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ED’s safe & supportive schools News |
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Kevin Jennings Assistant Deputy
Secretary |
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In This
Issue 1. New
Steps in Suicide Prevention--From the Desk of Kevin Jennings… 2. FY 2010 OSDFS Grants to Reduce
Alcohol Abuse (CFDA # 84.184A) Grant Awards 3. U.S. ED’s
OSDFS National Meeting on Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention in
Higher Education Highlights 4. October is
Domestic Violence Awareness Month—Resources and Materials 5. HHS’ CDC
Announces Applications for Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute,
Cohort Seven NOTE: The material The opinions expressed
herein may not always reflect the views of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free
Schools or the US Department of NOTE: If you are experiencing
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suggestions, please contact me at: [log in to unmask] David
Quinlan Editor |
NEW STEPS IN SUICIDE PREVENTION—FROM THE
DESK OF KEVIN JENNINGS… Last
Friday, September 10, was World Suicide Prevention Day. I was
privileged to be part of an event at the National Press Club for the National
Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, on whose Executive Committee I serve,
to launch this new public-private partnership to prevent these kinds of
tragedies. The
scale of the problem of suicide is immense. In the past year 1.1
million Americans attempted suicide and over 34,000 died, making suicide the
11th leading cause of death in the country, with someone dying
every 15 minutes. The problem is even more acute among youth: suicide
is the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 25-34 and the third
leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. 6.3% of U.S. high school
students attempted suicide in 2009, with girls being significantly more
likely to do so than boys (8.1% versus 4.6%, respectively).
However, because men are more likely to use guns than women (who are more
likely to use poison), when attempting suicide, males take their own lives at
four times the rate of females. Some groups are more at risk than
others: American Indians/Alaska Natives youth have suicide rates nearly
double the national average, and Hispanic and black high school girls are
nearly twice as likely as white girls to attempt suicide. For anyone
working with young people, suicide has to be a top concern. Fortunately,
there are resources and we CAN make a difference. Our colleagues at
HHS’ SAMSHA have established the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (http://www.sprc.org/index.asp), which
includes a host of invaluable resources on the subject. I hope you will
check it out. Suicide
is a preventable tragedy--let’s all do our part to stop this waste of lives. FY 2010 OSDFS GRANTS TO REDUCE
ALCOHOL ABUSE (CFDA 84.184A) GRANT AWARDS The purpose of the Grants to Reduce Alcohol
Abuse program is to provide resources for local educational agencies (LEAs)
to develop and implement innovative and effective alcohol abuse prevention
programs for secondary school students. Activities must include one or more
proven strategies for reducing underage alcohol abuse as determined by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Grantees
must provide an explanation of how activities that are not part of a
SAMHSA-approved program will be effective in reducing underage alcohol abuse. ALASKA--Q184A100015--Anchorage School
District, Project Director: Michael Kerosky Project IMPACT will embed evidence-based
alcohol abuse prevention curriculum in the Anchorage School District’s
program of studies, directly affecting close to 500 students per year. The
initiative will develop and teach a semester-long course that will interweave
several evidence-based programs, one of which is Positive Action. The course
also incorporates media literacy, experiential learning, peer education and
service learning. CALIFORNIA--Q184A100060--San Francisco
Unified School District, Project Director: Meyla Ruwin The project proposes to target middle
school students through an innovative approach with national significance.
The program will implement Project ALERT, peer education, and intensive
interventions for schools with highest rates of student alcohol abuse.
