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In this episode, host Mighty Fine is live with attendees at the Safe States 2025  Annual Conference held virtually this year. Hear how they are "Rising Up and Branching Out" in their injury and violence prevention work through networking, attending sessions and getting involved during the three day conference held September 9-11 online.

Guests include:

• Lisa Roth, Deputy Director, University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center
• Dilenny Roca, Program Manager, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Medical Center
• Stacey Pinto, Trauma Injury Prevention & Outreach Coordinator at Good Samaritan University Hospital
• Scott Proescholdbell, Epidemiologist/Manager at North Carolina Division of Public Health
• Amy Schlotthauer, Founding Principal, AES Consulting
• Joanne Miles-Holmes, Injury Prevention Program Administrator, New Hampshire Department Health & Human Services
• Tracy Mehan, Director of Research Translation & Communication, Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Victoria Broussard, Senior Project Officer, Health Resources in Action
• Lynnsey O'Rourke, Program Coordinator, Safe States Alliance
• Jessica Ritter, Safe Kids PA Office Coordinator, American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division

Musical transition credit: Pixabay "Conga-man Groove" by Miyagisama

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In this episode, host Mighty Fine along with cohost Deltavier Robertson speak with guests from the Future Healers program from Kentucky and Sources of Strength program from Wisconsin that received seed grants from Safe States this year for injury and violence prevention programming. 

The Future Healers program is focused on building stronger bridges between the Louisville health care community and our city’s youth most impacted by gun violence. Our goal is to introduce more youth to the field of medicine while helping them navigate through the emotional trauma that stems from the increasing violence currently plaguing their communities. Through compassion, mentorship, and advocacy, this program will do its part to uplift and empower our city’s young individuals to aspire for better futures for themselves and for the communities in which they reside.

Social Media:

[email protected]      @futurehealersky (Instagram)

[email protected]                https://www.instagram.com/2xgamechangers/

The Sources of Strength program at CESA6 equips students with trusting peer networks that create a mentally healthy atmosphere while also providing suicide, violence, and bullying prevention methods to best support student well-being. It allows staff to grow in awareness of strength-based solutions to enhance student resilience.

Social Media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cesa6/   https://www.instagram.com/cesa6wi/

Member Feature: Mac Parkman Foundation

Our Mission

The Mac Parkman Foundation is committed to raising awareness on the impact that Repeated Head Impacts (RHI) and Repeated Blast Exposure (RBE) have on the brain and mental health of children, athletes and veterans.

We aim to improve societal brain health by promoting education, early diagnosis, and innovative treatments to reduce and mitigate the long-term effects of subconcussive trauma to include mental illness and suicidality while promoting brain health as a priority for medical as well as psychological education and care.

Through advocacy and community engagement with parental, scientific, medical, psychological, sports and legislative communities as well as non-profit organizations focused on brain and mental health, we strive to create a safer environment in sports and military service, improving treatment for those athletes and veterans affected, and to ensure a healthier future for all.

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In this INbetween episode, host Mighty Fine provides some insight into the upcoming "Virtual" Safe States Annual Conference which will be held September 9-11, 2025 online using the Whova app. Participants can expect an agenda packed full of sessions, activities, networking opportunities, gameification and so much more. Listen in to hear Mighty share some of the details about the agenda and activities planned for the upcoming Safe States conference and if you haven't registered, please visit www.safestates.org to get signed up!

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In this episode, host Mighty Fine talks with Safe States staff Eva Bland and Catherine Guerrero about the upstream prevention work happening among Safe States members. Also, they share resources available on the Safe States website to assist those working on upstream prevention work.

RESOURCES:

https://www.safestates.org/page/MappingOutIVP

https://www.safestates.org/page/ConnectionsLab

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In this episode, Safe States Executive Director Sharon Gilmartin is the guest host and talks with Allison Arwady, Director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. To kick off the conversation, Dr. Arwady shares that the CDC has recently released 2024 provisional drug overdose death data that highlights a nearly 27% decrease in predicted deaths from the previous year's data and is seen in 48 states nationwide. Dr. Arwady credits changes in drug use, public health investments, and interventions along with community coordination and collaboration in the successful effort to reduce deaths from drug overdoses. During their conversation, they also discuss public health infrastructure, prevention strategies, and the role the CDC's Injury Center plays in these including the importance of the programs they offer. 

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In this episode, host Mighty Fine talks with guests Christina Ore from Seven Directions and Chris Tallbear from the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) about the collaborative work they are doing through their public health infrastructure grant funding received from the CDC. This work, in partnership with Safe States Alliance, is allowing them to provide opioid overdose prevention activities and education through training, technical assistance, and evaluation to both those in Tribes and those who work with Tribes.

Seven Directions

National Network of Public Health Institutes

Resources:

https://www.indigenousphi.org/our-publications

• Models of Tribal Promising Practices Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention Care Coordination and Data Systems
• An Environmental Scan of Tribal Opioid Overdose Prevention Responses: Community-based Strategies and Public Health Data Structure
• Seven Directions’ Indigenous Evaluation Toolkit Training & Supplemental Briefs

https://www.indigenousphi.org/isdoh/about

• Indigenous Determinants of Health

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Host Mighty Fine talks with guest Jessica Ritter about the despair and hope many working in public health are feeling following the April 2025 cuts to the CDC and HHS workforce. 

Jessica references different resources she has found helpful:

"Learning from the 60's" in Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

"Feminist Survival Project" podcast by Emily Nagoski, especially the episode "An Alternative to Hope"

Big Bear Bald Eagle Nest Cam: https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/eagles/

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In this episode, guest hosts Sharon Gilmartin, Safe States Executive Director, and Paul Bonta, Director of Government Relations, discuss Advocacy Day, which took place on March 20, 2025. Paul shares why it is so important for Safe States members and partners to participate in Advocacy Day, especially this year.

Christa Thelen, Safe States Program Manager, interviews participants at Advocacy Day in Washington DC on March 20th to have them share their experience about the day.

Brandon Neath, Safe States, Government Relations Manager, shares policy-related resources at the end of the episode for listeners to check out on the Safe States website (www.safestates.org). These include: the Injury and Violence Prevention Network and the Policy Fellows Program.

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In this INbetween episode, host Mighty Fine talks about policy tools and resources available on the Safe States website (www.safestates.org). These include funding briefs, Congressional priorities, and other resources available to individuals to assist in advocacy efforts in their IVP work. As Safe States gears up for Advocacy Day on March 20, 2025 - these tools and resources will be helpful to prepare for meetings with legislators, etc. to share the importance of injury and violence prevention work and advocate for funding of programs in all 50 states.

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In this episode, host Mighty Fine talks with Tracy Mehan, Director of Research Translation and Communication, about artificial intelligence (AI) and how individuals use it every day, whether we realize it or not, in our work and lives. She provides insights and examples of AI use in injury and violence prevention (IVP) work while also giving some tips and recommendations on what to watch out for while using it to ensure quality in our work.