Melissa Comstock attended DHSS’s State Health Assessment (SHA) listening session hosted in Kirksville. During this event, the state’s facilitator shared critical information about the current health status of different Missouri communities.
This training covered essential knowledge and skills for early-career prevention professionals in the field of substance use prevention. It introduced prevention science, including theories, models, and techniques, along with foundational knowledge on substance use disorders and ethical practice.
MOCPHE board members, leadership, and partners attended the annual National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) conference in D.C. where we were able to engage with other PHIs across the country, learn about their role in addressing public health needs in the state, and how they collaborated with each other!
MOCPHE board members, leadership, staff, and partners were able to travel to Topeka, KS to meet with the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) for our first site visit! We spent a day and a half in great conversations, reflection, and resource sharing. This was a critical visit for MOCPHE as we journey through our institute building efforts!
Allie Bodin was able to attend a regional conference of the Mobile Healthcare Association hosted in St. Louis! She shared a presentation focused on her work with Jefferson County and their work to provide data-driven, placed-based care through their mobile medical unit.
Allie and the team from the Jefferson County Health Department working on their opioid surveillance dashboard were able to travel to D.C. to meet with NACCHO and others doing similar work. This was an excellent opportunity to engage with peers and learn more about different local innovations for opioid overdose prevention.
This event Leah attended brought together representatives from behavioral health, law enforcement, public health, and community care to exchange information on ongoing efforts and strategize future opportunities for enhancing support to individuals facing mental health and substance use emergencies.
These trainings explored the prevalence and impact of trauma on brain development, focusing on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their long-term effects on social and emotional health outcomes. It prompted participants to examine the underlying causes of certain behaviors in public health and encouraged a shift in perspective towards serving communities through a trauma-informed lens.
