Author: Jodi Wahba

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What: A webinar on the basics for advocating for increased investments in the universal newborn nurse home visiting model Family Connects.

Who: Melea Rose Waters, MSW, is the Senior Policy Director at Family Connects International.

When: July 12, 2023 – 2PM EST. Open to Community Partners Within the FCI Network.

The time to plan for sustainability of your Family Connects program is today. One strategy to sustainable funding is through advocacy with policymakers. Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal by influencing policymakers on the local, state, and federal levels of government. Effective advocacy is focused, informed, and strategic.

Join us to learn about the fundamentals of advocacy. We will discuss the difference between advocacy and lobbying, effective advocacy strategies, engaging policymakers, developing your messaging, and taking action.

Objectives:

Participants will be able to:
1. Define three key differences between advocacy and lobbying;
2. Recognize and apply the four parts of developing messaging for policymakers; and,
3. Select at least three action steps you can take to advocate for your Family Connects program.

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[av_toggle title=’More on Melea Rose Waters’ tags=” custom_id=” element_template=” one_element_template=” av_uid=’av-lj4dv5br’ sc_version=’1.0′]
Melea Rose Waters, MSW, is the Senior Policy Director at Family Connects International. Through her role at FCI, she aims to increase investments in the
Family Connects Universal Newborn Home Visiting Model by influencing policymakers, actively collaborating with stakeholders, and building the capacity of partners to advocate for resources on the local, state, and federal levels of government. She has over a decade of experience advocating for children and families on the local, state, and federal levels of government, in addition to nearly ten years of working directly with families who were involved with child welfare.
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Greetings Community Partners!

Thank you so much for attending our 3^rd Roundtable Discussions on Medicaid on April 5^th, 2023. A special thanks to our amazing guest speaker, Gretchen Hammer from the Public Leadership Group. It was exciting to hear all our partners great questions around Medicaid! If you have any more questions about Medicaid reimbursement or would like to inquire about services, feel free to reach out to Gretchen Hammer at gretchen.hammer@publicleader.org.
See below for for the recording and the visual slides that were shared during these discussions.

Video Recording


Visual Slides (PDF)


Visual Slides (PPTX)

I wish you wonder, joy, and a bit of your OWN childhood folded into your everyday.

For me, tree climbing has been a fun way to get a fresh perspective, literally, and share one of my favorite pastimes with my kids.

Embrace these days,
Sherika

Sherika Hill, PHD MHA
Executive Director, Family Connects International

FCI is launching our first Family Connects Nursing Awards, and we will announce one winner each day in honor of Nurses Week!

Monday May 6th

The award for “Good Catch” goes to Shannetta Barnes from Family Connects Chicago! For identifying an infant with respiratory distress during the constraints of a virtual visit and directing the family to the Emergency Department, where the infant was hospitalized for RSV. Your assessment and advocacy resulted in a good catch that may have saved this child’s life.

Tuesday May 7th

The award for “Leader of the Year” goes to Kathryn Kaintz from Family Connects Chicago! For ensuring the success of the Family Connects Chicago program at Rush University Medical Center, supporting nurse education and professional development, and role modeling exemplary patient care.

Wednesday May 8th

The award for “Preceptor of the Year” goes to Megan Wilkin from Family Connects Oregon. For providing an outstanding orientation experience and role modeling exemplary patient care for new Family Connects nurses.

Thursday May 9th

The award for “Rising Star” goes to Jessica Orozco from Family Connects Chicago. For providing outstanding patient care, supporting you teammates, and leading the design of a poster to present Family Connects scholarship at a national conference.

Friday May 10th

The award for “Lifetime Achievement Award” goes to Paula Wright from Family Connects Durham. For your lifetime of service to families as a nurse and foundational contributions to the Family Connects Model and Family Connects Durham as a nurse leader. We are proud to honor your achievements, which continue to impact families across the country.