St. Mary's County Board of Elections to Conduct Public Logic and Accuracy Testing
The St. Mary's County Board of Elections will conduct Logic and Accuracy Testing on the AccuVote Touch Screen Voting Units on Friday, October 10, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The Testing will be held at the Election Warehouse, 47382 Lincoln Avenue in Lexington Park (Old Carver Elementary School).
Please contact Wendy Adkins, St. Mary's County Election Director, with any questions at 301-475-7844 ext. 1613.
Health Department Seeking Proposals for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Training
St. Mary’s County Health Department is seeking proposals from community organizations to provide Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) training to local primary care providers and school counselors. The St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners allocated non-recurring county funds for fiscal year 2015 to address the substance abuse issues affecting St. Mary’s County residents. Utilizing the expertise of a team of community leaders on this topic, the Board of County Commissioners approved an initiative that calls for the St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) to contract with a community organization to provide SBIRT training to facilitate early detection and referral for treatment of substance abuse disorders. SBIRT is an evidence-based practice used to identify, reduce, and prevent problematic use, abuse, and dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs.
Up to $20,000 will be awarded to one community organization to implement the SBIRT training between approximately November 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 in the St. Mary’s County area. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit sealed proposals from community organizations to provide SBIRT training for local health care practices and assist with the inclusion of SBIRT as part of routine screening for children and adults to facilitate early screening and referral prior to the need for more extensive treatment.
The Health Department intends to make one award to a single contractor whose proposal is deemed most advantageous to SMCHD and who will be able to provide all services and meet all requirements of the proposal. The contractor shall:
-- Provide SBIRT training to local primary care providers
-- Provide SBIRT training to local school counselors
-- Provide technical assistance to primary care physicians on implementing a written organizational protocol for ensuring SBIRT delivery in their practices
-- Be responsible for training coordination, scheduling, materials, marketing and recruitment of participants
-- Provide clinical case consultation (not otherwise reimbursable by health insurance) and follow up referral information for consumers on an as needed basis
For more information about the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Training and request for proposals, please visit the health department’s website at www.smchd.org/rfp.
Health Department Promotes ABCs of Safe Sleep
The St. Mary’s County Health Department was awarded grant funds from the March of Dimes Maryland National Capital Area Chapter to support the ABCs of Safe Sleep for infants (Alone, on their Back, in a Crib). This grant is one of many that the March of Dimes provides in pursuit of its mission to prevent birth defects and infant mortality. With the awarded funding, the health department is providing Safe Sleep materials and education through individual and group trainings in the community. This strategy is known to increase use of safe sleep practices and reduce the risk of death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
“We will use the March of Dimes grant to purchase safe sleep sacks for the infants of mothers or care givers who complete the ABCs of Safe Sleep training,” said Michele Burnette, RN, Access to Care Director for the Health Department. “We are grateful to those volunteers who support the March of Dimes by participation in events like March for Babies and who donate in other ways. That participation and those donations make this grant possible,” she added.
The funded project expands upon the health department’s other efforts to promote maternal and child health. To learn about the maternal child health services provided by the St. Mary’s County Health Department, visit the agency’s website at www.smchd.org
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary heath agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by prevention of birth defects, premature births and infant mortality. For more information about March of Dimes and its awarded grants, visit the March of Dimes website at www.marchofdimes.org or its Spanish language website at www.nacersano.marchofdimes.org.