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Wyoming Department of Health
Injury Prevention Program
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Greetings,
Many of you may know that the Injury Prevention Program has undergone some changes in the past few months. Dara Lawyer, our previous Injury Prevention Coordinator is no longer with the program. We welcomed three new members to our team, and we are all excited for the future of the program.
On behalf of the team I would like to thank all of our partners and stakeholders that have welcomed us so warmly. We look forward to building relationships with each of you and working together to reduce injury and create a safer Wyoming.
Thank you,
Lindsay Martin, MPH
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Lindsay Martin, MPH
is the new Injury Prevention Program Manager. She is from Columbia, South Carolina. She has a BS in Public Health from Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia and a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. She was previously employed as a monitoring and evaluation officer with ChildFund Zambia in Lusaka, Zambia and as a Community Health Development Extensionist in Mwachisompola, Zambia. She is excited about getting to know Wyoming and happy that it's finally football season again.
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Jamin Johnson, MS
joins the Wyoming Department of Health as the new Unintentional Injury Prevention Coordinator. He is a native of Wyoming, growing up in Laramie and attending the University of Wyoming. Jamin holds a Master of Science degree in Community Health Education and joins the Injury Prevention Program after spending a decade in local law enforcement. Outside of work, Jamin enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.
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A Southern California native,
Sarah Spafford
moved to Cheyenne this summer to become the Intentional Injury Prevention Coordinator. Previously she has worked in higher education and substance abuse treatment after completing a degree in Psychology. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Suicidology, which should be completed in the fall of 2018. Sarah made the cross country move to Wyoming with her husband, Kevin (and their cat), and are looking forward to seeing more of the beautiful landscapes of Wyoming (now with their new pup added to the family).
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Melissa Taylor, MPH
is an Epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health and has worked with the Injury Program since July of 2015. She has a Master's Degree in Public Health with a focus in Epidemiology from the Colorado School of Public Health and has worked in various areas of public health since 2010. She loves working with data, and appreciates a good excel spreadsheet. In her spare time, Melissa loves being outdoors and heads to the mountains with her husband and their black lab, Birdie, whenever she can.
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Woman Walks Across Wyoming for Suicide Prevention
When a budget crisis caused the state of Wyoming to cut funding for the state's suicide prevention program, those at the suicide crisis center jumped into action to find a way to keep the program going.
Continue reading here.
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CDC: Suicide Rates Increase in US Rural Areas
According to the study, suicide is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., resulting in 44,193 deaths in 2015 alone. Study data determined that suicide rates are higher in rural areas compared to urban areas, and that the gap in suicide rates between these demographic areas is widening.
Click to read the full article.
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Preparing for Winter Driving
The Winter has arrived and the Injury Prevention Program wants to remind Wyoming drivers to reduce your speed, allow extra time to reach your destination, and always wear your safety belt when in a motor vehicle. The National Safety Council points out several simple steps to prepare for winter driving...
Visit NSC.org for more information.
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Drowsy Driving Prevention Week-
November 5-12, 2017
In an effort to reduce the number of fatigue-related crashes and to save lives, the National Sleep Foundation is declaring November 5-12, 2017 to be Drowsy Driving Prevention Week®.
Click here for more information.
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, December 4–8, 2017
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
aims to promote understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensuring older adults remain active in the community—shopping, working or volunteering—with the confidence that transportation will not be the barrier to strand them at home...
Click here for more information
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International Survivors of Suicide Day, November 18, 2017
Survivor Day (organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) is the one day a year when people affected by suicide loss gather around the world at events in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. To find an event and for more information,
click here.
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AARP Smart Driver™ courses
The 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, November 10, 2017 9:00 AM
(307) 265-4678
Northwest College Center for Training and Development
Cody, Worland and Powell
Friday, November 10, 2017 9:00 AM
800-560-4692
Rendezvous Pointe
Pinedale
Tuesday, November 21, 2017 8:30 AM
(307) 367-2881
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Grace for 2 Brothers Volunteer Night
Learn more about Grace for 2 Brothers and what they do for their community and state in preventing suicide. They will be hosting a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Training to teach individuals how best to help people in a mental health crisis. If you have already been trained in QPR, there will be various volunteer projects for you to participate in. For more information visit
Grace For 2 Brothers Volunteer Night
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Stopping Violence Before it Starts: Primary Prevention 101
The
Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
will be hosting a free primary prevention training to member programs and partner organizations on November 2nd and 3rd.
This training, "Stopping Violence Before it Starts: Primary Prevention 101", will introduce participants to the public health model approach to stopping violence before it starts through primary prevention. Participants will learn the basics of primary prevention, application of primary prevention within community systems, basic evaluation of prevention programs, and will refine their own skills as presenters conducting primary prevention education.
To register for this event, please
click here.
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Upcoming Coalition Meetings
Do have an upcoming event or an article you would like us to share
in a future newsletter? Contact us.
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Injury Prevention Program | 307-777-8034 | lindsay.martin@wyo.gov
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