Healthy
Communities
Newsletter
March 2020
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Community partners working together
to build health and resilience
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Greetings! Here is the latest news from the ACEs Action Alliance, Trauma-Informed Schools, Evergreen and Vancouver Faith-Based Coffee groups, Safe Kids Clark County and Clark County Breastfeeding Coalition.
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To subscribe to the Healthy Communities Newsletter, please email Jan.Dolph@clark.wa.gov.
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NOTE the following dates on your personal calendar.
An updated calendar for all meetings can also be found at
March 12 - Trauma-Informed Schools Team
- 1 - 3 pm
- ESD 112, 2500 NE 65th Ave, Vancouver
March 17 - Safe Kids Clark County
- 10 -11:30 am
- ESD 112, 2500 NE 65th Ave, Vancouver
March 18 - Evergreen Faith-Based
Coffee
- 8:30 - 10:30 am
- Cascade Park Baptist Church, 1201 SE 136th Ave, Vancouver
March 26 - Vancouver Faith-Based Coffee
- 9 - 11 am
- Adventist Community Church, 9711 St Johns Rd, Vancouver
All meetings open to the public
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ACEs Action Alliance
The ACEs Alliance is open to all members of the community.
Meetings:
- No regular meeting this month to allow time for the steering committee to do its work.
- Background: A group of community partners formed the ACEs Action Alliance five years ago. Since then, our community awareness and trauma-responsiveness has evolved. How can the Alliance best serve the new needs and opportunities in the 2020's? That is the question that a new steering committee with stakeholders from multiple sectors is working to address. More information and an announcement of quarterly meeting dates and other events is coming soon.
New Resources about ACEs and Resilience:
- On Feb. 18, nationally recognized experts discussed policy and advocacy strategies on local, state, and national levels using evidence from studies they conducted with legislators and the general public. Speakers shared advocacy and messaging "how to’s" including communicating the effects of structural racism as an ACE, fostering equity as an essential component of resilience, and leveraging the power of community-based ACE, trauma and resilience networks to inform policy. You can find a recording of the video and the power point slides for Drs. Purtle and Srivastav here.
- April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway’s website featuring a new multimedia gallery as well as new additions to the spread the word materials, including graphics and sample social media posts to help spread awareness and support children and families in your community. Visit now._
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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. Meets from 1 to 3 pm on the second Thursday of each month at ESD 112, 2500 NE 65th Ave, Vancouver (unless noted otherwise).
- Next meeting: Thurs., March 12: We will discuss the TI Schools Survey, hear from 321 Insight about their online training tools, and explore how districts are meeting the special needs of unsheltered children and children living in foster care.
- Future meetings in 2020: April 9 and May 14
- No meetings June, July and August
Trauma-Informed Resources for Educators:
- The Beyond Consequences Trauma-Informed Schools Conference is a comprehensive two-day experience designed for educators, school administrators, school personnel, mental health professionals, and community partners. This conference will give you the understanding, knowledge, and tools you need to successfully create a trauma-informed learning environment, whether it is in a single classroom, a whole school, or an entire district. June 20 - July 1 in St. Louise, MO. Register here: https://www.beyondconsequences.com/tisc-spring.
- Another training opportunity coming to Vancouver and Portland:
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For more information on the ACEs Action Alliance, resources, links to past newsletters, events and more, go to:
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Special Thanks!
To our planning teams members; to Adventist Community Church and Cascade Park Baptist Church for sharing their lovely meeting facilities and hospitality; to community partner, Thea Weber, for providing snacks and coffee at Vancouver Faith-Based Coffee; to Randy DeWater and East Vancouver Community Church for providing snacks and to Dutch Bros for providing coffee for Evergreen
Faith-Based Coffee.
All meetings open to the public and visitors welcomed!
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Meets from 8:30 to 10:30 am on the third Wednesday of each month at Cascade Park Baptist Church, 1201 SE 136th Ave, Vancouver.
