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2017 Annual Meeting

September 12–14, 2017

Aurora, Colorado

The links below contained detailed information for the upcoming 2017 Safe States Alliance Annual Meeting, taking place September 12-14, 2017 in Aurora, Colorado.

Please note:

Injury Free NC Academy: Increasing local capacity to prevent violence using a shared risk and protective factor approach

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 3:00 PM–4:15 PM MDT
Conference Room 1
Learning Objectives

1. Describe the Injury Free NC Academy approach to increasing local capacity to prevent multiple forms of violence, "connect the dots", and implement evidence-based/informed interventions

2. Name the six key strength areas that Injury Free NC Academy focuses on to prevent violence

3. Describe challenges Injury Free NC Academy planners have faced when encouraging local coalitions to shift their violence prevention approach upstream and focus primary prevention efforts on increasing protection against and decreasing risk of violence

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Injury Free NC Academy is to prepare community-based coalitions engaged or interested in implementing evidence based strategies to address shared risk and protective factors to prevent violence in North Carolina.

Methods/Approach

The NC Division of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch in close partnership with the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center is taking a new approach to build capacity among local coalitions in NC by focusing Injury Free NC Academy trainings on a shared risk and protective factor approach to prevent multiple forms of violence. Based off of the CDC Connecting the Dots document and PreventViolenceNC.org, the Academy provides team-based training of proven public health skills in injury prevention to multidisciplinary groups, as well as technical assistance, coaching, and the opportunity to work with a growing network of colleagues on common goals. Teams are prepared to implement evidence-based violence prevention strategies and supported along the way. 

Results

The Academy’s reach and impact extends much beyond the training sessions, geographically and over time. Teams participating in the Injury-Free Academy gain needed skills and knowledge to implement evidence-based strategies with efficacy and fidelity; and build relationships with supporting agencies and colleagues in the field that in turn assist with implementation, evaluation, and sustaining these programs in their local communities. Teams focus on six key strengths to prevent multiple forms of violence: community, school, parent-child connectedness, healthy social and emotional development, economic stability and opportunity, and healthy gender norms. Issues around structural violence and institutionalized racism are also discussed. 

Conclusions & Significance to the Field

Rather than focusing on the prevention of individual injury outcomes (e.g. poisoning, suicide, motor vehicle crashes, etc.) and perpetuating a siloing of efforts, the Injury Free NC Academy tries to shift collective effort upstream to increase local capacity to collaboratively address contributing risk and protective factors for multiple forms of violence. 

Presenters

Ms. Nidhi Sachdeva, MPH, NC Division of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch
Biography

Nidhi Sachdeva is an Injury Prevention Consultant in the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch of the North Carolina Division of Public Health (DPH) where she leads strategic planning, partnership development, and local capacity building for injury and violence prevention efforts around the state. She has worked in public health in various capacities and levels for the past 13 years within government (local and state) and public research universities. At the DPH, she works directly with local health departments to provide technical assistance on evidence-based strategies, training, and support for various injury and violence prevention topics, including sexual violence, suicide, falls, TBI, motor vehicle crashes, and drug poisoning and overdose. Nidhi holds a Masters of Public Health in Health Behavior from the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Ms. Eva Bland, UNC Chapel Hill
Biography

Eva Bland has served in a digital communications capacity for different public health organizations for the past 6 years throughout NC. Eva focuses on supporting community-based programs that address critical wellness issues and promoting best practice in communication efforts around preventive health and wellness. Eva brings a deep knowledge of online communications and marketing. She is currently enrolled in the Communication and Technology graduate program through UNC Chapel Hill’s Media Journalism School. As communications specialist for the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center, she works as the lead facilitator in the delivery of trainings that translate scientific findings around injury prevention into programs, media, and practice. Her focus is on supporting and promoting best practice in digital communication efforts around injury prevention and bridging the gap between digital communications and health promotion.

Co-Authors

Primary Contact

Ms. Nidhi Sachdeva, MPH, NC Division of Public Health
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