inequitable access to quality play spaces in communities across the US. In this webinar, you’ll learn more about the importance of having quality places to play, community-led solutions to address gaps in play space equity, and what still needs to be done to ensure our built environments support child development and lifelong health.

-Watch

Recording: Using Data Visualization in Public Health Communications

Public Health Communications Collaborative webinars feature an expansive network of public health and communications experts who are well-versed in the most pressing, evolving public health issues of our time. Speakers present on data-driven initiatives, practical messaging tips, and resources, as well as share their insights for navigating public health conversations with community members.

Video: Family Voices on Accessing Child Care and Early Education

A new video for the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation highlights four parents’ experiences in finding and accessing child care and early education (CCEE). In the video, Child Trends researcher Van-Kim Lin explains the ways in which these parents’ experiences align with a multi-dimensional definition of access, which describes the four dimensions that families consider when searching for CCEE: supporting child's development, meeting parents’ needs, affordability, and reasonable effort to find care.

Fact Sheet: Parenting in Racially, Culturally, and Ethnically Diverse Adoptive Families

This resource, created by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, provides information to help families support their children in developing a healthy racial, cultural, and ethnic identity and living a vibrant multicultural life.

Grant Request for Proposals: Sexual Violence Prevention

The Minnesota Department of Health Sexual Violence Prevention Program (MDH SVPP) is excited to announce a request for proposals (RFP) for the Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Grant Program. The SVP Grant is a four-year and six-month grant program that will begin in August 2024 and end in January 2029. The goal of the SVP grant program is to support activities that stop sexual violence from occurring by promoting health equity. Health equity is achieved when all communities are thriving and have what they need to be healthy. It is accomplished by improving the conditions and environments in which Minnesotans are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age (also known as social determinants of health (SDOH)). Program activities are required to focus on at least one of the following three priority areas: strengthen economic support for individuals and families, create protective environments, and promote social norms that protect against violence. Proposals are due by May 17, 2024.

National Observances

You received this message because you have subscribed to the Healthy Generations listserv. This newsletter is produced monthly by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Email mch@umn.edu to have your event, resource, or publication included in our eNewsletter.


Copyright © 2024 The Center for Leadership Education in Maternal & Child Public Health - University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

The Center for Leadership Education
in Maternal & Child Public Health

The Center is supported by HHS HRSA (grant # T76MC00005). https://mch.umn.edu