Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health Friday notes

October 17, 2014

In this issue

MI-AIMH, MDCH, DHS Develop Policy Revision for Babies in Foster Care

MDCH, Physicians Urge Residents to Vaccinate Against Influenza

MI-AIMH, MDCH, DHS Develop Policy Revision for Babies in Foster Care

Separation from parents or caregivers can be particularly traumatic for infants and toddlers - threatening their emotional, social, physical and intellectual development.
With that in mind, the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) announced this week a joint policy statement that calls for child welfare workers to take into account the importance of infants' attachment relationships as they make decisions about foster care or permanent homes.
The state agency and the advocacy group for infant mental health also agreed to best practice recommendations for handling placements of babies.
The policy and recommendations call for mitigating the effects of separation by:

Placing infants and toddlers with foster parents who are interested in adoption if the babies are not expected to be unified with their parents.Providing babies with familiar objects from their homes - such as a blanket, sheet or teddy bear - to ease the transition by providing a sense of security.Providing services by infant mental health specialists as needed.Maintaining connections between foster parents, adoptive parents and the baby if the baby is adopted after developing an attachment to foster parents.

Representatives from DHS, MI-AIMH, the Michigan Department of Community Health and State Court Administrative Office developed the policy and recommendations.
"Scientific study has confirmed that secure and stable attachment relationships provide the foundation for healthy development across the life span," said Deborah Weatherston, executive director of MI-AIMH, an MCMCH member organization. "It is every baby's birthright to experience care that is nurturing and leads to an attachment relationship that promotes social and emotional health. To the extent that we as clinicians and policymakers can support the growth of early attachments through our work with or on behalf of infants and toddlers in foster care, it is our shared responsibility to do so."
In 2013, 32 percent of the children entering foster care in Michigan were under age 3. Infants who are less than three months old when entering foster care remain in care 50 percent longer than older children and are far more likely to be adopted rather than reunified with their biological parents.

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MDCH, Physicians Urge Residents to Vaccinate Against Influenza; State Confirms First Cases

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) along with the Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) and Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS), are urging all Michigan residents to protect themselves against influenza and its potentially life-threatening consequences by getting vaccinated. The MDCH Bureau of Laboratories has recently confirmed three cases of influenza, the first identified by the state laboratory for the 2014-2015 Michigan flu season.
One case has been confirmed as an influenza A(H1N1) 2009 virus, one as an influenza A(H3N2) virus, and one as an influenza B virus. All are adults and two were hospitalized.
In Michigan, there were three influenza-associated pediatric deaths during the 2013-2014 influenza season, which was a decrease from the seven reported deaths during 2012-2013. However, flu vaccination rates remain low, especially among young adults. During the 2013-2014 season, only 10.1 percent of individuals 18-24 years of age were vaccinated against the flu.
The flu is a contagious and sometimes life-threatening respiratory virus, especially for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions. Everyone six months of age and older should get a flu vaccine each year; vaccination is the first and most important step to protect against the flu.
It is recommended that all residents over six months of age receive the flu vaccination as soon as the vaccine is available to receive the most protection against the virus all season long. However, if you miss getting your vaccine in the fall, remember it is not too late to protect yourself against the virus during the rest of the flu season, which often lasts late into the spring.
For more information about vaccinations in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/immunize and www.michigan.gov/flu. To find a vaccine near you, visit http://vaccine.healthmap.org/.

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Contributors to this Issue HealthDay Maternal and Child Health Library MDCH __________________________________________________________

Quick Links . . .

SCHA-MI Seeks Executive Director The School-Community Health Alliance of Michigan (SCHA-MI) is seeking an executive director with a strategic management style and the strong business acumen necessary to energize, organize and propel school-based health centers forward. SCHA-MI is the unifying voice for school-based and school-linked health centers and it advocates on their behalf; educating the public, elected officials, funders and key stakeholders on the importance of this critical health care delivery model. Full job posting available here. ___________________________________________________________________________  Mercy Hospital Cadillac Offers 21st Annual OB Conference Nov. 6-7  Mercy Hospital Cadillac's 21 Annual OB Conference--Perinatal Mood Disorders Components of Care; Two-day Certificate Training--will be held at the Cadillac Grill in Cadillac Nov. 6 and 7. Sponsored by Postpartum Support International, featured Speakers are Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN, MA, CLC; Wendy Davis, PhD.; and Dr. Maria Muzik, MD, MS. Download a registration brochure here.  ___________________________________________________________________________  Health Endowment Board Announces Final Listening Tour Dates  The Michigan Health Endowment Fund board is conducting a listening tour to gain a deeper understanding of the health issues confronting Michigan residents, and to familiarize the public with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The listening tour sessions will be an opportunity for participants to respond to questions about health concerns in their community, the barriers preventing people from achieving good health, and approaches that are working well to improve the health and well-being of children and the elderly. Requests for funding are not being accepted at this time. Members of the general public and representatives of health-related organizations are invited to attend. Each session will begin with a presentation by a Michigan Health Endowment Fund board member, followed by facilitated discussion in response to structured questions. The agenda for the listening tour sessions and registration can be found here.

The remaining tour dates and locations are: October 20, UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, Detroit; agenda November 2, Salvation Army Kroc Community Center, Grand Rapids; agenda ___________________________________________________________________________ Column Compares Ebola Scare with Anti-Vaccination Risks

Mlive.com had a column--"So You're Afraid of Ebola. Do You Vaccinate Your Kids?--this week examining the many risks of not vaccinating compared with the coverage of ebola risks.

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Care Coordination Empowering Families Training on Nov 13 in Lansing The Region 4 Midwest Genetics Collaborative is hosting a Care Coordination: Empowering Families training on Thursday, November 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Lansing. This particular training is open to any parent or legal guardian of a child (birth-18) who has been diagnosed or identified as having a genetic condition. The purpose of the training is to help parents learn some tips and skills to better coordinate care for their child. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided and participants will receive a $150 gift card at the end of the day to help with mileage and childcare costs.

Seating is limited to 10 spots for this training so interested parents are encouraged to apply quickly. More information and online registration available here.