This year's theme: Growing Together
- Next meeting: Wednesday, March 18
- Last meeting: Reducing the stigma of addiction was the topic at the February meeting, and the personal stories of presenters helped do just that. More than 70 participants engaged with speakers from Lifeline Connections and Community Voices are Born (CVAB). Lifeline Connections offers in-patient recovery options and outpatient mental health treatment. CVAB offers peer support to people in recovery from substance addiction. Camp Mariposa discuthis special opportunity for children ages 9-12 who have been impacted by a family member's substance use .
- Future meetings in 2020: April 15 and May 20
- No meetings in June, July, August and December
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Meets from 9 to 11 am on the fourth Thursday of each month at
Adventist Community Church, 9711 NE St. Johns Rd, Vancouver.
This year's theme: Partnering for Action
- Next meeting: Thursday, March 26
- Our February meeting explored the power of storytelling as a means of connecting and deepening relationships. Curtis Miller, Connect ED, a consultant who specializes in facilitating positive collaboration, sustainable and measurable improvement in mental, emotional and behavioral health led attendees thru a storytelling exercise to demonstrate the importance of belonging.
- Future meetings in 2020: April 23 and May 28
- No meetings in June, July, August, November and December
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Follow us on Facebook for meeting updates and information
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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.
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Safe Kids Clark County monthly meeting
Meets from 10
- 11:30 am on the third Tuesday of each month
ESD 112, 2500 NE 65th Ave, Vancouver.
- Next meeting: Tuesday, March 17. Chris Goodwin, Clark County Public Health, will share what they have learned from the Child Death Review Committee and their decision to focus on Safe Sleep messages to reduce the number of SUIDS deaths in Clark County.
- Kanessa Thompson will provide an update on the new child car seat law that went into effect January 1.
- Future meetings: April 21, May 19, June 16
- No meetings in July and August
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Car Seat Safety class and clinic
Meets from 10 am - 2 pm on the third Saturday of each month at PeaceHealth Southwest Education Center
400 NE Mother Joseph Pl, Vancouver.
- Next class: Saturday, March 21
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Inclined Sleepers Recall
Over 165,000 inclined sleepers have been recalled to prevent risk of suffocation! If you or a relative or friend has an inclined sleeper for their child, please tell them about this very important recall. Brands include Graco, Evenflo, Summer Infant, Delta Enterprise as well as other brands. View some of the
sleepers on the CPSC website.
Help keep babies safe by spreading the word!
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Community Health Access Resource Group Bimonthly Meeting (CHARG)
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Meets from 9 to 11 am on the second Wednesday, every other month, at the Bud van Cleve Community Room at Luke Jensen Sports Park, 4000 NE 78th St, Vancouver.
- Next meeting: Wednesday, April 8
- Future meetings: June 10, August 12, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9
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- Attention Early Childhood Educators! The Washington State Department of Health and the University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition offer FREE online STARS training modules in nutrition, physical activity, breastfeeding and media use in early learning settings. Two trainings, Nurturing Young Eaters and Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Physical Activity, have been updated to align with current training requirements. Three additional trainings are coming soon. Trainings provide 1 or 1.5 hours of STARS Credit in Health, Safety and Nutrition. Trainings (as well as other resources promoting nutrition, physical activity, breastfeeding and screen time best practices for early learning) can be found on the Department of Health’s NEW website Nourished and Active in Early Learning.
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An infographic worth a thousand words
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The Three Realms of ACEs infographic was created by the ACEs Connection with inspiration and guidance from Building Community Resilience Collaborative and Networks and the International Transformational Resilience Coalition.
The ACEs in these three realms - household, community, and environment - intertwine throughout people’s lives and affect the viability of families, communities, organizations, and systems. The handout also covers five important findings from the ACEs study.
Click to open a PDF. Permission has been given for this flyer to be downloaded, distributed, and used freely.
