Projects

Healthy People 2020

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  Capacity Building
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    Strengthening Tribal Public Health

  (Supplement funds from Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Public Health Improvement Initiative (NPHI) Grant 2010 - 2015)

  Goal: To systematically increase performance management capacity of the Tribal Health Departments in MT and WY in order to ensure their access to resources needed to express their public health authority.

  Objectives for Montana and Wyoming Tribes opting in for the project from 2010 - 2015:

  1. Increase efficiencies of Montana and Wyoming Tribal Health Departments’ operations
  2. Increase use of evidence –based policies and practices among Montana and Wyoming Tribal Health Departments
  3. Increase Montana and Wyoming Tribal Health Departments’ readiness for (applying and achieving) accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)

  Capacity Building Project Activities:

  • Facilitate the National Public Health Performance Standards -NPHPSP, a local Public Health System Assessments tool and the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) tool among all Montana and Wyoming Tribal Health Departments.
  • Strengthen partnerships among collaborating agencies.
  • Establish Champion Workgroups (Performance Improvement/Public Health Accreditation Tribal Advisory Board Panel/Task Force) within Montana-Wyoming Tribes.
  • Host conferences/trainings with incorporated information sessions on public health accreditation and best practices in performance improvement.
  • Link Tribes with resources and capacity building assistance to address their self-assessed challenges.
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    Emergency Preparedness
  Goal: To provide Tribal Emergency Preparedness Capacity Building Technical Support to participating Montana and Wyoming Tribes. Objectives for Montana and Wyoming Tribes opting in for the project from 2012 - 2016:
  • Partner with existing workgroups and agencies to help build the Emergency Preparedness capacity of Montana and Wyoming Tribes.
  Capacity Building Project Activities:
  • Strengthen partnerships among collaborating agencies; collaborate with established workgroups within Montana-Wyoming Tribes.
  • Link Tribes to resources and capacity building assistance to address their self-assessed challenges.
  • Host conferences/trainings with incorporated information sessions on best practices in performance improvement.
• 2
  Infectious/Chronic Disease & Public Health Ethics
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    Tribal Ethics
  Goal: To “Build Tribal Capacity” to Develop, Modify and Implement Tribal Public Health Codes in order to improve public health practice in Tribal communities in response to community health, emergency preparedness and research concerns. The project will be implemented over the next five years (2012—2016) in 4 phases of objectives: Phase 1: Raising awareness of and improving readiness for Public Health Codes and Regulations; Phase 2: Gathering all relevant existing codes and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses; Phase 3: In consultation with all partners, drafting and developing modernized and highly effective model Tribal Health Codes and Regulations; Phase 4: In collaboration with all partners, ensure effective implementation of the modernized Tribal Health Codes and Regulations. Capacity Building Project A/B/Cs of Activities:
  • Health Code Development and Implementation Team
  • Develop Goals and Objectives with Timelines and Strategic Planning on Development and Implementation/Enforcement of Tribal Community Health Code
  • Develop Health Code “Activities” in order to meet the set Goals and Objectives with Timelines for your Tribal Community Health Code Development and Implementation Project, “Designating Staff/Departments” to each Activity with Timelines
  Institutional Review Board: Goal: To promote awareness and advance the unique concerns of Tribal nations when any research involves their constituents, ensuring that researchers engage Tribes in an ethical and collaborative manner of process, resulting in mutually beneficial and constructive ethical results -Rocky Mountain Institutional Review Board (RMT-IRB). For more information please go to webpage: http://www.mtwytlc.org/irb/rmtirb-home.html Capacity Building Project Activities:
  • Collaborate with established IRBs within Montana-Wyoming
  • Link Tribes to resources and capacity building assistance
  • Strengthen partnerships among collaborating agencies
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    Infectious Diseases
  Goal: To improve public health practices among communities through sustainable infectious disease prevention and establish an infectious disease surveillance system (database) that will help with tracking Notifiable diseases and other disease outbreaks among Montana and Wyoming Tribes. Objectives for Montana and Wyoming Tribes opting in for the project from 2012 - 2016:
  • Partner with Billings Area Indian Health Service, Montana Department of Health and Human Services -MT DHHS, Wyoming Department of Health -WY DoH and other Health agencies to track notifiable diseases and other disease outbreaks among Montana and Wyoming Tribes.
