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August 2014


CHDI Employment Opportunities
CHDI currently has two full-time positions available:

Data Analyst
The Data Analyst will work within the grant- and contract-funded projects at CHDI, including projects related to implementation of evidence-based behavioral health treatments for children exposed to traumatic events. Candidates must be proficient in database management, data analysis, and reporting, including SPSS and Microsoft Excel. For the full position description and qualification requirements, click here.

Senior Associate (Doctoral-level Position)
The Senior Associate will work on multiple initiatives focused on implementation of evidence-based practices for children, predominantly on trauma-focused practices. CHDI is the Coordinating Center for multiple implementation, training, and quality improvement programs focused on improving the care for children exposed to traumatic events. For the full position description and qualification requirements, click here.

Training for Pediatricians: Lead Poisoning Screening and Treatment
Although often thought of as a disease from the past, lead poisoning continues to contribute to learning and behavior problems for the children of Connecticut. CHDI's Educating Practices In the Community (EPIC) is a free training program for pediatric providers and now offers "Lead Poisoning Screening and Treatment: Applying the Law to Protect Children". This module helps primary care providers comply with the law and help families affected by lead poisoning. Providers interested in any of our 15 trainings can contact Maggy Morales at [email protected] or click here to learn more.

Vanderploeg Updates General Assembly on State's Behavioral Health Plan 
Jeff Vanderploeg joined DCF Commissioner Katz and others on July 24th at a joint meeting of the General Assembly's Appropriations and Children's committees. They presented progress to date on the development of the State's behavioral health plan for children as mandated by PA-13-178. For more information about the plan, visit www.plan4children.org. To read a Hartford Courant article on this topic, click here.

Mental Health Needs in Fairfield County and Beyond
Judith Meyers spoke about children's mental health in Connecticut as part of a June panel discussion entitled "Mental Health Needs in Fairfield County and Beyond." She highlighted the need to actively promote mental health for all children - beginning at birth, in addition to addressing mental illness more effectively. Other panelists included: State Representative Terrie Wood, Sherry Perlstein, President & CEO of the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut and Nancy von Euler, Program Director of Fairfield County's Community Foundation. Click here for the video of the discussion.

CHDI Awards Grants for Discovery Initiative
With funds from the Children's Fund of Connecticut (CFC), CHDI is collaborating with the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund (WCGMF) and the CT Office of Early Childhood to award grants to communities. The grants are part of WCGMF's Discovery Initiative which supports communities in building early childhood systems that ensure early learning success for children age birth to eight. Since 2008, the Children's Fund of Connecticut and CHDI have provided funding and technical assistance to support the health aspects of the initiative. In July these funds were distributed to 33 communities for their second year of funding under a two year grant.

Issue Brief on Treating Childhood Asthma
Our July 31st Issue Brief entitled "Communication Barriers in Treating Childhood Asthma" discusses the link between effective asthma plan communication and health outcomes for Hispanic families with language barriers. It highlights the INSPIRAR project led by Antonio Riera (Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Yale), which identifies and addresses communication barriers in asthma care including the development of asmaplan.com, a website for Spanish speaking parents. The project was supported by a two year Child Health Innovation Grant Award from the Children's Fund of Connecticut and the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. Click here for the Issue Brief.

CHDI in the News

Judith Meyers was quoted in a CT Mirror article about the children's mental health crisis in Connecticut hospital emergency departments. Click here for the article.

Lisa Honigfeld was quoted in a C-Hit article about medical homes. She emphasized the importance of care coordination to connect children and families to mental health and other services. Click here for the article.

Jeff Vanderploeg was mentioned in a Hartford Courant article about the progress of the children's behavioral health plan presented at a public hearing on July 24. Click here for the article. Vanderploeg was a panelist at the TeenTalk Summit in Stamford, presented by Kids in Crisis. Click here to read an article about the event.
Child Health and Development Institute
860.679.1519 | [email protected]
www.chdi.org

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