Injury Prevention Program Newsletter

Wyoming Department of Health

Injury Prevention Program

A safer Wyoming free from injury and violence.

January Newsletter

In the News

A Tech-Based Tool to Address Campus Sexual Assault

Jessica Ladd was sexually assaulted while at Pomona College, just as one in five college women are . She says she found the reporting process, "more traumatic than the assault" itself. She felt "like I didn't have control. A lack of agency. I wasn't believed, and ended up regretting reporting." Continue reading here.

New Study Finds 1 Out of 4 Queer Youth Attempt Suicide

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ) teens are more than three times as likely to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers, a U.S. study suggests.

In a national survey of almost 16,000 youth, about 25 percent of LBGQ teens said they had attempted suicide at least once in the previous year, compared with roughly 6 percent of heterosexual teens, researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Continue reading here.

Fitness tips from the National Institutes on Aging at NIH

Being physically active with your family is a great way to stay healthy and make exercise fun - and family gatherings during the holidays are the perfect time for team sports and activities. Here are some ideas for active family fun:

Choose teams and play softball, basketball, or kickball.
Sign up for family tennis, bowling, or volleyball tournaments.
Go biking, jogging, or hiking at a nearby park.

Get more ideas for fun family activities from Go4Life.

Observances

January is National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Month . Everyone should wear helmets and take proper safety precautions while skiing and riding this winter.

Events

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) Coming to Cheyenne

Mark your calendars! ASIST training will be held at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center on March 28th and 29th. More details to come soon.

Coming Soon! Community Clergy Training Program: Helping Veterans Access Care and Resources

The Cheyenne VA Medical Center recently received a grant to schedule training events across Wyoming and neighboring states for the Community Clergy Training Program, which aims to educate and inform clergy and community members on how to best serve veterans and service members living in rural areas. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months! For now, check out this brochure for more about the program.

AARP Smart Driver™ Courses

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Wyoming Department of Health, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and the National Highway Safety Administration have partnered to spread the word on the AARP Smart Driver™ courses. AARP Driver Safety is the nation’s first and largest refresher course designed specifically for drivers age 50 and older. For more than 35 years, this six-hour course has taught over 16 million drivers proven safety strategies so they can continue driving safely for as long as possible. Upcoming course dates listed below:

Casper Senior Center

Friday, January 12, 2018 9:00 AM

(307) 265-4678

Glenrock Senior Center

Saturday, January 13th, 2018 9:00 AM

(307) 436-9442

Uinta BOCES Number 1

Friday, January 19, 2018 9:00 AM

(307) 789-5742

Riverton Senior Center

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 9:00 AM

Wednesday , January 17, 2018 9:00 AM

(307) 856-6332

AARP State Office

Monday, January 8, 2018 9:00 AM

Tuesday , January 9, 2018 9:00 AM

Thursday , January 25, 2018 9:00 AM

Friday , January 26, 2018 9:00 AM

(307) 635-2435

For a complete listing of upcoming training's in your area or to register please visit https://www.aarp.org/auto/driver-safety/?intcmp=GLBNAV-SL-ATO-ADS

Get Involved Locally

Preventing Falls

It is the goal of the Wyoming Injury Prevention Program to promote, encourage, support, and expand the evidence based falls prevention efforts across the State of Wyoming. Currently, the falls prevention efforts have centered around two CDC evidenced based tai Chi programs. These programs are in full swing across the state with the help and support of local partners and have seen steady community participation.

For more information on these programs or to find a class being offered in your community, please contact Jamin Johnson at j amin.johnson@wyo.gov or (307) 777-2424 . In addition, if anyone participating in a Tai Chi program has a story of success or encouragement to share, please refer them to Jamin .

Upcoming Tai Chi Classes:

Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance

Start: January 16, 2018

End: April 3, 2018

Every Tuesday & Thursday: 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Location: Gottsche Rehab and Wellness, Basin, WY

Do have an upcoming event or an article you would like us to share in a future newsletter?

Contact Lindsay Martin at lindsay.martin@wyo.gov or

(307) 777-8034.