Jordan Institute for Families Spring Newsletter

Safe, Stable, and Nurturing Families Help Everyone Achieve their Fullest Potential

September 2019

Welcome to Fall!

In the preface to her book, Did I Tell You I Love You Today , Mrs. Deloris Jordan writes that “Love is every bit as important a human need as food, clothing, or shelter because it’s one of the early experiences that determine how we view ourselves and relate to others. It is important to say that we love our children, but it is even more important to make them feel loved.” What a great call to action for the fall - a charge to elevate strategies that help families love and care for each other. And a reminder that in the midst of the busy back to school transition we need to make time to connect with each other.

The Jordan Institute for Families had a really productive summer. Below are some highlights from the past three months. We have lots ahead this fall with some sneak peaks below! Do you have ideas? Questions? An interest in partnering? We want to hear from you! Click to contact Sarah Verbiest , Director.

Getting Ready to Launch NewMomHealth.Com

After months of conversations with new mothers, content development, expert feedback, and mom blog networking, the 4th Trimester Project is gearing up to publish this new national resource on postpartum health and wellness. A partnership between the Jordan Institute for Families and the Center for Maternal and Infant Health in the School of Medicine, this site is the first step in a larger movement to change the way America treats new moms. The site will be introduced to the world on September 23rd so bookmark the date and give it a look! The team has invested time engaging potential funders and supporters to ensure that the launch is the beginning of life-changing work not just the push of a button. Click here to learn more about the 4th Trimester Project.

A New Partnership to Save Mothers

In August the JIF team had the opportunity to meet Charles Johnson and Eva Perry from the 4Kira4Moms organization. A planned 1 hour meeting ended up lasting 5 hours - long into the evening. The conversation centered on the reality that black women and American Indian / American Native women over the age of 30 are 4-5 times more likely to die due to pregnancy related medical reasons than white women. The gap for black women with a college degree or higher is 5.2 times higher than their white counterparts. For Charles and his boys, this isn't about numbers - it is about Kira and the racism that took her life. You can listen to Charles share his experience and talk about his beautiful wife Kira Dixon Johnson here . While telling Kira's story will always be essential, Charles and Eva have joined forces with the Jordan Institute and 4th Trimester Project to accelerate the speed of change to push that story into action. We are teaming up on a number of new projects including a Mother's Bill of Rights, maternal death response teams, training, and a special focus on engaging men and the role they can play in advocating for the women in their lives.

This beautiful clip of Charles reading Dream Big written by Mrs. Jordan to his boys is what family is all about.

Diverse Perspectives: Women of Color in a Changing Political and Policy Landscape

On July 24th an august group of legislators and academic leaders came together for a candid discussion about the challenges women leaders of color face in North Carolina today and the strategies they use for being heard . Dr. Felicia Arriaga (Appalachian State), Rep. Sydney Batch (Wake County), Dr. Shakiera Causey (Duke), Rep. Farmer-Butterfield (Wilson County), Dr. Erica Payton (UNC Greensboro), Dr. Nina Smith (NC Central), and Rep. Evelyn Terry (Forsyth County) shared candidly and honestly about the realities of their experiences and all that they bring to essential conversations in North Carolina. Their stories also highlighted the intersectionality of their lives and experiences.

Speakers noted the important role that allies can play by making space for other voices and by respecting and trusting the ideas and expertise of women of color. People who are white should recognize their privilege and use it to make the way clearer for those whose perspectives need to be heard. The evening was unique in the space that was created that made room for bold speaking, listening, learning and shared presence. Attendees included the Secretary of State and other Cabinet members as well as leaders of state agencies, legislators, scholars, and advocates. It was an honor to be in that room and an open door for future gatherings as well.

The Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) is a resource that connects journalists, policymakers, and civic leaders to scholars and their research. JIF Director Dr. Sarah Verbiest was recently invited to join Dr. Deondra Rose from Duke (pictured below) and Dr. Lindsey Haynes-Maslow from NC State as Co-Directors of the North Carolina Chapter. This work is aligned with the JIF's focus on equity and doing more to leverage policy to work on behalf of families. To learn more click here .

Upcoming Activities and Events

Dr. Paul Lanier and his team continue to build the JIF portfolio on early childhood with the publication of a report on the

Preschool Development Grant B-5 Survey of Early Childhood Education Data Users. This report is part of a larger initiative to transform the early childhood system in NC beginning with improvement of data use. The report will be available on the JIF website in a few weeks. This work is aligned with the Governor's Early Childhood Action Plan - click here to read it.

JIF is co-sponsoring the NC Home Visiting Summit Nov 12-14 in Greensboro and the Wicked Problems of Child Welfare Conference Oct 22-23 in Chicago. We will also be working with Livis Freeman's class to build a new marketing and communication plan!

