Healthy
Communities
Newsletter

May 2020
Community partners working together
to build health and resilience
May meetings of Trauma-Informed Schools, Evergreen and Vancouver Faith-Based Coffees will be held online via ZOOM. See below for details on how to register.

Safe Kids Clark County and Car Seat classes at PeaceHealth are cancelled.
To subscribe to the Healthy Communities Newsletter, please email Jan.Dolph@clark.wa.gov.
Our Community Meetings

SAVE THESE DATES!
Please note the following dates on your
personal calendar.

An updated calendar for all meetings can also be found at

May 14 - Trauma-Informed Schools Team

Safe Kids Clark County
  • Cancelled

May 18 - Clark County Breastfeeding Coalition
  • 12 noon - 1:30 pm
  • ZOOM meeting - contact Yasmina Aknin if interested in attending

May 20 - Evergreen Faith-Based Coffee

May 28 - Vancouver Faith-Based Coffee

May 28 - ACEs Action Alliance Steering Committee
  • 3 - 5 pm
  • ZOOM meeting - by invitation
ACEs Action Alliance

The ACEs Alliance is open to all members of the community.

Meetings:
  • The Steering Committee will meet from 3 to 5 pm on May 28 by ZOOM.
  • Log-in information coming by email to steering committee members.
  • Regular meetings of the ACEs Alliance to resume this fall.
_________________________________

Trauma-Informed Schools Team meeting

The TI Schools meeting is intended for people who work in or with early childhood education and K-12 schools.

The May meeting will focus on how our education community, families and allied agencies are responding and faring during COVID-19. We will spend time collaborating on plans to support the social-emotional health and regulation of educators and students when they return to school in the fall.


  • Meetings are not currently scheduled for June, July or August.

New resources about ACEs and resilience: 




  • One result of increased stress around COVID-19 is the tragic fact that child abuse and neglect is increasing, but the safety net provided by schools is no longer in place. Teachers and counselors can continue to be a hero to students in this time of crisis, and can help mitigate the negative impact of traumatic events and stress. Caregivers might not be able to do it alone. This two-page tool was designed to support teachers, counselors and others who might have contact with students and their families isolated at home during crises. The tool is based on science and best practice, includes a Child Well-being Check, and is written from an asset based perspective. It's also free, For more information, contact info, and the PDF see http://www.rockresults.org/tools.html

  • The Healing Place Podcast, a facebook-based connection, offers a library of 35 videos on self-care. Topics include grounding tools, coping skills, calming practices, and more. These hope-filled conversations address the impact of COVID-19 on children, adults, those with unresolved trauma.

  • Author Manuela Molina has shared a book on COVID written specifically to ease the anxiety of children under seven. #COVIBOOK is available for free download in multiple languages. 

For more information on the ACEs Action Alliance, resources, links to past newsletters, events and more, go to:

Feel the need to connect and find out what's going on?

Our May ZOOM meetings of Faith-Based Coffee will focus on how our schools, partner agencies and faith communities are faring and responding during COVID-19.

Diana Avelos-Leos will share a beautiful communication campaign designed especially for and with input from local communities of color about safety and resilience during COVID.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. All meetings open to the public and visitors welcomed!


  • No meetings in June, July or August


  • No meetings in June, July or August


New resources for faith and community leaders:


Product Recalls

Safe Kids Worldwide lists product recalls each month. Please note: Product recalls never expire, so it’s important to check the recalls on a regular basis. This is especially important for hand-me-down or pre-owned children’s products.

Used child car seats and bike helmets should never be re-used in case their integrity is compromised.
Car Seat Safety class and clinic  
 Cancelled for May
Safe Kids Clark County monthly meeting

The May meeting of Safe Kids is cancelled.

  • No meetings in July and August
Preventing children's injuries at home

Because of the COVID-19 “Stay Home, Stay Safe” mandate, children are home all day with a lot of free time. This has led to an increase in injuries from falls and poisoning from household cleaners. Washington Poison Control Center has reported a 23 percent increase in calls about poisoning compared over the same time last year. The National Capital Poison Center has reported a 100% increase in calls related to disinfectants.

