February 13, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

Next week is February Vacation Week for many of you….I hope that you find some time to relax and enjoy a few days off and that the flu finally begins to take a break as well!  There is still lots going on to catch you up on before you go….

Please see the attached announcement from SHIELD concerning the registrations for the MDPH approved training on the issue of domestic and sexual violence as a condition of licensure (M.G.L. c. 112, § 264). The presenter for this course meets the training requirement for health care providers, including nurses, social workers and physicians.  Please inform these licenses professionals in your district that these programs are open to them as well.  This training seeks to provide comprehensive education on domestic and sexual violence so health care providers will be better equipped to intervene in a trauma-informed, abuse-aware fashion in circumstances of chronic violence or abuse.  Registration is limited so register early!  (Please note that MNA is also offering this course to both members and non-members and a flyer with information related to these trainings is also attached).

Also please see the updated flyer with information related to the up Racial Equity in Schools Workshop – there are two more upcoming programs; one in Lowell on March 27th and another in Norton on May 15th.  Please note that this presentation has been approved for continuing education credits for both Nurses and Social Workers…so please share with your school counseling staff!

Note:  there are eight attachments with this week’s email.  These include information about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Conference, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Workshop schedule, Information for Latino families concerning substance use prevention campaign, the posting for the MA Pediatric SANE nurse, BSAS’ FREE substance use prevention curriculum trainings, Caitlin Caven’s Toolkit for Elementary School Nurses For Prevention of Substance Use, and the most recent flyer on the Racial Equity in School Health programs!

Hope you all stay healthy and well….

Mary Ann and Janet

“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” – – John Cotton Dana, librarian

NEW MDPH OPIOID PREVENTION CAMPAIGN – FOR LATINO PARENTS:

The Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) at DPH is launching a new campaign, called Pare La Adicción Antes De Que Comience. The campaign was developed for Latino parents in order to raise awareness about the risks of opioids and what parents can do to help protect their kids. The campaign website and other materials provides parents information in Spanish about the dangers of opioids, how to manage them if they’re child receives a prescription, and encourages them to talk to their teens – through a TV PSA on Telemundo and Univision and online ads on social media. DPH also developed a print brochure available for free, in both Spanish and English.  Attached is more information about the campaign and sample social media and newsletter content. Please  share information related to this campaign!

 Please also see the information related to the BSAS Substance Use Prevention Curriculums attached to this email!

TOOLKIT FOR SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NURSES:

See attached document!!

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE NASN 2018 50TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE:

Earn up to 19.25 CNE contact hours. Customize your learning with options from 32+ breakout sessions, eight workshops and six general sessions. Many special events are also planned to celebrate NASN’s 50th Anniversary! 

Register today:  www.nasn.org/NASN2018

PEDIATRIC SANE NURSE FOR THE SOUTHEAST REGION NEEDED:

The SANE Program has a Pediatric SANE position available for an advanced practice nurse in the Bristol County area.  The attached jo posting includes a link to apply.

CONSULTANT TO SUPPORT THE REVISION OF THE MA COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION FRAMEWORK

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) is undertaking the review and revision of the 1999 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Frameworks.  The Department’s Office of Student and Family Support (SFS), which will spearhead this work, seeks an organization or individual to assist with this process.

Please find the posting here: https://www.commbuys.com/bso/external/bidDetail.sdo?docId=BD-18-1026-DOE02-DOE01-23320&external=true&parentUrl=bid

Kristen McKinnon

Service-Learning and Student Engagement Coordinator

Office of Student and Family Support

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

781-338-6306

18TH ANNUAL PROVIDER FORUM ON RESTRAINT/SECLUSION PREVENTION:

The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Restraint/Seclusion Prevention Initiative welcomes you to SAVE-THE-DATE for the18th Annual Provider Forum on Restraint/Seclusion Prevention on Wednesday, May 2nd 2018 from 9am-330pm at the DoubleTree Westborough Hotel (5400 Computer Dr, Westborough, MA 01581)