Summer Institute: Beginning the Conversation on Equity and Implementation Science

Bridging the "know-do" gap is a top priority for the School of Social Work and for the JIF. Too often programs that work in a research setting fall short when they hit the "real world." Further, bias on the part of researchers, program designers, and local leaders influence the application of evidence in a way that can miss the mark for people who may need it the most. This year the Summer Institute identified strategies for equitable implementation of innovations and evidence-based practices and provided attendees with tools to use evidence to promote equitable outcomes for people and communities. A partnership between the JIF and the National Implementation Research Network, the Institute was extended an extra day this year to allow space for attendees to participate in a 3.5 hour racial equity training as well as a session on implementation science practice basics.

This year's Institute included a number of nationally known leaders in the field who underscored the importance of stakeholder engagement, reframing Implementation Science (IS) to address healthcare inequities, and using a culturally responsive and racial equity lens to advance the field of IS. Breakout workshops offered skill building in areas such as data visualization, group dynamics, policy and IS practice strategies.

We appreciate Institute sponsors including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the UNC School of Education and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Co-Directors Allison Metz and Sarah Verbiest offer gratitude to co-planners Dr. Todd Jensen, and Amanda Farley, as well as all of the facilitators who helped make the event a success. To access the videos and handouts from the Institute please click here . To access a wealth of IS resource please visit the NIRN website here .

Lifting Up Refugee Families

Rebecca Martinez Fitzgerald spent her summer interning with the Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Initiative, within the UNC School of Social Work. In addition to the many hours she spent working with refugee families, Rebecca also shared her communications skills with the team. As a former reporter with WUNC, Rebecca wanted to elevate what she was learning about the families she was serving. She wrote about language inequity, hope, policy, and family separation. Please read her blogs to learn more about this issue and important work underway. Thank you Rebecca and the whole RMHW team for the work you are doing. #dontlookaway

Fatherhood 2.0

The fathers of today are taking on expanded roles in parenting their children. The 2019 NC Fatherhood Meeting called for action on the part of agencies and organizations to do more to engage and encourage men in new ways. JIF partner Dr. Paul Lanier highlighted the fact that 1 in 3 children in NC live in single parent homes, and of those fathers make up 25% of all single parent families. Further, 90% of these dads are also in the workforce. He underscored the necessity of reinventing our approach to fatherhood. Engaged dads can uniquely influence their children and support their partner. We need to redesign our systems to fit the fathers of the future. To watch the video of the conference click here . All the speakers are great - Paul's presentation starts at minute 15.

Supporting Working Parents

Women who work and want to provide human milk to their children need clean, comfortable spaces to express milk during the day. This summer the JIF team noticed that the School's lactation room needed an upgrade. The new moms on the team had many ideas of things to add including; pillows, a lamp with a phone charger, paintings on the wall, breast pads, wipes and a basket of supplies that might come in handy. Faculty and staff in the School have begun to donate extra pump supplies and other items as well. We recognize the commitment and love it takes to provide human milk to children and want to support all people in our space in their e fforts to feed their babies.

On the policy front, this summer Governor Cooper signed Executive Order No. 95 providing paid parental leave to certain eligible state employees. JIF Director Sarah Verbiest was at the North Carolina Executive Mansion for the signing. Dr. William Roper, the Interim President of the UNC System, will be presenting a proposal to the UNC Board of Governors at the September 2019 meeting to approve a paid parental leave benefit - extending this policy to include University employees! The benefits of paid family leave are many and include increased breastfeeding, lower depression, and higher worker retention.

Welcome New Team Members!

DANIELA CERON

Daniela has joined the Jordan Institute this year as our Research Assistant. She is a first year MSW student. She grew up in Winston-Salem and earned her undergraduate degree from Elon University in 2018 in Strategic Communication and Religious Studies. Daniela spent last year living in Alamance County working for a collective impact organization to improve education outcomes. She identifies as Latina and is passionate about raising the voice of her community by promoting social justice and equity. We are excited to have Daniela and her many talents on the team this year.

NKECHI CHARLES

Nkechi has also signed on to work with the Jordan Institute this year focusing particularly on the 4th Trimester Project and related initiatives. Nkechi earned her Masters in Global Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and has a wealth of experience domestically and in Africa. She is a doctoral candidate in the Maternal and Child Health Department at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research pursuits are at the intersection of MCH and behavioral health, addressing health disparities through evidence-based interventions. Nkechi is particularly interested in the ecological complexities that influence maternal health behavior and outcomes. She is also the mom of two beautiful little girls.

Skill Building on group dynamics from the Summer Institute

Capturing Ideas for Change

Pre-Summer Institute Racial Equity Training

Building on the Jordan legacy, we leverage evidence, policy, collaboration, innovation, and the wisdom of communities to work together to create the conditions where ALL families can thrive.

Bookmark: www.JordanInstituteforFamilies.org