Upcoming Event About Youth Mental Health
We are partnering with the Springfield Public Forum to host 2 events on October 28th featuring Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble - an expert in teen, young adult, and family mental health, and known nationally as a gifted scientist, public speaker, and author.

At 1:00 pm there will be a session open to high school students only.

At 6:00 pm there will be a community session.

Research and Evaluation
New Report Explores Mental Health Inequities Among Springfield Youth
The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts has released a new report, Mental Health Inequities Among Springfield Eighth Grade Students: Findings from the 2019 Youth Health Survey. This report is an update to our 2017 data brief. Although many actions have been taken to address youth mental health, inequities continue to exist.


How has the pandemic impacted your community?  
The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts is providing Technical Assistance to Western Massachusetts for the COVID Community Impact Survey (CCIS). The CCIS was conducted to better understand the immediate and long-term health needs facing the Commonwealth due to the pandemic, including social and economic consequences. We are providing support for Western Massachusetts to raise awareness of the availability of this data and to conduct analyses and share findings so that communities, organizations, and others can use the data to better understand where to most equitably and impactfully provide pandemic assistance and resources across the commonwealth. 

TA can include:
  • Share existing findings from the CCIS.
  • Fulfill customized data requests using the CCIS data, which may include regional/local estimates, population specific health equity analyses, and other analyses not already released on the CCIS website.
  • Help contextualize and interpret the CCIS data at local and regional levels.
  • Support community partners as they use the data to make recommendations and take actions.
  • Provide information and answer questions about the CCIS, including methodology of the survey, the sample of respondents, and data limitations.


COVID-19 in Western Massachusetts
Upcoming Webinar
Join us Tuesday, November 2, 2021 from 12:00-1:00pm for a webinar on What you Need to Know about the COVID-19 Booster and Vaccine for Younger Children. Dr. Chrystal Wittcopp, Medical Director of Baystate General Pediatrics, will be sharing important information and answering questions about these current COVID-19 discussion points.

COVID-19 Testing
You should get tested if you develop any symptoms of COVID-19, even if they are mild, or if you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
Anyone 12 and older can now receive the COVID-19 Vaccine. People age 12-17 can receive the Pfizer vaccine. People age 18 and older can receive any vaccine. The vaccine is FREE!
Visit the Western MA COVID-19 Data Dashboard for the latest COVID-19 data for the region. The Dashboard is updated every Friday.
Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Oct. 24-30
Lead Poisoning Prevention Podcast
Karlos Reyes is a Community Health Worker in Lead Poisoning Prevention for Square One in Springfield, Massachusetts in collaboration with PHIWM's Springfield Healthy Homes Collaborative. He works closely with children and families affected by lead poisoning, providing education and advocacy to families looking to de-lead their homes and lower their children's lead levels.
 
For Lead Poisoning Prevention Week this year, he created a podcast with guest speakers Dr. Hilary Branch from Baystate Health Pediatrics and Nigel Greaves, Project Director for the City of Springfield's Office of Housing to share information, resources, and their expertise!
 
Listen to these engaging conversations on your favorite podcast platform!

Resources for Lead Abatement
Mailings were distributed earlier this month all throughout Springfield for the City’s FREE Home Lead-Based paint abatement program. If you own or rent a home in Springfield, you may be eligible for free grants and forgivable loans through this program. If you do not live in the city, but know people who may benefit from this service, please share! To learn more, read here.

Find out more about lead prevention resources at www.springfieldhealthyhomes.org
Celebrating Healthcare Heroes!
Congratulations to our latest Healthcare Heroes, Revitalize CDC's Doorway to an Accessible, Safe, and Healthy Home program and all the partners who have made the Healthy Homes work a success and ensure its sustainability. The Public Health Institute of Western MA and Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition are proud partners along with Baystate Health, Be Healthy Partnership, Holyoke Medical Center and Green & Healthy Homes Initiative.
Join Our Team!
The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts provides skills, expertise and experience to create successful public health campaigns and sustainable system changes to improve health and well-being in Western MA. Join our team as we work to ensure that all people in our region have what they need to lead healthy lives.

We are looking to fill the following position:

Visit our website for more information.
Events & Resources
Events
  • "The Gap Closer" talk show to feature Doris Harris and Jessica Collins, 10/25/21 8:00pm: The Gap Closer” is a talk show hosted and co-produced by youth ages 7 to 18, which gives a platform for meaningful conversations with adults. Join the Gap Closer youth on Monday, October 18th at 8pm to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people. They will be speaking with Doris Harris, host of Health Matters, and Jessica Collins, executive director of the Public Health Institute of Western MA. Tune in at 90.7 fm or online.
  • Circles of Safety Training, 11/2/21: Join professionals from Youth-Serving Organizations from around the globe for a fall vitual training session to learn how to plan for safety to keep youth safe. Learn more and register.
  • MA Public Health Association’s Annual Conference is being held virtually on November 16 at 10am-1pm EST with the theme of Creating Health Equity by Building Community Power. We are incredibly excited to have a number of expert speakers who will be sharing their insights and experiences in this work. Xavier Morales, the Executive Director of the Praxis Project, will provide the keynote. He will be sharing their revised Social Determinants of Health Equity framework and talking about what they have learned from community-led efforts across the country that have emerged organically in response to community needs. His talk will be followed by a panel with Megan Gaydos from Human Impact Partners who will be sharing their theory of change and the work of theirpower-building partnerships for healthand Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director at Alternatives for Community and Environment, who will be discussing their work with residents in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston organizing for environmental justice. Register.
  • "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations" with Dr. Robert Livingston, 11/17/2021 at 7:00 pm: This free event is part of the Springfield Forum's Speaker Series. Dr. Livingston provides a compass for all those seeking to begin the work of anti-racism and how to become part of the solution. Learn more and register.
Resources
  • Baystate RFP for Community Grants: The RFP for Better Together Grant outcomes-based projects opened on Monday, October 4, 2021, and applicants are required to submit their Round One Application by Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 11:59 PM EST. In addition, a pool of funds has been set aside to provide funding to support activities associated with the application process. These mini grants must be requested no later than Wednesday, November 3, 2021.Learn more.
  • Stop It Now! is excited to announce their new resources for teens and young adults, bringing prevention early and proactively to young people. The new program is called, What's Ok?, has been created to provide the same reliable, compassionate, and supportive guidance Stop It Now! models. Learn more.
  • Mass. PPD Fund Strategic Planning Survey: The Mass PPD Fund is working on strategic planning to better target its work, including gathering data through THIS SURVEY. Please complete and help share!