Safe Sleep Webinar

Systems for Safe Sleep: Purposefully Building Programs for Effective Public Health Partnerships
This series explores the topic of safe sleep through the lens of the Multi-Sectoral Influences Matrix (M-SIM), a tool that helps broadly scope programs and meaningfully engage the full spectrum of partners and perspectives that are affected by an intervention.

Webinar 1: Systematically Assessing Safe Infant Sleep Interventions Using the Multi-Sectoral Influences Matrix (M-SIM)
Participants will learn about the M-SIM, a tool developed by Dr. Carolyn Cumpsty-Fowler of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University. The M-SIM is used for assessing feasibility, relevance, challenges, and opportunities, as well as for generating stakeholder-informed question strategies that can facilitate effective and thoughtful public health program design. Dr. Fowler provides an overview of the M-SIM, Merissa Yellman of Synergy America, Inc./CDC discusses a community safe sleep program analysis using the M-SIM, and Jane Herwehe shares how the tool is being used in the Louisiana Office of Public Health/Bureau of Family Health’s safe sleep work. Access the webinar here.

Webinar 2: A Public Health Approach to Safe Sleep: Implementing and Evaluating a Multi-Level Program
Presenters discuss Tennessee’s approach to safe sleep and provide ideas on how to apply their approach at the community level. Tennessee has had a great deal of success with its safe infant sleep programming and has worked with hospitals, parents, providers, and the business community to implement a multi-faceted prevention campaign that has shown positive results. Importantly, these results are known because each arm of the program has included an evaluation that captures what and how the work was done, as well as its impact. Access the webinar here.

Webinar 3: Walking the Line Between Public Health Messages and Lived Experience: Constructive Conversations and Unlikely Alliances
Presenters address how safe sleep communication campaigns can cause conflict between public health and other professionals involved in infant and family health (i.e. breastfeeding advocates). Terri Miller from the Georgia Department of Health shares her story about the positive working relationship that developed between public health and maternal and child health in relation to Georgia’s Safe to Sleep Campaign. Linda Smith, co-author of Sweet Sleep: Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family, shares her perspectives on the balance between women and baby’s need for sleep, nourishment, safety, and closeness. Jane Herwehe of the Louisiana Department of Health provides final commentary on the webinar series, connecting each presentation back to the M-SIM. Access the webinar here.