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Announcements & upcoming events
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Public Health seeks community members to serve on ethics committee
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Clark County Public Health is seeking community members to serve on its Ethics Review Committee. The committee reviews actual and potential public health ethical dilemmas and provides recommendations to Public Health staff, management and community partners.
The committee is composed of community members and professionals from a variety of fields. The committee meets three times per year, with more meetings scheduled as needed, to understand and deliberate on ethical issues relating to public health policies, systems and operations.
Some examples of issues the Public Health Ethics Review Committee is likely to review include:
- How should Public Health allocate limited resources, such as vaccines or ventilators, during a pandemic?
- How should Public Health avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interest when working with vendors?
- When should a person be isolated, quarantined or even jailed to protect the health of others?
Public Health is seeking four community members with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to join the committee. There is no particular education or experience requirement for committee members; previous familiarity with ethics or experience in the health field is not required. Training will be provided for new members.
Ideal participants will be interested in ethical or public health concerns. Participants will be expected to listen and engage in respectful dialogue with others who may have differing viewpoints. Participants should be ready to think critically about topics that may challenge their values.
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Safe Kids Worldwide Heatstroke Prevention Townhall
Over the past two years, more than 100 children have died of heatstroke in hot cars. We’re working with partners to drastically reduce these tragedies in 2020 and we’d like to invite you to join us. Our annual townhall webinar is scheduled for
March 10, 2020
from 12:45pm – 1:45pm EDT. The purpose of the webinar is to engage Safe Kids coordinators and safety allies and help attendees develop a strategy to launch and sustain a successful local or state 2020 campaign, including outreach on
National Heatstroke Prevention Day
. Most parents think, “This can’t happen to me.” But we know it can happen to anyone, even the most caring parents. By working together, we can expand our reach, raise awareness, share resources, unify messaging, and successfully stop these tragedies. Please join us, share this invitation and
register here.
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Turn adversity into resilience:
Help others heal from child sexual abuse as a #SHINE Ambassador
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The Clark County Children's Justice Center wants to shed light on the issue of child sexual abuse. They are looking for adult survivors of childhood abuse who can pass on messages of healing and hope to others.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact
Amy Russell
.
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Our community offers a variety of quality options for early learners!
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Consistent, high quality, nurturing childcare and early childhood education have been linked with a lifetime of success in numerous studies.
We are fortunate to have excellent programs here in Clark County. Please post or share this information with families of preschool age children.
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YWCA is looking for a new Volunteer Specialist for the CASA program
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Clark County CASA is actively recruiting for the position of Volunteer Specialist. The posting and job description can be found
here.
This position is responsible for facilitating volunteer pre-service and in-service training, implementing volunteer recruiting and retention strategies, supporting our staff in becoming excellent volunteer supervisors, and oversight of a National CASA grant. The position is available due to the upcoming retirement of the amazing Katie Benzel. We wish Katie all the best and will miss her incredible support of the CASA volunteer program.
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New dates for CASA volunteer
information sessions
If you have a heart to help foster youth who are engaged in the judicial process due to abuse or neglect, learn more about the CASA program.
The Clark County CASA program is holding information sessions in January and February at the YWCA, 3609 Main Street, Vancouver:
- Monday, March 2 at 12 noon
- Tuesday, March 10 at 6 pm
- Thursday, April 2 12 noon
- Monday, April 6 at 6 pm
- Monday, April 27 at 6 pm
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ABCD program offers dental resources for kids on Apple Health
The
Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (
ABCD
)
program, for eligible Clark County children birth up to 6 years old, provides parents with dental resources and an updated list of
ABCD
-trained dentists who accept Apple Health.
For information, brochures or a presentation about
ABCD
dental, please connect with Anna Cruz, Clark County Public Health, at 564.397.7371 or via email at
anna.cruz@clark.wa.gov
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About our coalitions and community groups
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The ACEs Action Alliance is:
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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.
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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.
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Safe Kids Clark County is:
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A member of
Safe Kids Worldwide
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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).
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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.
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Clark County Breastfeeding Coalition is:
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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.
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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
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