Register Today for the 2008 Rape Prevention & Education (RPE) Grantee Meeting! The 2008 Rape Prevention & Education (RPE) Grantee Meeting will be held from August 11-13, 2008 at the CDC Global Communications Center in Atlanta, GA. Click here to find out more information and to register for the meeting. Read the 2007 STIPDA Annual Report Today! The 2007 STIPDA Annual Report, entitled Celebrating the Past, Looking Toward the Future, is an account of the outstanding progress STIPDA has made in building the capacity of state, territorial, and local health departments to prevent injuries and violence in 2007.   Read the report and find out how you can help STIPDA continue to advance the field of injury and violence prevention!

RECENT EXCHANGE FORUM POSTS & INFORMATION REQUESTS Catherine Groseclose (UT) - "The proposal deadline for Utah's BRFSS state-added questions is fast approaching. I'd like to get some questions about cell phone use while driving and manipulating hand held devices (texting) while driving on for 2009. Does anybody have question wording for such items?"  Click here to respond to this request. Lewis Howe (MA) - "Hello fellow STIPDA members: at our meeting of our ICPG executive team yesterday, question arose as to whether it is desirable to pursue 501c3 status for our state's ICPG as a path to long-term fiscal stability and resource sustainability. I was asked to survey other states to see how many, if any, are currently undertaking this course of action. please let me know if you are doing this."  Click here to respond to this request. Lisa Millet (OR) - "Wondering if any state health departments are partnering with their local VA hospitals on any data projects?  In Oregon we are contributing death data to a study of service access and enrollment among vets who died by suicide.  Does your local VA hospital contribute data to your state hospital discharge data system?..."  Click here to respond to this request. Carol Thornton (PA) - "Greetings from Pennsylvania!...We are looking for examples from other states and local organizations on how you have used data related to unintentional poisoning hospitalizations and deaths, what efforts have been started, and have you implemented any interventions..."  Click here to respond to this request. *  *  *  *  *  Click here for more information about the STIPDA Exchange Forum. If you would like to participate in the STIPDA Exchange Forum, but have not been receiving automatic notifications of forum posts, click here to learn how to change your forum preferences. THE 2008 JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OF STIPDA & CDC CORE STATE INJURY GRANTEES STIPDA would like to thank the 2008 Planning Committee and all the keynote speakers, session presenters, moderators, and attendees for their contributions in support of the 2008 Joint Annual Meeting.  Your participation made the 2008 meeting a great success! Click here to view presentations and other post-meeting updates from the 2008 Joint Annual Meeting.

IMPORTANT  INFO IN IVP   Help Pilot-Test the Self-Assessment Tool for Core Competencies in Injury & Violence Prevention STIPDA is currently working with the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center to pilot test a self-assessment tool in the core areas of injury and violence prevention (IVP) practice.  The tool is intended to assist individuals in understanding their areas of strengths and weakness regarding the fundamental principles of IVP from a public health perspective. The tool only takes about 20 minutes to complete and your responses will be kept anonymous.  The results will help determine if this is a good tool for wide distribution and use. Individuals who complete this pilot test will have the opportunity to enter into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com. The deadline to complete the pilot test is July 18, 2008. Click here to complete the pilot test. Advocacy Alert:  House & Senate Actions on the FYI 2009 LHHS Appropriations Bill Click here for the NCIPC section of the House subcommittee mark-up. Click here for the NCIPC section of the Senate subcommittee mark-up. Take the Teen Driver Safety Key Stakeholder Survey! M4Research is conducting a national survey of key stakeholders in traffic safety, adolescent health and education - especially those that work at the community level with teens.  The results of the survey will be used to help design programs, materials, and tools to promote a nationwide program focusing on teen traffic safety and can also be used by communities and organizations for free during National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 19-25, 2008). It should only take about 15 minutes to complete the survey.  The results of this survey will be shared with all interested respondents in late Summer 2008.  All responses are kept completely confidential and anonymous. Click here to participate in the survey. The deadline to complete the survey is July 9, 2008.   U.S. Department of Transportation Sponsors Rural Youth Traffic Safety Message Competition School- or community-supported youth organizations are eligible to compete in developing a traffic safety campaign aimed at rural youth. The campaign message should include a tagline or theme, and be designed for posters, print advertisements, internet, video, and/or radio. Campaign messages need to be implemented in at least one community.  The 1st place receives a $5,000 prize for the winning team's local organization.  Click here to view the application.