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Health Fundamentals

October 2010
Sections: News | Funding and Resources | Events

News

Fit for Kansas Kids RFP meets with high interest

As of the September 30th deadline, the Health Ministry Fund received 39 grant proposals under its 2010 Fit for Kansas Kids Request for Proposals (RFP). The proposals received represent approximately $2.5 million in requests; the RFP will award a total of at least $500,000 grant funds to successful applicant collaboratives for projects to prevent obesity in young children through increased physical activity and healthful nutrition.

Proposals will be reviewed by the Fit for Kansas Kids grant selection committee and grant awards will be determined by the Health Fund Board of Trustees no later than November 15th, with funding available starting January 1, 2011.

As the Fit for Kansas Kids RFP winds down for 2010, a new RFP for projects supporting young children's mental health through improved rates of screening, identification, and referral for very young children is just starting up. See the related article in "Funding and Resources" below for more details of the new RFP.

KPHA offering grants supporting community-level breastfeeding efforts

The Kansas Public Health Association, Topeka, using a grant of $150,000 from the Health Fund, is soliciting proposals for community-level work on improving breastfeeding initiation and duration. The individual grants of up to $10,000 will be made to county public health departments and their partners. Public health departments would serve as the lead agencies, but project work should include partners (academic institutions, hospitals, medical practices, individuals, local organizations, and others) who could receive a share of funds. Collaboration is encouraged for a successful application.

More information about the offering, including resources and tips for applying, is available on the KPHA website at www.khpa.us. The application deadline is November 1st.

Health Fund announces new grant awards

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is pleased to announce several new grant awards to improve the health of Kansans.

A grant of $109,568 has been awarded to the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition to expand the national Business Case for Breastfeeding initiative in Kansas. The initiative is aimed at improving worksite support to enable breastfeeding employees to continue breastfeeding their infants after returning to work.

With the grant, the Coalition will offer five training opportunities each of two years to equip an estimated 200 local lactation educators and other community partners to assist local employers in implementing or improving lactation support programs. The grant also supports other resources for advocates and businesses to improve worksite policies and practices related to breastfeeding.

The grant is part of the Health Fund's focus on healthy lifestyles for young children. In announcing the grant, foundation president Kim Moore said "Studies link breastfeeding not only with children's healthy weight and development, but also with a number of other positive health outcomes for mothers and babies, so supporting breastfeeding in Kansas is a good investment in health."

A grant of $17,824 has been awarded to the Jefferson County Alliance of Service Councils to expand its Lakeside Village Health Initiative. In 2009, the Alliance established a monthly free health clinic for the underserved and uninsured of Jefferson County. With the grant, a part-time staff position is being established to facilitate the current clinic's work and planned expansion activities.

The Health Fund will support the tenth Kansas Mission of Mercy event with a grant of $15,000. This free dental clinic is scheduled to be held in Hutchinson at the Kansas State Fairgrounds on January 21 and 22, 2011. Organizers expect up to 1,800 individuals will receive dental care during the two-day event. Volunteer dentists, hygienists, and other support personnel will staff mobile dental operatories and provide care on a first-come, first-served basis. Treatment includes cleanings, fillings, and extractions for children and adults. The first nine KMOM events have provided 17,500 patients with dental care valued at more than $8.5 million.

Community Catalyst in Boston will develop and facilitate a Kansas-specific, two-day educational and planning conference to assist consumer advocates and other key stakeholders in preparing for health reform implementation. Planned for December 2010, the conference will assist advocates and partners in determining priorities for Kansas implementation and advocacy engagement within the framework set by the federal health reform legislation. Kansas Health Consumer Coalition, Topeka, will assist with outreach and meeting planning. The work is supported by a Health Fund grant of $71,435.

 

Funding and Resources

Health Fund announces new mental health Request for Proposals

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund has issued a new Request for Proposals for projects to improve the mental health of young children in Kansas.

Mental health is at the very foundation of a child's readiness for interacting with the world and achieving success in school. Healthy social and emotional development may be difficult to define, but is a joy to behold -- babies who smile and respond to your attention, toddlers who explore their world with courage and wide-eyed curiosity, young children who share toys and games. Loving, consistent relationships with parents and caregivers create the ideal environment for healthy growth. Early toxic stress -- such as that caused by difficult family situations, violence, or loss -- may short-circuit the development of important skills and abilities for relating positively to others and dealing with adversity. The result too often manifests itself as behavior problems in child care programs and preschools. According to recent national studies, the rate of expulsion for preschool exceeds the rate of expulsion from kindergarten through high school. There seems to be general agreement that addressing issues earlier rather than later offers the best community investment in children's mental health.

