The Review, Vol. 5, Issue 2 (Apr.-June 2007)

April--June 2007 Quarterly Newsletter
Volume 5, Issue 2

"The Review" Office of Child Fatality Review

Partners in Prevention: How Can We Work Together For SUCCESS?!

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. CFR is working actively with our partners to educate communities and service providers on the incidence of child abuse in Georgia. The concurrent incidence of domestic violence and child abuse within the same families is well documented. In Georgia from 1999-2004, 30% of the 371 child abuse/neglect deaths indicated a history of domestic violence in the home of the caretaker. Since law enforcement is generally the first responder to domestic violence calls, their involvement as an agency is crucial in identifying and preventing child abuse fatalities. Law enforcement representatives on Child Fatality Review committees are also vital to the identification of realistic prevention strategies. By serving as an advocate for the spousal victim, law enforcement also advocates for children who cannot defend themselves. By protecting the spousal victim (typically the mother), you can ensure the safety of the child. Responding officers should take five minutes at every scene to tell any child present that the violence is not their fault, they should never try to directly intervene in the violence, they should get to a safe place if the violence occurs again and that it is OK to call the police back. Within the CFR Committee, law enforcement representatives should bring to
Child Fatality Review light any domestic violence reports in the immediate and extended family of the child whose death is being reviewed.
Arrest records, calls to the home for domestic violence incidents, or a violation of probation any agency involvement
County of the Year: with the child's parents, grandparents, siblings or other family members should be included in the review process. Be
prepared to identify any prevention strategies for children in similar circumstances. If your jurisdiction is interested in learning more about multi-disciplinary teamwork on child death investigations, contact Rachelle Carnesale, at
racarnesale@dhr.state.ga.us for
Spring is Here!! Safety Tips for Friends and Family! more information.

April 2007: National Child Abuse Prevention Month Educate your family, friends, and community on recognizing and responding to all types of child abuse: physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. Call Prevent Child Abuse Georgia at 1-800-CHILDREN for help or advice. National Youth Sports Safety Month Some children can be severely injured while playing sports, experiencing head and neck injuries or heat exhaustion. Educate kids on personal safety in sports and other activities. National Public Health Week (April 2--8) A Day to End Sexual Violence (Apr 5) National SAFE KIDS Week (April 28--May 6) May 2007: National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month National Mental Health Counseling Week (May 6--12) Mental health counseling can help children and teens with many everyday issues, including bullying at school, weight issues, and self-esteem. Call 1-800-THERAPIST to locate a provider in your area. National Emergency Medical Services Month June 2007: Fireworks Safety Month National Headache Awareness Week (June 3--9) Headaches in children can be a sign of a more serious problem, and may be the result of your child playing the "choking game", which can be fatal. Talk to your kids about it. National ASK Day (June 21) Promote firearm safety awareness by asking your child's friends if there is a gun in the home where they play. Share ideas for safe storage and solutions to prevent accidents.

Inside this issue

Partners in Prevention 1

Spring Safety Tips

1

CFR Training Classes 2 Welcome New Staff! 2

Panel Profile Page

3

Legislation for 2007 3

Prevention Efforts 3

Upcoming Events

4

Did You Register for a CFR Training Class?

The 2007 Child Fatality Review training calendar will 2007 CFR Committee Training

run from April to June (please see below for full train-

Schedule

ing schedule). All members are encouraged to attend (please note: some dates/locations will

the training with their entire team, and door prizes will be cancelled if registration does not

be awarded to those teams who have achieved success reach a minimum of 15 attendees)

in reviewing, reporting, and preventing child injury and

fatality in their communities. Registration forms are Eastern Region Calendar

available on our website

(contact Glenda Minter with any questions )

(www.gacfr.dhr.georgia.gov), and should be faxed April 10: White County--Unicoi State Park

or emailed to the Office.

