Utilizing Policy Resources to Empower Impactful Change in IVP

In this INbetween episode, host Mighty Fine talks about policy tools and resources available on the Safe States website (www.safestates.org). These include funding briefs, Congressional priorities, and other resources available to individuals to assist in advocacy efforts in their IVP work. As Safe States gears up for Advocacy Day on March 20, 2025 - these tools and resources will be helpful to prepare for meetings with legislators, etc. to share the importance of injury and violence prevention work and advocate for funding of programs in all 50 states.

Transcript

Unknown: 0:00

Welcome to the IVP in depth podcast, a Safe States Alliance production. I'm your host, Mighty Fine, and I'm thrilled to have you here. This is a space where injury and violence prevention professionals come together to share ideas, spark conversation and dive into some of the most pressing topics shaping our field today. So whether you're here to stay in the loop, find inspiration or to be part of a community focused on making a difference, you are in the right place. Today's episode is an INbetween. And these are our shorter episodes where I get a chance to talk directly to you all our listeners. And they happen inbetween our standard episodes where I normally have a featured guest and interview them. I will be diving to five essential policy tools available on the Safe States Alliance web page, and that's safestates.org for those of you who don't know.These resources are designed to empower advocates, policy makers and public health professionals in their mission to create safer and healthy communities for everyone. So let's explore each tool and discover how you can leverage them for impactful change in the work that you do.

Mighty Fine: 1:08

First up, we have the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control State Specific Funding Brief, and this document provides a snapshot of funding each state and the District of Columbia received in fiscal year, 2023 across seven programs funded by CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. These program areas are: preventing adverse childhood experiences, data to action, the Core State Injury Prevention Program, domestic violence prevention enhancement and leadership impact, National Violent Death Reporting System, overdose data to action, rape prevention and education program and the comprehensive suicide prevention program. This data can be used to compare funding levels between states or across states, and it helps to reveal disparities and highlight opportunities for advocacy. Moreover, by understanding your state's specific funding landscape, you can identify opportunities to advocate for, let's say, increased resources, or think about the reallocation of existing support to areas of greater need. This tool can really be used to help you tailor your advocacy efforts to ensure that you are meeting the unique needs of your state's context. It also allows you to see where your state fits within the larger picture within the United States thinking about spending and issue area priorities. So be sure to visit state states website where you can download your state's brief and familiarize yourself with the funding breakdown, but also take a look at what other states are doing as well. I'd also recommend sharing this information with colleagues, legislators and other stakeholders to build a coalition advocating for resources as you see fit. Next, let's discuss the congressional priorities for the 100 and 19th Congress. So check out what we're doing on the Safe States website, and by staying informed about federal legislative priorities, it's really crucial for any advocacy or educational efforts, and this resource outlines key injury and violence prevention issues that are on the congressional agenda. And by aligning your initiatives with these priorities, you can engage more effectively with legislators and contribute to shaping policies that promote safety and well being. Now on to one of my faves, the Advocacy Action Alert. Safe States periodically issues these alerts to inform our members about critical advocacy opportunities, whether it's a pending piece of legislation or public comment period, these alerts provide timely information so you can take action when it matters the most. Subscribing to these alerts ensures you're always in a loop and ready to mobilize change and joining the masses as we collectively advocate for change Safe States continues to advocate for policies that align with our mission to strengthen the practice of injury and violence prevention, as I mentioned together, we are stronger. Your voice is crucial, and this is one way where you can engage in policy and advocacy, I would say, pretty easily, because the action alerts give you a blueprint and a way forward to engage in the space, and you can be part of the support for public health and working to protect communities to advance IVP efforts. So now on to our fourth tool. This is the Save Lives and Money- Invest in Injury and Violence Prevention Report. This resource highlights the economic impact of injuries and violence in the US, showcasing the significant financial losses incur by presenting data on cost savings associated with prevention programs. This report makes a compelling case for the investment in prevention measures. I see it as a very powerful tool to persuade stakeholders, policy makers and other folks in decision making spaces about the tangible benefits of proactive intervention. And I already said something else was my favorite, but I think this might be. Be my favorite as well, or maybe I can have more than one favorite. And finally, we have Advocate - It's Your Right. This guide is designed for individuals who may be hesitant, uncomfortable or less knowledgeable about how they can legally engage in advocacy efforts, particularly for those working at state health departments, it outlines your legal rights to participate in policy and advocacy activities, and I think it really empowers you to confidently step into this space by lending your voice to a myriad of important causes when it comes to injury and violence prevention, understanding these rights is crucial for effective and informed advocacy within the bounds of your professional role. In summary, I want to highlight the five tools that I talked about today. But when you go to safestates.org, don't stop there. There's a host of other information that's relevant to this topic as well. So we have the state specific spending funding briefs, and again, it can help you tailor your advocacy with specific funding insights. We have the congressional priorities for the 119th Congress, helping you to align your initiatives with federal legislative priorities. Then we have the action alerts, which help you to stay informed and ready to activate when necessary. We have the Save Lives and Money report, and it helps you to make a compelling economic case for prevention. And last, we have advocate. It's your right, and again, this helps you to be knowledgeable about your legal rights to engage in advocacy, depending on where you work within the public health system. And in addition to those five tools that I shared, there are two ways that you can immediately get involved in policy and advocacy. But don't just stop there. If there are other ways that you would like to explore to get engaged in this work, be sure to again check out the website, but email info@safestates.org and someone will be happy to tell you about other ways that you can be engaged beyond these two initiatives that I'm going to mention so we have Advocacy Day, which is going To be taking place on Capitol Hill on March 20, you get to spend the day meeting with members of your congressional delegation to promote injury and violence prevention work being done in your state. Safe States is once again collaborating with our partners in the Injury and Violence Prevention Network, or IVPN, as some of you may know it, as to help expand the reach of our advocacy day and strengthen our voices in support of injury and violence prevention policies in Congress. Another really important initiative that Safe States is taking on is a campaign to protect CDC's Injury Center from budget cuts or even elimination. So Safe States just announced the launch of this formal campaign aimed at protecting the CDC Injury Center from any effort to reduce or eliminate its budget. The coalition will meet virtually each month and work to promote a collective voice that first and foremost dispels the notion that injury center administered programs are duplicative, while building a case for continued support for the Injury Center's role in injury and violence prevention, broadly overall. By utilizing these resources and tapping into the initiatives that Safe States offer, you can enhance your advocacy strategies and contribute to creating safer, healthier communities for everyone. Remember, effective advocacy is informed, it's timely and it's proactive. Let's leverage these tools and our collective power to make a meaningful impact. Well, as always, I enjoy when I get a chance to speak to you all directly, but that's a wrap for this episode of IVP INdepth. A big thank you to our sponsor, Faegre Drinker, for supporting this conversation and their commitment to injury and violence prevention overall. If you're not already a member of Safe States, now is the perfect time to join, as I've already mentioned, you will be able to be part of a community working to create safer, healthier communities for everyone. Again, I implore you to check out our website, to download some of the tools already mentioned, but also to explore a range of other resources, including toolkits, training opportunities and other useful information designed to support your work in the field. And most importantly, don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode, whether it's on Google podcasts, Apple or Spotify. And while you're at it, leave us a review and let us know how we're doing. Thanks again for tuning in, and we'll see you next time. Until then, stay safe and injury free.