MCHB Annual Federal/State Partnership Meeting

Call for Abstracts - Due June 15, 2007

The Maternal and Child Health Bureau is now accepting abstracts for their Annual Federal/State Partnership Meeting, Building Blocks 4 Promising Practice Models.  Deadline for submitting abstracts is June 15, 2007.  This is a two and half day meeting of the State Maternal and Child Health, Children with Special Health Care Needs, and State Systems Initiative Directors, from the 59 States and jurisdictions as well as the Bureau staff.  Submit your abstracts to Florence Ondagkara by email only.

Goal and Objectives for the 2007 MCH Federal/State Partnership Meeting: Building Blocks 4 Promising Practice Models

This conference will introduce the concept of “promising practice models” for improving maternal and child health for 4 groups addressed by maternal and child health programs:  (1) women of childbearing age and infants; (2) children and youth; (3) children with special health care needs; and (4) families.  Plenary and breakout sessions will present existing promising practice models directed towards these 4 segments of the maternal and child health population and a wide spectrum of current and emerging maternal and child health issues.  Conference attendees will have the opportunity to identify promising practice models that have the potential to enhance maternal and child health outcomes in their State and to partner with maternal and child health experts who have experience with those models through peer-to-peer technical assistance.  At the conclusion of the conference, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the concept of promising models for practice and training, identify core elements that allow promising models to be duplicated, search for promising models in a particular area of interest based on defined criteria, and better understand how to implement promising models in their own State.Apply the concept of promising models for practice and training to maternal and child health programs, activities, and systems of care directed towards 4 segments of the maternal and child health population:  (1) women of childbearing age and infants; (2) children and youth; (3) children with special health care needs; and (4) families.  Develop strategies to improve effective community partnerships to address the system of care for at least one of the four segments defined above.
2. Identify models that reduce health disparities by increasing access to high quality and culturally competent health care.
3. Identify models that promote health and safety and reduce illness, injury and/or death for the MCH population.
4. Identify models that combine public and private resources to promote environments where healthy and safe behaviors can be developed and maintained.
5. Identify ways to include families and others who are the focus of MCH initiatives in the planning, program delivery, and evaluation of promising models for practice and training.
6. Initiate the process of partnering with experts, through peer-to-peer technical assistance, who have experience with promising models for practice and training that have the potential to enhance maternal and child health outcomes in their State.

Many of the presentations are video taped and viewed online; presenters who do not want to be videoed must indicate in writing.  

Proposals must include the following to be considered for review:

• Proposal type: Plenary Session, Breakout, or roundtable

• Preliminary title of session and name of primary and any other presenters
• Short description of proposed session (300 word limit) and how it links to goals and objectives.
• Biographical sketch for presenters
• Contact information for presenters
• Tools that can be used by States for TA

Breakout sessions are 90 minutes long and in some cases repeated.  The number of Plenary Sessions are limited.