April 23: Ware County--Waycross College

April 24: Glynn County--Coastal Georgia Community

Some comments on the training session from 2006: College

April 25: Bulloch County--Georgia Southern Univer-

I will look forward to this training session as I

sity

thoroughly enjoyed it last year and found it to be April 26: Clarke County--Foundry Inn Park

very informative and educational. I have served on May 4: Henry County--Red Roof Inn and Suites

the Child Fatality Review Panel for Dougherty

May 22: Telfair County--Little Ocmulgee

County, since it's inception. I am very pleased to May 23: Putnam County--Lodge on Lake Oconee

know that since that time we have experienced a May 24: Richmond County--Partridge Inn

drastic decrease in the number of child fatalities June 4: Fulton County--Georgia State University Stu-

reviewed in Dougherty County. I firmly believe dent Center

that public awareness through public announce-

ments and educational brochures have been instru- Western Region Calendar

mental in this decrease in the number of child

(contact Arleymah Raheem with any questions)

deaths. It is very reassuring to know that we are April 12: Carroll County--University of West Georgia

making a difference. - Lt. Rebecca W. Williamson/ May 2: Lowndes County--Valdosta Lowndes Confer-

Investigator, Dougherty County Sheriff's Office ence Center

This [2006 training] was my third training--this May 3: Peach County--Fort Valley State University

one was the best! Most informative!

May 15: Sumter County--Windsor Hotel

Thanks for doing trainings locally! Very good pres- May 16: Ben Hill County--Dorminy Medical Center

entations!

May 17: Bartow County--Red Top Mountain State

Excellent trainers--humorous, friendly, pleasant! Park

[trainer] was great and very knowledgeable!

May 18: Spalding County--Griffin Country Club

The mock meeting was the best training tool used! May 29: Muscogee County--Hilton Garden Inn

Overall good training with excellent speakers!

May 30: Dougherty County--Hilton Garden Inn

June 4: Fulton County--Georgia State University Stu-

dent Center

We Have a NEW Program Manager!
The Office of Child Fatality Review welcomes our newest Program Manager, Glenda Minter, a clinical sociologist, who joined our staff on March 1, 2007. Glenda will replace Tamara Hurst as Program Manager and staff contact person for the eastern region of the state. Glenda has a Master's degree in Clinical Sociology from Texas Southern University. She is a registered mediator with the State of Georgia specializing in domestic violence, and family and juvenile mediation. For many years, Glenda worked as a therapist and counselor in Texas, but returned home to Georgia in 2003. Although Glenda is a native of Marietta, she currently lives in Rome where, until recently, she taught sociology at Georgia Highlands College, worked as a Guardian ad Litem for the Superior Court judges of Floyd, Catoosa, Dade, Walker, Chattooga, and Haralson counties, and created and administered a juvenile justice program called "Fresh Start" in Walker County for first offender juveniles and their parents. She has also been a mediator for the Seventh Judicial District. If you would like to contact her, please call 770-528-3996, or email at Glenda_m@bellsouth.net. Welcome Glenda!
Page 2

CFR Panel Profile Page

Melvin Everson, Georgia State Representative

Representative Melvin Everson, House District 106, has been a member of the CFR Panel since 2005. He holds a degree from Albany State University, is a 23-year retiree from the US Army Reserve, and has served on the boards for Snellville Planning and Zoning, Gwinnett Planning and Zoning, Snellville City Council, and Gwinnett County School Advisory Council. He feels the process of fatality review is a great tool to address the critical issues of child fatality, and stresses the importance of submitting timely data. His advice to county review teams: "If there is one area where we can never get enough input, it is the area of education for prevention". If you have questions for Representative Everson, he can be reached at his office at 404-656-0188.

Important Legislation in 2007

Excerpt from the AJC, 03/01/2007, by Sonji Jacobs

On March 1, 2007, The Georgia Senate voted 45-10 in favor of a bill that would eliminate the state's seat belt exemp-

tion for pick-up trucks. There are more than 1.5 million pickup trucks on Georgia's roads, but many oppose the law to

require adults who ride in pickup trucks to wear seat belts, arguing that such a law would infringe on the personal free-

dom of Georgians. If Georgia removes the exception, the state likely would be eligible for a one-time allocation of

$20.7 million in federal funds. Minors are required to wear seat-belts in pick-up trucks under current law. SB 86 is now

headed to the House for approval.

Excerpt from the AJC,02/21/2007, by Sonji Jacobs

On February 22, 2007, The Georgia Senate voted 51-0 in favor of Senate Bill 60, a measure that

would create a trauma commission to oversee funding for emergency and catastrophic medical care

across the state. Georgia has a 20% higher death rate from trauma injuries than other states in the

country, with only 15 trauma centers statewide. A joint House and Senate study committee report

states that 700 lives each year could be saved if Georgia improved to reach the national average. The

Georgia Trauma Commission also would try to find ways to expand Georgia's trauma care network

by supporting other hospitals' emergency care services. The bill's sponsor said he and other lawmak-

ers would like the commission to have $85 million in initial funding. SB 60 now heads to the House for approval.