The new funding opportunity, Young Children's Mental Health: Piloting Coordinated Early Identification and Early Intervention in Kansas Communities, is designed to engage two or three Kansas communities in piloting coordinated approaches to early identification and intervention for the mental health of young children. The specific goal of the funding is to demonstrate community-level approaches to early screening of pregnant women, new mothers, and/or young children (0-6) and timely referral to effective early interventions.

A minimum of $600,000 is available for award through this process. The maximum individual grant awards will be $250,000. The RFP is open to 501(c)(3) public charities or governmental entities serving Kansas communities. It is expected that community-level partnerships will already exist or be organized for this project in order to support a coordinated approach to mental health for young children.

The proposal deadline is January 10, 2011; funding decisions will be made by March 11 and projects will start June 1. Health Fund staff are available to discuss your proposal if desired.

The Health Fund is offering two webinars, on October 20 and 29, to discuss RFP details and provide a forum for questions and answers. For more information about this RFP or to sign up to participate in a webinar, please visit the Young Children's Mental Health RFP home page for full details. A news release announcing the RFP is available here on our website.

 

Events

Young Children's Mental Health RFP webinars outline new grant program

The Health Fund is offering two webinars, Wednesday, Oct. 20th and Friday, Oct. 29th, to review guidelines for the new Young Children's Mental Health Request for Proposals (RFP) and to provide an opportunity for interested persons to ask questions of our program staff.

Due to limited capacity, pre-registration is required. Please visit www.healthfund.org/rfp/register2.php to sign up. Those pre-registering for a webinar will receive a registration confirmation and detailed participation instructions via email.

Healthy Congregations Covenant training courses offered Oct. 16

The Health Fund is again sponsoring a series of regional training courses to help Kansas United Methodist churches develop and grow effective health ministry programs. The trainings include seven "core" courses as well as a number of electives. There is no cost to register or attend, but pre-registration is required.

The core courses count toward the training requirements of the Healthy Congregations Covenant program, but a Covenant agreement is not required to attend. If your church may be interested in future participation, or you would just like to learn more about ways to deliver high-quality health ministries, we encourage you to register today.

The October 16 training includes two core courses and two newly-developed electives:

The trainings are offered at several regional locations throughout the state:

More event information, including a full schedule, detailed course descriptions, and online registration, is available at www.healthfund.org/hcctraining.php.

Congregational Health Ministry trainings at Mt. Sequoyah Nov. 9-13

A week of opportunities for parish nurses and other congregational health ministers is being offered at the Mount Sequoyah Conference and Retreat Center Nov. 9-13 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Basic Parish Nurse Preparation Course, Nov. 9-12, is for experienced registered nurses and health advocates (retired RNs, LVNs, allied health, and non-medical participants such as clergy or laity). The program is based on the core curriculum developed by the International Parish Nurse Resource Center and is open to all faiths. Topics covered include:

Developing Parish/Faith Community Nursing Leadership Practices in an Era of Change, Nov. 12-13, is open to experienced faith community nurses and health advocates. Based on a supplemental curriculum of the IPNRC, the three-part program covers:

Both programs are presented by Sharon Hinton, RN, MSC, FCN, Executive Director of Rural Nurse Resource / Parish Nurse Community Outreach. For more information on the programs, including requirements, tuition expenses, and contact hours, please see the brochure and registration form on the Mount Sequoyah website.

Some scholarship assistance is available to United Methodists interested in participating; UMCOR is offering some scholarships for tuition/registration costs and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is offering travel, room, and board scholarships for Kansas United Methodists. Please contact Sharon Hinton coordinator@ruralnurseresource.org, 806-983-8096 for information about the UMCOR scholarships and contact Matt Kuzma mkuzma@healthfund.org, 800-369-7191 to inquire about the travel, room, and board scholarships.

Save the dates! Healthy Congregations Retreat April 29-30Healthy Congregations Retreat Logo

The tenth annual Healthy Congregations Retreat for United Methodists will be held April 29-30, 2011. Save the date on your calendar and look forward to enjoying two days of relaxation, interesting sessions, and networking with friends and peers in the beautiful and peaceful natural setting of Rock Springs 4-H Center, a scenic 735-acre conference site located in the Flint Hills. The retreat is provided free of charge by the Health Fund.

Visit our website to see videos and read comments from participants at previous retreats as they describe the experience in their own words and encourage others not to miss out on this "best-kept secret."

The event brings together United Methodists with shared interests in congregational health ministries and the promotion of holistic health and healthy lifestyles. The retreat features a variety of sessions covering the spiritual, mental, physical, and social components of health.

Who should attend the retreat?

More event information, including a full schedule and online registration, will be posted at www.healthfund.org/hcar.php as the schedule is finalized.

 

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