Family education will be provided in multiple languages and the project will
employ a web-based, citywide social media campaign to change peer perceptions
of alcohol. Q184A100060--Soledad Unified School
District—Project Director: Gary Johnson Soledad Unified School District has
developed Project SOAR (Soledad Organizing for Alcohol Reduction) to decrease
alcohol use and abuse among youth in grades 7-12. Project SOAR is based on a
social norms approach to prevention and will promote long term results by
changing the social norms surrounding underage drinking. The Project SOAR
solution represents a multi-layered, community-wide approach to alcohol abuse
prevention, including collaboration with community partners. MASSACHUSETTS--Q184A100013--Town of
Watertown Massachusetts--Project Director: Jean Fitzgerald The Watertown Healthy Youth Project will
enhance efforts to change the community norm that supports underage alcohol
use. The program will utilize the evidence-based curriculum LifeSkills as
well as Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol. A social norm
marketing campaign will round out this comprehensive approach. MAINE Q184A100124--Maine School Administrative
District 49--Project Director: Nora Murray This project will implement a coordinated
set of strategies to reduce alcohol use. These strategies will include
utilizing AlcoholEdu for High Schools; peer-to-peer social marketing
messages; changing community norms through parent education; increasing
referrals to assessment and treatment; and building capacity among faculty to
participate in harm reduction and asset building activities to change school
climate. 184A100125--Sanford School Department
--Project Director: Edward Rogowski The Sanford Public Schools in an alliance
with the Safe and Healthy Sanford Coalition will link goals to implement a
continuum of effective and innovative prevention strategies to impact its
students, families and community. The project will implement a multi-level,
comprehensive programmatic response to changing local norms and attitudes by
implementing AlcoholEdu and Reconnecting Youth. TEXAS--Q184A100036--Comal Independent
School District--Project Director: Kathy Williams The Comal Independent School District will
address the dangers of alcohol use and abuse by implementing the Comal
Alcohol Reduction Team (CART) program. CART will provide Class Action, an
evidenced-based universal substance abuse prevention program. To address the
needs of students who are at-risk and need more intensive services, CART will
implement Reconnecting Youth for those students who are beginning to engage
in risky behaviors. WISCONSIN--Q184A100137--Beaver Dam Unified School
District--Project Director: Lori Uttech This project proposes to work towards
systems integration to increase capacity to address need. Coordinators will
use several strategies to achieve this end. They are evidence-based
prevention programs, student assistance programming, substance abuse
counseling and social norms and educational outreach. For Complete Information, please go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/dvpalcoholabuse/2010awards.html U.S. ED’s OSDFS NATIONAL MEETING ON
ALCOHOL, DRUG ABUSE, AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS Register now for the National Meeting on
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention in Higher Education, October
18-20, 2010 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, National
Harbor, MD. If you have registered for the conference,
please reserve your room as soon as possible. For more information, visit www.osdfshigheredconference.com. Opening Day highlights include: Morning Plenary During the opening morning plenary session,
featured keynote speaker Dr. Eduardo Ochoa, assistant secretary, Office of
Postsecondary Education,will speak about the Obama Administration's higher
education policies and how they relate to alcohol and other drug abuse and
violence prevention. Presidents Panel The Presidents Panel members will discuss
how alcohol and other drug abuse and violence problems exist in a variety of
college and university settings and how they are trying to address them, the
challenges they face, and specific advice on how to engage senior
administrators on these issues. The Presidents Panel includes: • Dr. Jonathan C. Gibralter, Frostburg
State University • Dr. Johnnie B. Watson, LeMoyne-Owen
College • Dr. Ana M. Guzman, Palo Alto College • Dr. Kathleen Waldron, William Paterson
University Senior Administrators Forum The Senior Administrators Forum will
discuss legal cases and pressing issues senior administrators face. Featured
speakers include: ·
Peter Lake, Stetson University College of Law, and
author, Beyond Discipline, co-author, The Rights and Responsibilities of the
Modern University ·
Beverly Ledbetter, Vice President and General Counsel,
Brown University Day 2 highlights include: Gil Kerlikowske, Director, White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy, will deliver the keynote address. A panel of distinguished researchers and government
administrators will discuss trends and emerging issues in alcohol and other
drug abuse and violence prevention on college campuses. The panel includes:
Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney
General, U.S. Department of Justice, will deliver the keynote address during
the luncheon plenary. An Emerging Issues Forum, "Serving
