Alaska's SPF SIG e-Newsletter

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July 2013

In This Issue

• A warm hello to Michael, AICS Wrangell
• We need your thoughts on training!
• Interesting article
• Welcome to Kelley, UAA Evaluation Team
• Fall grantee conference
• Quarterly cohort call
• “Media Campaigns” Link
• Next Month’s Newsletter

A warm hello to Michael, AICS Wrangell

Michael Brown recently joined the Wrangell-Petersburg SPF SIG Team as their Evaluator. He describes himself as an “inveterate optimist” knowing that there is “always a solution, always a way forward, especially when other people, who provide the synergy of diversity, are involved.” Having a Master’s degree in clinical social work and finishing one in applied sociology, Michael brings a unique set of skills to his SPF SIG Team. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and playing music. He and his wife are originally from Taos, New Mexico. He is looking forward to learning to kayak, as well as learning how to avoid bears!

We need your thoughts on training!

The Community Prevention Support Team is conducting a short survey to support the development of a training plan for this next year. Your SPF SIG Project Director will be (or already has) sent you a link to a short survey to identify the type of training and support you want over the next year. We appreciate your taking the time to complete this. The survey link can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SPF_SIG_Training

Interesting article

This article, shared by Diane Castro, contains a detailed graph that identifies the effectiveness and the strength of evidence as it relates to over 45 different policy strategies. For example, you can see whether graduated driver license laws are more effective with the youth population than a prohibition against furnishing alcohol to minors. Check it out! Efficacy and the Strength of Evidence of U.S. Alcohol Policies (Located on the SPF SIG website under Tools + Resources/Step 3, Planning/Additional Resources)

Welcome to Kelley, UAA Evaluation Team

Kelley Tompkins, the newest member of SPF SIG’s Evaluation Team, is a research assistant at the University of Alaska’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services. She was born in Mississippi, but was raised in Anchorage for most of her life. After earning her Bachelors from The Ohio State University, she returned to Alaska. She just received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from UAA and is starting the UAA-UAF Ph.D. program this fall. She enjoys training for triathlons and races, as well as camping, doing crafts and reading. Kelley has an identical twin who works for the State of Alaska. She is looking forward to meeting all of you as she works on this project!

Fall grantee conference

September 17 – 19
Save the dates!! Planning for the fall grantee conference is well underway! So far we know that (1) Day 1 will address Positive Community Norms with opportunities for a few grantees to participate in the full certification during Days 2 and 3 and (2) a featured presentation by Jean Kilbourne. The State is currently finalizing their plans and will be sharing details soon!

Jean Kilbourne is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on the image of women in advertising and for her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising. In the late 1960s she began her exploration of the connection between advertising and several public health issues, including violence against women, eating disorders, and addiction and launched a movement to promote media literacy as a way to prevent these problems. According to Susan Faludi, “Jean Kilbourne’s work is pioneering … We owe her a great debt.” Mary Pipher has called Kilbourne “our best, most compassionate teacher.”

Quarterly cohort call

August 27, 1:00
A quarterly cohort call for all grantees and coalitions will be held at 1:00 on August 27th. The call-in number will be 1-866-808-9478, code 2184.

“Media Campaigns” Link

For those of you wishing to view the “Media Campaigns” webinar that took place on April 30, 2013, you will find the link here:

https://learn.aero.und.edu/index.asp

Username: generic_media_campaigns

Password: simple123. Please do not change the password as you will lock everyone else out!

Other resources from this webinar are on the Alaska SPF SIG website under Tools and Resources, Step 4: Implementation.

Next Month’s Newsletter

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this newsletter. Please send any information you would like to share in the next newsletter to Agnew::Beck. We appreciate your contributions!