County Prevention Efforts in 2007

Gwinnett County

Emanuel County

Excerpt from the AJC, 02/26/07, by George Chidi
Jason Simms, a firefighter and medical technician for Gwinnett County, was recently honored by the Fire Department for his valor and bravery by saving the life of a 3-year-old girl last year after her mother's car collided with Simms' ambulance. Simms kept the child alive while he was still bleeding himself. Although the two adults in the car were both pronounced dead at the scene, Simms held the unconscious girl's airway open while he waited for other firefighters to arrive. His leg and chest were badly bruised, and he later found out that he had broken a rib, but the little girl survived.

Leigh Webb developed "Road Rules for Reid" when she lost her teenage son in a car crash last June. Accident reports say Reid was speeding and wasn't wearing his seat belt. Friends said he had been drinking earlier that day. The "Road Rules" are simple, small cards for teens that encourage safe driving: buckle up every time, slow down, put down the cell phone, and don't drink and drive. Leigh hopes that these cards will remind them of the dangers of driving distracted each time they get behind the wheel. In partnership with the Candler and Emanuel County CFR teams, the cards and memorial bracelets are being distributed at Reid's high

school and in the community. Visit

www.roadrulesforreid.com for more information.

Have you got a great program that you want to share? Is your county doing some-

thing that helps kids and parents to avoid injury and stay safe? Let us know and

share your story with other CFR teams! We look forward to hearing from you!

Together Everyone Achieves More

Please submit your county's stories of success or other ideas by June 15, 2007 to: The Office of Child Fatality Review 506 Roswell Street, Suite 230 Marietta, Georgia 30060
Phone: (770)528-3988 Fax: (770)528-3989 araheem@dhr.state.ga.us (Arleymah Raheem) or Glenda_m@bellsouth.net (Glenda Minter)
Page 3

Upcoming Events

April 3-7, 2007: The 8th annual "Building Successful Teams Conference" will be held in Atlanta. Please visit the CFR website for more information. April 16-20, 2007: The 15th "National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect" in Portland, OR. CFR staff will be presenting a workshop. Call 703-528-0435 for more information or to register. April 30-May 3, 2007: The 2007 CDC Diabetes Conference at the Atlanta Hilton in Atlanta. Please visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes/conferences/ for information.

July 15-17, 2007: Power of Prevention, the 23rd annual symposium of Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.preventchildabusega.org.
July 18-20, 2007: The Child Advocate Conference will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center. For more information, please visit www.gachildadvocate.org or call 1-800-254-2064.

CFR Deadlines and Timelines
CFR Committee Trainings will be held from April --June, 2007. The training dates and locations are posted on the CFR website (www.gacfr.dhr.georgia.gov/trainings), along with the registration forms. Some locations fill up fast, so register for your training soon! Call 770-528-3988 for more information.
2006 CFR reports should be submitted to the Office no later than July 31, 2007. Please call the Office if you need assistance in reviewing or reporting on 2006 child deaths. If your committee has not yet held a review meeting for all 2006 child deaths, please schedule one as soon as possible.
2006 Child Fatality Review and Child Abuse Protocol Annual Reports should be submitted to the Office by July 31, 2007. Please also submit these annual reports to your county's legal organ, the Judiciary Committee Chairman of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia State Senate (addresses posted on our website). Please call the Office at 770-528-3988 for more information.
****** If you would like to receive this newsletter in your email inbox, or if you would prefer to access the newsletter on our website, please contact the Office to remove yourself from the mailing list*****

Office of Child Fatality Review 506 Roswell Street, Suite 230 Marietta Georgia, 30060 Phone: 770.528.3988 Fax: 770.528.3989 Website: www.gacfr.dhr.georgia.gov

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT#292 MARIETTA,GA

In an effort to facilitate information sharing, we have developed this newsletter to bring us closer. Knowing that our goal is the protection of children and the prevention of child deaths, we want to include your experiences and ideas to improve the quality of services we provide. Please contact us with any suggestions on how to make the
Office of Child Fatality Review process helpful to you.
Go Team!