We hope to increase communication with our many diverse partners within Marion County and in the community. Each quarter we highlight selected programs, share information about events & resources, and share ways you can be involved in healthy local activities.
This special edition of the Marion County Health Promotion & Prevention Newsletter highlights the amazing community work going on to support the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). This edition has opportunities to be involved in the strategic planning process that will be taking place to make our community a healthy, thriving place to live, work, and play!
What's in this Article
Upcoming Trainings
Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network: A variety of prevention focused webinars from health experts nationwide will be occurring through the PTTC Network. Some upcoming webinars include:
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Wildfire Updates
On Wednesday, December 2, Marion County will host a Wildfire Recovery Virtual Town Hall on Facebook Live. Representatives from Marion and Linn Counties and FEMA will share the latest information about recovery efforts. Questions can be submitted ahead of time to commissioners@co.marion.or.us. |
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Use the following links to watch:
Additional resources and information can be found at:
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COVID-19 Updates
The Marion County COVID-19 Liaison Community Partner Calls occur every Tuesday in December at 10:00am. These meetings are designed for community partners to receive updates about COVID-19 from Marion County Health and ask questions to our COVID-19 Liaison Team and Incident Commander. |
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COVID-19 & Healthy Holidays
Holiday Recommendations During COVID-19
Since entering the colder, wetter part of the year, we have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases throughout Marion County. As you plan activities this winter, please take the following precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Whenever possible, gather outdoors instead of indoors.
- When you do host a gathering, limit the number of attendees. Indoor gatherings with more than six people are not recommended.
- Remember to stay at least six feet away from those who do not live in your home, whether you're at the grocery store or talking with friends. Keeping a physical distance from others is an effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Please wear a mask! Masks prevent you from spreading the virus to others, and others from spreading it to you. Wear one whenever you are near others who don't live in your home.
If we all work together and follow these simple tips, we can keep our family, friends, and ourselves healthy and safe this season. For more information about COVID-19 safety this winter, visit: Healthy Winter (canva.com)
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Upcoming Testing Events (Various Dates)
Testing Events in Marion County
As of December 1, 2020, multiple free, bilingual COVID-19 Testing events are being offered in Marion County. For more information or to signup visit Marion County's COVID-19 Testing Webpage or call Enedina Lopez with Interface Network at 503-910-4908. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
- December 2, 2020: Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
- December 5, 2020: Centennial Park in Woodburn.
- December 9, 2020: Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
- December 16, 2020: Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
- December 19, 2020: Centennial Park in Woodburn.
- December 23, 2020: Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
- December 30, 2020: Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
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February 6, 2021
ILead Youth Leadership Summit
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Every year, the City of Salem, Marion County Health Promotion & Prevention, and various non-profit organizations plan the ILead Youth Leadership Summit. The goal of ILead is to listen to concerns of high school aged teens and provide them with a place to learn leadership training, sessions to build resiliency in a changing world, and a place to connect with others from around Marion and Polk Counties. This year, ILead will be held online with the theme of looking past COVID-19, "The Start of a New Chapter."
All high school aged teenagers in Marion & Polk County are encouraged to attend! For more information, and updates on when registration will open, visit:
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Marion and Polk Counties are unique communities, and we have faced unprecedented health challenges since completing our 2019 Community Health Assessment (CHA). Over the course of 2018 we engaged our community in a rigorous assessment and determined that our community’s most pressing health issues are connected to behavioral health, substance use, and housing. |
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With population health data in hand, our next step was to keep up the momentum and write a strategic, community-driven plan to improve our top health issues. Then the COVID-19 pandemic began. Responding to COVID-19 forced everyone to put their plans on hold whether it was for personal, professional, or community benefit.
Our community needed to prioritize responding to public health emergencies, but we can’t delay creating a CHIP any longer. In addition to the disruption and loss of life caused by COVID-19 and the Santiam Canyon wildfire, these events have exacerbated our community’s health issues connected to behavioral health, substance use, and housing, and heightened the severity and visibility of health inequities.
However, through these challenges Marion and Polk Counties have come together and formed stronger community bonds, built resilience, and learned more about public health and health inequities than ever before. The road to recovery is long, but we can take proactive steps to collectively promote stability, growth, and health for everyone – starting with our CHIP.
