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National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention

Current E-Newsletter Issue

May 2013

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NEWS FROM THE CENTER

 

POST-TRAUMA RESOURCES

In light of the tornado in Oklahoma last week, we would like to remind you that there are resources available on our Crisis Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Resource Center website to support those affected by natural disasters and other traumatic events.

Project LAUNCH Introduces New Video

This moving video tells the story of the first five years of Project LAUNCH. The video presents data and stories exemplifying how Project LAUNCH has transformed state, community, and Tribal young child wellness systems across the United States. You can download a copy or watch the video online.

We’re on Twitter!

The National Center is now on Twitter! Follow @PromotePrevent for the latest news, research, funding opportunities, resources, and more.

COMMUNICATIONS CORNER

When you’re considering delivery channels for communicating your message to your intended audiences, an important element is variety.

Using a combination of different delivery channels will not only provide more opportunities for your message to be heard, it will also give more people the opportunity to hear your message in the place, time, and manner that appeals to them.

Finding the Right Mix

There are three general types of delivery channels:

  • Interpersonal: Communication that happens between individuals—one-on-one communication. Examples of this channel:
    • Doctor to patient
    • Teacher to parent
    • Teacher to child
    • Advocate to school administrator
  • Organizational and community: Communication that occurs between an individual and an organization or community group in the target audience’s area or experience. Examples of this channel:
    • Churches
    • Schools
    • Employers
    • Clinics
    • Libraries
    • Nonprofit organizations
  • Mass media: Communication that comes from the mass media. It is less personal, but it reaches a wider audience. Examples of this channel:
    • Television
    • Radio
    • Newspapers
    • Magazines
    • Websites
    • Social media

The idea is to reach people with your message “where they are,” enabling them to hear the message from a source or sources they trust.

When deciding on your mix of channels, refer to the work you did in Step 3 of the Communications Planning Model: Identifying Intended Audiences. What you learned about your audiences will give you insight into how they like to receive information and the sources they trust.

Frequency and Timing

Two additional things to consider are frequency (how often you should send your message) and timing (when you should deliver your message). There may be particular days or times of day when you are more likely to reach your audience and when they may be more receptive. Again, what you’ve learned about your audiences and their listening habits will help you make an informed decision.

Resources

For a refresher on the Communications Planning Model and how delivery channels fit into the full picture, review “Communication Planning for Sustainability” and “The 8-Step Communication Planning Model” on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students website.

If you'd like to talk more specifically about how this topic relates to your site, please reach out to your TAS or to Communications Specialist Adrienne Dealy at AdrienneDealy@mac.com, 512/922-3725.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Join the Coalition for Community Schools in celebrating and advocating for community schools that go above and beyond in creating positive outcomes for their students and communities. Learn how to get involved, or share your own plans for Education Day.
Sponsor: Coalition for Community Schools

Date: June 5–6, 2013

ADDRESSING CULTURAL & LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE

Poverty as a Childhood Disease by Perri Klass, M.D.
Poverty has a negative impact on children’s capacity to learn—it can limit language skills and create achievement gaps. Childhood poverty also increases the risk of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, substance abuse, and mental illness. This New York Times article details the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that pediatricians address poverty at the national level, rather than trying to mitigate its consequences on case-by-case basis. According to Klass, new research indicates that childhood poverty exposes children to “toxic stress.” Says Klass, “[When] this level of stress is experienced at an early age, it may actually reset the neurological and hormonal systems, permanently affecting children’s brains and even their genes.”

 

SS/HS IN THE NEWS

The SS/HS Amarillo project director weighs in on how student participation in a film festival empowers them to help their peers and the community.

 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Funder: U.S. Administration for Children and Families
Deadline: June 28, 2013
Available Funds: $200,000
 

Training Opportunities

Funder: Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute
Deadline: June 20, 2013
Description:This weeklong intensive program is designed to provide training for those who seek to promote better outcomes for youth who are involved in multiple systems, through integration and collaboration.

 

RESOURCES

This annual study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the MetLife Foundation tracks the elaborate and complex attitudes that teens have toward drugs. It examines the reasons that adolescents use drugs, and looks at trends in the use of marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, ecstasy, cocaine/crack, inhalants, methamphetamine, over-the-counter medicine, and prescription drugs, including gender differences in the use of these substances.
 

For more new resources, visit the National Center’s SS/HS website: http://sshs.promoteprevent.org/sshs-resources