  • Partner with Billings Area Indian Health Service, Montana Department of Health and Human Services -MT DHHS, Wyoming Department of Health -WY DoH and other Health agencies to develop a notifiable disease and other disease outbreak surveillance system among Montana and Wyoming Tribes.
  • Partner with Billings Area Indian Health Service, Montana Department of Health and Human Services -MT DHHS, Wyoming Department of Health -WY DoH and other Health agencies to intervene and curtail notifiable disease and other disease outbreaks among Montana and Wyoming Tribes.
  • Implement at least one Face to Face All Hazards Training/Conference.
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    Chronic Diseases
  Goal: To improve public health practices among communities through sustainable chronic disease prevention and establish a chronic disease surveillance system (database) that will help with tracking chronic diseases among Montana and Wyoming Tribes. Objectives for Montana and Wyoming Tribes opting in for the project from 2012 - 2016:
  • Partner with Billings Area Indian Health Service, Montana Department of Health and Human Services -MT DHHS, Wyoming Department of Health -WY DoH and other Health agencies to track chronic diseases among Montana and Wyoming Tribes.
  • Partner with Billings Area Indian Health Service, Montana Department of Health and Human Services -MT DHHS, Wyoming Department of Health -WY DoH and other Health agencies to develop a chronic disease surveillance system among Montana and Wyoming Tribes.
  • Partner with Billings Area Indian Health Service, Montana Department of Health and Human Services -MT DHHS, Wyoming Department of Health -WY DoH and other Health agencies to intervene and reduce chronic diseases among Montana and Wyoming Tribes by seeking intervention funds.
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    Public Health Navigators
  BASED ON FUNDING AND ON OPT-IN/OPT-OUT BASIS Public Health Navigators will provide culturally appropriate and community relationship-appropriate Public Health information; social support; and Community Public Health advocacy to their Reservation Communities and will be directly under the supervision of the Tribal Health Directors as a Tribal contractor working on RMTEC projects with the Tribal Health Departments.    RMTEC will have contracts with all 10 Tribal Health Departments in Montana and Wyoming for the salary of a Public Health Navigator in order to be able to implement projects successfully at the Reservation Community Level. Each Public Health Navigator’s immediate supervisor will be the Tribal Health Director of the Reservation Tribal Health Department.   A Public Health Navigator job will include, but is not limited to, implementing RMTEC projects among participating Tribal Health departments as needed. Each Tribal Health Department will determine what duties/trainings their Public Health Navigator will have depending on Tribal Health Department needs and the RMTEC projects opted in by Tribal Health Department.   RMTEC will organize an annual Training for the Public Health Navigators in the following topic areas based on Tribal Health Department Needs:
  • Community Assessments/Survey Implementation
  • Maternal and Child Health Navigation/Train the Trainer Parenting Classes
  • Health Codes Implementation
  • Outbreak Investigation – Organized by RMTEC for action by Tribal Health Department
  • Public Health Preparedness
  • Other Topics as needed
• 3
  Healthy Lifestyles
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    Maternal and Child Health
  Sudden Infant Death: RMTEC has a contract with Native American Management Services (NAMS), Inc to implement “Healthy Native Babies”, a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) project, among American Indians (AI) in Montana and Wyoming. “Healthy Native Babies” is a risk reduction SIDS prevention message aimed at high risk populations among AI in Montana and Wyoming (Supplemental Funds from Native American Management Services -NAMS Contract). Surveillance/Intervention Project Activities: Implement the Native American Management Services, Inc Contract from 2009-2012 or as long as it lasts. Pregnancy Risk Assessment: Goal: To implement an American Indian Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Survey (a Maternal Health Behaviors Survey).  PRAMS is a Replication Pilot study with Reservations opting in. This study explores innovative techniques to ensure adequate American Indian response rates and data quality. Surveillance/Intervention Project Activities: Objectives for Montana and Wyoming Tribes “opting in” for the project from 2012 - 2016:
  • Collaborate with the Wyoming Department of Health –WY OH to over-sample American Indians effectively during the implementation of Wyoming PRAMS.
  • Collaborate with the Montana Department of Health and Human Services MT DHHS (when funded) to over-sample American Indians effectively during the implementation of Montana PRAMS.
  • Participate in the data analysis, reporting and dissemination of results from implemented PRAMS by the state of Montana (when funded) and Wyoming, and report results to Montana and Wyoming Tribes
  • Offer technical support to Tribes in Montana and Wyoming to implement and seek funding for interventions for their Maternal and Child Health population.