Safe Kids Worldwide offers a Home Safety Checklist and a Parents Checklist with reminders of what parents can do to keep their children safe.

Washington Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Community Health Access Resource Group Bimonthly Meeting (CHARG)
No CHARG meeting in May

News you can use
Keep up-to-date with factual information about COVID-19




  • Washington State Coronavirus Hotline: 800-525-0127. Open 6 AM-10 PM daily. This hotline is a partnership effort between Washington State Department of Health and Washington 211. This replaces the DOH novel coronavirus call center.  (Please note that the statewide 211 system differs from our local 211 system.)


  • The COVID-19 dashboard lets you track case numbers statewide, county by county. Updated daily. Click here

  • Reporting violations of the Stay Home, Stay Healthy mandate: file online report at www.coronavirus.wa.gov 

  • CRESA offers an automated “COVID-19 Hotline”: Call 311 and press 7 when prompted or call 971-599-2296

  • Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has announced the partial reopening of outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing and golfing, beginning May 5.
Coming Soon from Public Health: The Healthier Clark County InfoMap!
What is it? The Healthier Clark County InfoMap tool offers a new way of learning about health issues and how they impact people in our communities. Through data visualized on maps and charts, users can explore how health and the circumstances and environments that influence health are distributed across the county.

What data are in the tool? Topic areas in the InfoMap include demographics and social factors that influence health, such as income, education and housing. The tool also features several public health focus areas, including maternal health, child health, adverse childhood experiences, chronic disease, substance use and behavioral health. 

When can I see it? The tool will launch in May 2020 and will be available on the Clark County Public Health website.

Contact Info:
Emergency Response Resources
The Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities published these comprehensive lists of:


About our coalitions and community groups
The ACEs Action Alliance is:
A multi-sector collaborative of public and private organizations and individuals. We raise awareness about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their long-term impact. We promote trauma-informed approaches and policies to support resilience and healing for people of all ages. All are welcome at monthly meetings.

The Trauma-Informed Schools Team is open to anyone who works in or with schools in Clark County. We meet monthly to explore tools, resources and applications of trauma-informed principles for schools.

Check the calendar at ACEsActionAlliance.org for current meeting information and other resources.
Faith-Based Coffee is:
A non-denominational bridge that joins faith partners, communities and local schools to share learning, meet the needs of children, families and neighborhoods, and address emergent needs that arise in our community. All are welcome. Members maintain the separation of church and state at meetings and when fulfilling needs by serving from the heart without promoting personal religious beliefs or engaging in religious recruitment.
Safe Kids Clark County is:
A member of  Safe Kids Worldwide , a grassroots network of more than 600 coalitions and chapters that work closely with law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, health professionals, educators, businesses, public policy makers, and, most importantly, parents and kids to promote safety. Priorities include proper car seat use, baby's safe sleep, reducing child vehicular injuries and deaths, and water safety. Local coordination provided by American Medical Response (AMR).
CHARG is:
A local forum for community members and health professionals to connect and collaborate in order to deliver appropriate services that meet the needs of the diverse populations of Clark County. At each of our bi-monthly forums, the Clark County Community Health Access Resource Group (CHARG) strives to illuminate and educate participants on a handful of themed topics relating to health access.
Clark County Breastfeeding Coalition is:
A coalition that works to improve the health of our community by promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding. CCBC is committed to identify and eliminate barriers to breastfeeding among families of all races and ethnicities in Clark County in order to foster a culture of inclusion.

The coalition works collaboratively to connect, educate and promote breastfeeding practices in all Clark County communities. CCBC also works to create an environment that supports breastfeeding as the cultural norm for infant feeding.


The Healthy Communities Newsletter is published the first week of each month.
To submit announcements or share information, please send complete information or attach a high resolution pdf file to cyndie.meyer@clark.wa.gov by the 20th of the month prior.
All submissions will be screened and may be edited prior to publication.

If you would like to receive the Healthy Communities Newsletter, please email Jan.Dolph@clark.wa.gov