Diverse Student Populations: Trends and Lessons in Alcohol and Other Drug
Abuse Prevention," as well as workshop and poster sessions,
will round out the agenda during the second day of the conference. OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH—RESOURCES
AND MATERIALS It
is not too early to prepare to observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month
(DVAM). Find out what your local community and installation are doing
to observe DVAM by contacting your Family Advocacy Program and Victim
Advocates. To locate military-specific domestic abuse resources and
public service announcements, visit Military OneSource and .MilitaryHOMEFRONT. Learn
from other organizations that are commemorating DVAM and addressing domestic
violence in communities nationwide: The National Domestic
Violence Hotline (NDVH) has received over two million
calls and is continuing to raise awareness through their Million Voices Campaign. The
campaign involves people and organizations across America that are willing to
educate, inform, and raise awareness about the problem of domestic violence
and provide helpful resources. The Domestic Violence
Awareness Project (DVAP), National Resource Center on Domestic Violence The Department of Justice
(DOJ) and the Office on Violence Against Women joins advocates,
survivors, and communities around the country to observe October as Domestic
Violence Awareness Month. The DOJ is a valuable resource in support of
efforts to prevent domestic violence, and provides a wealth of information on
domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, help for victims,
community resources, and other topics important to responding to
interpersonal violence. The DOJ Office for Victims of Crimes Training and Technical
Assistance Center provides comprehensive training resources
to victim service providers and allied health providers, including a calendar
of training opportunities and conferences across the country. Valuable
Resources: Collaborating for Safety:
Coordinating the Military and Civilian Response to Domestic Violence The Child Information
Gateway is a service of the Children's Bureau,
Administration for Children and Families, United States Department of Health
and Human Services. The Gateway provides a User Manual on Child Protection in
Families Experiencing Domestic Violence. This site also offers access to
print and electronic publications, websites, and online databases covering a
wide range of topics including child welfare, child abuse and neglect,
adoption, and search and reunion. ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization
that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents
in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Developmental and Therapeutic
Aspects of Treating Infants and Toddlers Who Have Witnessed Violence is
a case study analysis on the enduring developmental consequences of trauma in
early life. Safe Start Center
is an organization supporting parents and professionals working with children
who have been exposed to violence. The Safe Start Initiative is funded
by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office
of Justice Programs, within DOJ. The goal of the Initiative is to broaden the
knowledge of, and promote community investment in, evidence-based strategies
for reducing the impact of children's exposure to violence. The link below http://cs.mhf.dod.mil/content/dav/mhf/QOL-Library/MHF/257445.html
will
open up the Family Advocacy Program Special Announcement, "October is
Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)" in your browser. Find out
what your local community and installation are doing to observe DVAM, and
learn about the latest resources. HHS’ CDC ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, COHORT SEVEN Applications
are being accepted for the seventh cohort of CDC’s Environmental
Public Health Leadership Institute (EPHLI) from August 15,
2010, to October 31, 2010. EPHLI
application instructions and information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/ephli/application.htm.
EPHLI
Background In
December 2003, CDC convened a group of emerging leaders in environmental
public health to discuss workforce issues. This group recommended that CDC
develop and support a national leadership development program for
environmental public health professionals. In response to this recommendation
and several Institute of Medicine reports (The Future of Public Health:
Who Will Keep the Public Healthy?; The Future of the Public’s Health in the
21st Century) that identified the need to develop leaders in
public health, CDC created EPHLI. This leadership development program was
launched in 2005 and has helped to develop more than 180 environmental public
health leaders. EPHLI
identifies, trains, and assists in the development of environmental public
health leaders. Each year, the institute enhances the leadership and
problem-solving skills of approximately 30 environmental public health
practitioners. With these enhanced skills, practitioners are better able to
anticipate, recognize, and respond to environmental health threats. Questions? ·
Visit the CDC Web site (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/ephli).
·
Contact Maggie Byrne by e-mail at [log in to unmask]
(telephone: 770-488-0614).
·
Contact CAPT John Sarisky at [log in to unmask] (telephone: 770-488-4131). |