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    Obesity Prevention
  Child Health Measures (CHM): Goal: To help inform participating Tribes on health measures associated with the risks for childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease among participating Tribes’ children. Screening children in kindergarten through high school with the following measurements: BMI, Blood Pressure, Acanthosis presence, and Asthma diagnosis. Trained Tribal field workers who volunteer to help with the project (measurements) from participating Reservations perform these tasks. Surveillance/Intervention Project Activities: There are ten (10) STEPS to follow annually and Child Health Measures is divided into eight (8) STATIONS. Step 1: School Participation and Student Information Step 2: Community Information Step 3: Parent Consent Process and Child Assent Process Step 4:  Child Health Measures
  • Station 1: Child Assent/Parent Consent and Measurement Sheet…
  • Station 2: Blood Pressure and Pulse Station (Pulse is optional)
  • Station 3: Weigh Measurement
  • Station 4: Height Measurement
  • Station 5: Waist Circumference Measurement
  • Station 6: Hip Circumference Measurement
  • Station 7: Acanthosis Measurements
  • Station 8: Question Answering Station
    Step 5:  Referral Process Step 6:  Incident Report/Data storage, transfer, analysis and report dissemination process Step 7:  Report Cards Step 8:  Data Storage, Transfer, Analysis and Report Dissemination Process Step 9: Attend the Annual Child Health Measure Training Step 10:  Data Requests Montana Wyoming Native Child & Youth Project (CYP):Supplemental Funds from Indian Health Service (IHS) Child and Youth Project (CYP) Goal: To promote the body, mind and spiritual well-being of Montana and Wyoming American Indian School age children and youth, ages 5 to 19 years by refurbishing safe and accessible play places for children in the reservation communities, while encouraging healthy traditional foods and culturally appropriate emotional well-being and social skills development. Surveillance/Intervention Project Activities:
  • Mobilize the community to assist in refurbishing already existing Reservation recreational facilities, making them child friendly and safe for play.
  • Assist with salary funds, trainings and certification of nominated Tribal Staff Recreation Guides/Aids.
  • Assist with accessing and promoting age-appropriate healthy traditional foods.
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  Environmental Health & Disease Prevention
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    Cancer Outreach and Prevention
  Goal: The Cancer Outreach Project will increase cancer outreach to American Indians by educating, encouraging early cancer screening/diagnosis, and offering survivorship coaching for Montana and Wyoming American Indians in collaboration with Montana/Wyoming Cancer Stakeholders. Surveillance/Intervention Project Activities:
  • Education:
  o   Distributing education materials o   Train the Trainer Activities o   Organization of Cancer Summit with other Montana/Wyoming Cancer Stakeholders
  • Outreach:
  o   Offering links to resources o   Serving as a resource for access to quality cancer continuum of care o   Organization of Cancer Summit with other Montana/Wyoming Cancer Stakeholders Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Goal: The Breast Cancer Outreach Project will increase the survival rate of American Indians with breast cancer through education, encouraging early screening, diagnosis, and offering survivorship coaching; distributing education materials and serving as a resource for access to quality cancer continuum of care for Montana AIs in collaboration with Montana Cancer Stakeholders. **Supplemental Funding Ended Sept 30, 2012 Tobacco Use Prevention: BASED ON FUNDING AND ON AN OPT-IN/OPT-OUT BASIS Goal:  To engage Montana and Wyoming Tribal Youth to become agents of Social Change for Culturally-Relevant Tobacco Control. Surveillance/Intervention Project Activities:
  • Partner with Montana and Wyoming Tobacco Prevention Stakeholders to  track Tobacco use on Montana and Wyoming Reservations using secondary data (i.e Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System -YRBS and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System -BRFSS)
  • Partner with Montana and Wyoming Tobacco Prevention Stakeholders to intervene and reduce Tobacco use among Montana and Wyoming Tribes by seeking intervention funds for social marketing.
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    Injury and Violence Prevention
  Goal: To collect, analyze and report intentional and un-intentional injury data in order for Tribal communities to understand the injury status of their community; andTo develop a comprehensive strategic plan in collaboration with all Montana and Wyoming injury stakeholders to be implemented in the Billings Indian Health Service Area, in order to reduce the adverse effect of injury among Montana and Wyoming Reservations. Surveillance/Strategic Planning/Intervention Project Activities:
  • Partner with Montana and Wyoming Injury and Violence Prevention Stakeholders to track injury and violence on Montana and Wyoming Reservations.
   