What is CHIP?
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The CHIP is a community-driven strategic plan that serves as a guide for the health system and other partners to improve population health and system performance. CHIP's create a map for achieving long-term, strategic goals to address community-identified health-related issues. |
Creating a CHIP will require broad outreach to individuals and organizations in Marion and Polk Counties that have knowledge, expertise, and lived experience with the three priority areas (Behavioral Health, Substance Use, and Housing).
Under different circumstances, we would perhaps hold community forums in person over the course of several months. Due to delays and social distancing requirements under COVID-19, we will host virtual community meetings over an accelerated timeline. Community members are invited to join a CHIP Work Group, which involves attending an orientation training session followed by two 2-hour sessions to develop goals and strategies for the Work Group’s priority area.
After the CHIP is published, participating community agencies and organizations will write action plans to implement the CHIP in our community.
Our Priorities: Behavioral Health, Substance Use, Housing
Call to Action
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We are inviting community members, like you, to join Work Groups that will help write the CHIP!
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Here is the link where you can register for a CHIP Leadership Orientation session and join a Work Group: www.eventbrite.com/e/chip-leadership-orientation-tickets-128172468303
Orientation Schedule
There will be 3 orientation sessions (but recruits only need to attend one):
December 8th 5:00-6:00pm (Tuesday)
December 9th 1:00-2:00pm (Wednesday)
December 10th 9:00-10:00am (Thursday)
Work Group Schedule
Substance Use: January 6th and 13th
Behavioral Health: January 20th and 27th
Housing: February 3rd and 10th
All sessions from 2:00-4:00pm
It is important for us to de-stress and take a deep breath, relax, and laugh. We hope this helps brighten up your day!
Community partners are thrilled to bring tools to strengthen educators and students as they adapt to these changing times.
Pacific Source CCO has awarded Marion County HHS Prevention Team, in coordination with Polk County, area school districts, and Willamette Education Service District (WESD), a Community Benefits Initiative (CBI) grant. These partners are coordinating to reach 400 educators and students through training and curriculum on the PAXIS Institute- Good behavior game (PAX GBG).
PAX GBG creates changes in behavior, extends self-regulation, and improves social-emotional learning in students. Given the new challenges we face in our community, this intervention would:
- Provide training as classrooms adjust to virtual learning;
- Manage the stress of economic and health challenges families have shared;
- Add to the skill base of educators across the learning spectrum to meet these challenges with upstream, prevention efforts.
PAX GBG not only improves classroom management, but it provides students with protection against the future risk of substance abuse in adulthood and death by suicide, increases the likelihood that students continue education and graduate high school, and provides students with the skills they need to mange social and emotional regulation. These protective factors are vital for our community at this time, especially after COVID-19 and the wildfires changed our daily routines. Learn more at www.goodbehaviorgame.org.
If you are an educator, or someone who works with youth and are interested in learning more about PAX GBG, the Prevention team is be excited to connect with you. Please email us at mchdprevention@co.marion.or.us.
Thank you to all the residents in our region working together to improve the health of students and families, and for caring for our educators who care for them. And thank you to our local CCO for investing in a collaborative, upstream, evidenced based, public health intervention to empower our community as we rebuild and adjust to life together.
Understanding Health Equity
Each quarter, Marion County Health Promotion & Prevention will provide insight into a population that is increasingly susceptible to health inequities. The hope is to educate our various partners and frame an issue in population health in a positive way. See below this quarters segment of Health Equity for All - Understanding Health Equity.
Health Equity is at the core of public health. The following infographic from the CDC outlines how our community can work together to decrease health inequities and increase the health of all Marion & Polk County residents. Join us during our Community Health Improvement Plan process to make a difference! Learn more at: www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/healthequity
The COVID-19 Pandemic has increased isolation for many people. Bilingual help is available for anyone needing resources or mental health supports during this uncertain time.
Marion County Health Promotion & Prevention will be highlighting various programs to keep you connected to the most important Health Promotion Topics in Spring 2021. Topics include Problem Gambling Awareness Month, more information on the PAXIS Social Emotional Learning for classrooms, and more. If there is a subject you would like covered, please email us at the email below.
We hope you and your family stay safe and healthy during the holiday season!
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