More About the Injury Prevention Network
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), in collaboration with the San Francisco Injury Center for Research and Prevention (SFIC), developed a statewide injury prevention leadership network (the Network) with support from Kids' Plates, a specialty license plate program which raises money to fund child health and safety programs in California. The Network is the next step in the continuing efforts of the statewide Injury Prevention Leadership Initiative (IPLI), a group that began in 2004 to coordinate the training and preparation of mid-level professionals with significant experience working in injury prevention.
The IPLI perceived a need for ongoing strong statewide leadership in the field. Although California has been looked to as a leader in injury control programs and policy, injury prevention continues to be a secondary focus of public health prevention efforts and is generally under-funded. To continue making strides in the field, there is a need to support the transfer of leadership skills, core competencies, and advocacy approaches to emerging future leaders.
A survey of injury prevention professionals at the annual state injury prevention conference and by mail showed wide support for the concept of a network. With input from the surveys and through several conference calls, staff from SFDPH and SFIC found that sharing resources and networking were as important as leadership development. Many of the injury prevention professionals stated that there were sufficient leadership trainings available to them but that they lacked a way to have ongoing discussions with other professionals. Such discussions and connections were often begun at the state conference, but there was no established route to continue them.
Approximately one-third of the professionals surveyed work for a city, county, or local health department. Others work for hospitals, community based organizations, tribal health organizations, law enforcement, auto clubs, universities, and foundations. They are engaged in a wide variety of injury issues, from drowning to passenger safety and from changes at the individual level to shifts in policy and legislation.
The Network primarily has taken place online. The size of California, and the resulting difficulty and expense of travel, has made the web the most practical and inclusive site for the Network's members. Members have also arranged their own informal meetings and telephone conferences.
In designing the website for the Network, the key components employed were simplicity, clarity, a way for members to give input, and responsiveness. Email alerts to members and prospective members directed them to new listings on the site and prompted use of the site.
This comprehensive website includes a program description, resources, and listings of events and jobs and funding possibilities for injury control. The 'members-only' section contains discussion boards on injury mechanisms, skills development, and relevant policy areas. The other key aspect of the 'members-only' section is access to other members' contact information, including their areas of current practice and expertise. Thus, members can participate in an online discussion or contact each other directly. The Network is in touch with several hundred professionals and expects to serve at least 50 professionals actively in its first year.
Membership in the Network is free and is obtained by request. As more people request membership and submit their contact information, the contact listing has become more meaningful as the members are more able to locate other members who are conducting similar programs, are available for consultation, or who would simply like to participate in a discussion on a topic of mutual interest.
As the Network has continued to connect injury prevention professionals to a variety of important and relevant resources, it has increasingly garnered support. Membership in the Network will be required for programs seeking funding through the Kids' Plates grant program in the next funding cycle.
As the creators and caretakers of this Network, we believe that this kind of resource will be useful for other professional groups. We hope that our Network will serve as a model and inspiration to other public health workers for sharing resources, developing skills, and making much-needed professional connections.