  • Partner with Montana and Wyoming Injury and Violence Prevention Stakeholders to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan for injury and violence prevention on Montana and Wyoming Reservations.
   
  • Partner with Montana and Wyoming Injury and Violence Prevention Stakeholders to intervene and reduce injury and violence among Montana and Wyoming Tribes by seeking intervention funds.
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    Environmental Health Initiative
  Goal: The goal of the initiative is to provide a systematic assessment of environmental risks; a framework for long-term surveillance of environmental health indicators; develop environmental health policies and remediations; and build Tribal environmental health capacity. Surveillance/Strategic Planning/Intervention Project Activities: Phases of Objectives: Phase 1: Assessment: The systematic assessment of environmental risk indicators and associated health outcomes at suspected high-risk areas identified by Tribes; conducting community impact assessment/surveillance studies and strategizing on solutions based on the findings of the assessments and surveillance. Phase 2: Surveillance: Establishment of a framework for long-term surveillance of environmental health indicators in order to establish baseline characteristics and “direct” policy initiatives. Phase 3: Remediation Measures/Emergency Preparedness Policy Initiatives: Follow-up and implementation of recommendations for remediation measures, policy initiatives, and legislative efforts based on the strategic plans in phase 1 and 2.
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  Community Health Profiles - BRFSS & Emerging Projects
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    Developing Community Health Profiles

  Data Improvement Projects

  BASED ON FUNDING AND ON OPT-IN/OPT-OUT BASIS Behavioral Health Data Improvement Project: Goal: To assess the needs of the Tribal Chemical Dependency program staff in collecting, entering and extracting data on the services provided using the Indian Health Service -IHS BH software and the AccuCare system by performing a needs assessment.  Chemical Dependency Resource Assessments: Goal: To collect, analyze and report data from Chemical Dependency Programs/Centers on the Reservations and urban areas in Montana and Wyoming. This project provides the Tribes a standardized information system as a basis for comparison for longitudinal evaluation of resources available to clients over the years in Chemical Dependency Centers serving Montana and Wyoming Tribes. Child Maltreatment: Goal: To work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs -BIA to identify specific risk factors associated with child maltreatment among American Indian (AI) children in MT and WY. Surveillance/Report Dissemination Project Activities:

  • Promote the use of a more specific analyzable database/surveillance system which includes risk factors for child maltreatment in collaboration with BIA.
  • Develop and Disseminates reports on Child Maltreatment with recommended sustainable solutions for Montana and Wyoming Tribes

   

  Surveillance:

    See Above for Infectious Disease/Chronic Disease Surveillance
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    BRFSS
  Goal: To implement BRFSS, increasing response rates for American Indian Population in Montana and Wyoming, following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention -CDC BRFSS survey protocol with data comparable to state and national BRFSS data. Montana Wyoming Tribal BRFSS Project Advisory Committee: The Montana Wyoming Tribal BRFSS Project Advisory Committee will comprise of the 10 Montana and Wyoming Tribal Health Directors, Health gate keepers for the 8 Reservation Communities in Montana and Wyoming; The Montana Department of Health and Human Services MT-DHHS BRFSS Coordinator and the Wyoming Department of Health WY-DoH BRFSS Coordinator; the University of Nebraska (Institutional contractors implementing the surveys on behalf of RMTEC) designee; and RMTEC Staff. Montana Wyoming Tribal BRFSS Project Advisory Committee will discuss:  
  1. Tribal BRFSS awareness among RMTEC Tribal Advisory Committee including the Tribal Health Directors, Tribal Leaders and Montana and Wyoming Tribes
  2. Tribal BRFSS Community Readiness test  for Montana and Wyoming Reservation Communities
  3. Tribal BRFSSimplementation Methodology and Protocol for participating Montana and Wyoming Tribes
  4. Tribal BRFSS Feasibility Study onparticipating Montana and Wyoming Reservation Communities
  5. Tribal BRFSS Long Term Oversampling Methodology among Montana and Wyoming state BRFSS samples
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    Emerging Projects
  These will be based on current Montana and Wyoming Tribal Community Health Profiles and emerging health needs and priorities (for example - Men’s Wellness - Pending Funding)
  Other:
  Technical Support/Trainings/Annual Conference: BASED ON FUNDING AND ON OPT-IN/OPT-OUT BASIS Capacity Building Project Activities: Technical Support (Ongoing)
  • Offer Technical support for all RMTEC and other Tribe specific projects upon request and as needed to Montana and Wyoming Tribes.
    Annual Conference
  • Participate in the planning and implementation of the Annual Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council’s Health Conference.
    Annual Capacity Building Training
  • Participate in the planning and implementation of Annual Capacity building Training as needed or upon request by Montana or Wyoming Tribe.
    • Public Health Navigators
  • Montana Wyoming Native Youth Development Project
  • Project Specific Trainings as Needed
    Montana Wyoming Native Youth Development Project: Goal: To encourage Individual Intern Capacity Building Capacity Building Project Activities:
  • An opportunity to work on prevention projects of public health concern on Reservations
  • An opportunity to earn credit units and/or do a practicum/earn a certificate
  This is a paid Internship job opportunity (Stipends will depend on funding and prior qualifications of the intern) Youth Data/Health Skills Development The Youth Data Skills Development Project is a youth development focused project that entails mentoring at least one youth with an associate/bachelors degree from a Montana or Wyoming Tribe annually as an Epidemiology/Health Education/Peer Education Intern at the Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center (RMTEC). The youth is employed as a Research Assistant and assists with RMTEC projects. Summer Youth Development Camp The purpose of the “Summer Youth Development Camp” for Middle and High School age group is to:
  • Empower youth to handle life situations;
  • Increase knowledge of public health epidemiology fundamentals;
  • Increase public health and epidemiology literacy;
  • Increase ability to create positive norms;
  • Propose a plan for advancing the health of youth on their Reservations;
  • Decrease dropout rates and increase interest in the Public Health and Sciences.
  Each youth is awarded a certificate of participation at the end of the Summer Camp. Summer Camp implementation is dependent on funding.
Annual Trainings
Technical Support & Training
Annual Health Conference