Summer 2021
Quarterly Newsletter
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We Would Like to Introduce You to Our Newest Team Member, Bridget Hanson
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The Center is thrilled to have officially welcomed Bridget Hanson, Ph.D., to our team this June. Bridget is an applied social psychologist with extensive experience in program evaluation. She brings experience in substance misuse, prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and prescription opioid misuse and harm reduction and is excited to expand her work into the other health and safety topics addressed at the Center. Bridget will enhance the Center’s work with communities as she enjoys bridging the gap between research and practice, and her ideas on data visualization and presentation will offer some innovation to our research.
Bridget and her husband reside in Anchorage, Alaska with their rescued husky-mix, Colby. She spends most of her free time outdoors enjoying the wonders of the beautiful state of Alaska. She enjoys hiking, saltwater fishing and shrimping, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, and searching for the aurora. She and her husband value the diversity of their community and savor the restaurant and microbrewery scene in Anchorage. Unfortunately for our remote team, Bridget also enjoys cooking, particularly with local produce and, of course, fresh catch! She’s in good company with most of our staff in her affection for good coffee, and we all raise a mug in celebration of her joining our team!
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Jay Otto, MSU Pure Gold Award Recipient |
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Our own Principal Scientist, Jay Otto, was awarded the Montana State University Pure Gold recognition in April for his contributions to the university community. Nominees show “an ability to inspire others and enhance the strengths of the university. Whether it’s an individual act or a sustained effort of exemplary service, they are…Pure Gold.”
We, at the Center, have always been proud of Jay’s immeasurable value and contributions to the university and the communities we serve, and it is our honor to see him recognized.
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The Center Has a New Manager |
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Welcome Kari Finley
We are excited to share that Dr. Kari Finley, a Senior Research Scientist at the Center, is taking on the role of Center Manager. Kari has been a member of the CHSC team since 2015 and is enthusiastically embracing her new role as manager. Kari holds a Ph.D. in Human Services from Walden University and a master’s degree in Social Work (M.S.W.) from Colorado State University. At the Center, Dr. Finley’s key roles include research, scientific writing, and tool development, and she is a principal investigator for multiple projects. Kari works remotely from her home in Wyoming. In her spare time, Kari enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, Brian, and son, Jax. The Center team excitedly welcomes Dr. Kari Finley to the Center manager role!
Thank You, Annmarie McMahill
Annmarie McMahill, a Research Principal for the Center, has served as Center Manager for the past five years and played a pivotal role in the Center’s success. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Annmarie for her time spent in the role as manager. Annmarie shined as manager in many ways, especially her ability to keep us all on track and help us see the bigger picture, her detailed strategic planning, the prioritization of our strengths and celebration of our successes, and the heart and soul she poured into this role. Annmarie is eager to be able to focus more on her work as a researcher at the Center. The Center team is grateful for Annmarie’s time as manager.
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Save the Date for the Next Available Positive Culture Framework (PCF) Virtual Training
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October 19-21, 2021
Catch our next Positive Culture Framework Training on October 19-21 virtually. Our usual 2.5-day, in-person training is now conducted over three days in two-hour virtual sessions. The training provides a foundation for efforts to improve health and safety that addresses a wide variety of complex social issues.
Training attendees will:
- Develop and refine skills in three critical areas: leadership, communication, and the integration of effective strategies
- Learn how culture influences behavior and how to cultivate cultural transformation
- Gain specific next steps for transforming culture in your community or organization
Who should attend?
Our training is designed for anyone working to improve health and safety including (but not limited to) substance misuse professionals, prevention specialists, violence prevention advocates, coalition members, traffic safety professionals, educators, government personnel, and law enforcement officers.
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Can’t make the October training? We can provide virtual trainings on the Positive Culture Framework, communication (social norms), leadership, and integration skills for your community or organization. For more information on our training opportunities please visit our website at https://chsculture.org/training
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April 20-22, 2021:
Katie Dively, M.S., MCHES, and Jay Otto, M.S., were featured trainers for the Montana Public Health Training Center’s Using Communication to Improve Public Health training. This training provided participants with a model to better understand individual behavior, a seven-step process for effective communication, and tips for improving communication skills to strengthen their efforts to improve the overall health of Montana’s communities.
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April, 2021:
Nic Ward, Ph.D., and Kelly Green, M.P.A., assisted development of The Collegiate Traffic Safety Toolkit, created in coordination by NASPA and the Montana Collegiate Traffic Safety Group. This toolkit is for practitioners working on college campuses, so they can promote proactive traffic safety on and around their campus.
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April 28, 2021:
Annmarie McMahill, M.S., presented at the Montana Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Conference. Her presentation titled, “ParentingMontana.org: Social Emotional Skill Development and Resources for Parents, Foster Parents, Caregivers,” highlighted the positive impact social and emotional skill development can have on health-related outcomes for youth and the parents or those in a parenting role who utilize, employ, and teach these skills.
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The Center for Health and Safety Culture is an interdisciplinary center serving communities and organizations through research, training, and support services to cultivate healthy and safe cultures. We are dedicated to applying research to develop sustainable solutions to complex social problems. Our research focuses on understanding how culture impacts behavior – especially behavior associated with health and safety. Some of our services include: |
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- Conducting, Exchanging, and Applying Research
- Cultural Assessments, Surveys, and Evaluation
- Brief Video Spotlights
- Positive Culture Framework
- Communication Skills – Social Norms Marketing
- Leadership Skills
- Integration Skills
- Stigma Training
- Moving From Knowledge to Practice
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Feel free to contact us if you are interested in our services. We are currently offering virtual trainings and hoping for onsite trainings to resume in the future. |
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