Registration Link will be sent on Wednesday, March 28th.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

This year’s forum will feature presentations on self-care and compassion fatigue, and a presentation on peer-to-peer initiatives to eliminate the stigma and start conversations about mental health. In addition, the forum will also feature a provider panel of experts discussing special considerations when working with individuals with autism, intellectual and physical disabilities.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

  • Due to limited seating, we kindly ask programs not register more than 2-3 staff/program; new participants (direct care staff & new managers) are strongly encouraged to attend!
  • CE applications are submitted for LMHCs, Social Workers, Psychologists, Nurses and Occupational Therapists.
  • To request special accommodations, including ASL interpreters, please contact Bobbi Spofford atbobbi.spofford@massmail.state.ma.us or Joel Danforth at joel.danforth@state.ma.us by April 20, 2018.

FASD AND THE LAW CONFERENCE SAVE THE DATE:

Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of preventable intellectual disabilities. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) represents a spectrum of disorders that describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother consumed alcohol during pregnancy.   FASDs last a lifetime. Although persons with FASD are over represented in prison populations and other state institutions such as child protection, juvenile justice, special education, and mental health systems, FASDs are commonly misdiagnosed or missed entirely.  As a result, they are commonly mismatched with supports and interventions they receive.

The Cradle to Prison Pipeline is a well-documented phenomenon with disproportionate representation by people of color, individuals in poverty, and those with challenging behavioral, mental health and educational needs. In 2012, the American Bar Association passed a resolution to “acknowledge and treat the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and better assist individuals with FASD.”  Consistent with this resolution, this conference describes the complex range of potential presentations of FASD, reviews why individuals with FASD are misdiagnosed, misunderstood or “missed” entirely, discusses why they are vulnerable to becoming court-involved and unnecessarily or ineffectively placed in “deep end” services.  Please join William James College, the Institute for Health & Recovery, parents of children with an FASD, and massFAS on May 19th for a day with national and state speakers to learn to identify and support court-involved individuals with FASD.  Please see the attached flyer for more details.

 SUPPORTING HEALTHY EATING HABITS AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL:  A BCH COMMUNITY EDUCATION INITIATIVE:

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: APPLY FOR 2018 NIDA ADVISORY GROUPS:

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is forming teacher, teen, and parent advisory groups to obtain real-time feedback on our NIDA for Teens resources and initiatives. We are looking for these three advisory groups to provide their insights on existing and new materials and share ideas about how NIDA can expand its reach to people who would benefit most from the information and resources that the Institute provides.
Who Can Apply?

  • Students currently enrolled in grades 6 to 10 from anywhere in the United States.
  • Teachers, educators, and school counselors who currently teach or provide direct counsel in the United States to students in grades 6 to 11.
  • Parents and guardians of at least one student who is enrolled in grades 6 to 11 in the United States.
Request an Application

How?

Email NIDAadvisorygroups@iqsolutions.com to request an application; please specify which group you are interested in applying to.
Applications are due February 23, 2018. 
What should you expect? 
Groups will meet virtually a maximum of three times between March and November 2018. Each online meeting will last about 1 hour. Participants may also be asked to take online questionnaires throughout the 9-month period. Members will receive a $25 gift card for each virtual meeting they attend, and at the conclusion of the 9 months, participants will receive a certificate of recognition and appreciation.
We encourage all those eligible to apply!

Attached Documents:

A Toolkit To Start Substance Use Prevention In Elementary Schools
FASD Hidden In Plain Sight Flyer (details)
 MA SANE Pediatric SANE Nurse – Fall River MA
MNA Domestic and Sexual Violence training registration 2018 01(1)
 Racial Equity In School Health_flyer_Mar-May2018-rev
 Rx_Prevention_Latino Campaign_Summary_wSP Posts_Final.1.26.18
SHIELD DV-SV Course Training