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Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health
150 N. 18th Avenue, Suite 320 Phoenix, AZ 85007-3242
Telephone: (602) 364-1400

Fall 2007

Recognizing the Signs & Symptoms of a Violent Relationship
October is Domestic Violence
Awareness Month. This is the time
set aside for advocates and others
working within the domestic violence
movement to raise awareness of the
issue, educate the public and increase support for those persons
that experience violence in their personal relationships.



There are some “red flags” or warning signs that may indicate a propensity to violence in interpersonal
relationships. If you, someone close
to you, or someone you know are
concerned about a relationship, asking these questions may be helpful:
 Are you afraid of your partner and how they act? (Are
you afraid to go home?)
 Do you make excuses for
your partner’s behavior to
family, friends or others?
 Does your partner embarrass you or make fun of you
in front of friends, family or
others?
 Does your partner use intimidation or threats to get
their way? Grab, hit, punch
or shove you?







Do you try not to do anything
that would make your partner angry? Does your partner blame you for everything
that doesn’t go right? Blame
you when they feel bad or
down?
Do you feel that no matter
what you say or do, it’s
never good enough?
Does your partner call you
several times a day, or show
up just to make sure you are
where you are “supposed” to
be?
Is your partner extremely
jealous? Do they get angry
when you spend time with
friends or family?

that is violent, do not expect yourself
or that person to leave immediately,
although that may seem the best
course of action to take. Relationships are built over an extended period of time, and leaving one may
also take time. Safety is always the
first concern – take time to make a
safety plan! Make contact with persons and/or organizations that can
help you assess your relationship
and plan to leave safely, if that is
desired or necessary. Maintain contact with friends, family, and your
faith-based community. They can be
an invaluable source of strength and
support.

It is important to remember, violence
in an intimate relationship is NEVER
Elderly persons, teens, gay and les- your fault, and you are not alone!
bian persons, someone who has
Fully one-third of all women in this
been married for many years, or
country will experience violence in
someone who has been dating for an an intimate relationship at some
extended length of time may also
point in their life.
recognize some of the warning
signs.
For more information on shelters and
safe places for victims of domestic
If you or someone you know believe violence, safety planning and legal
they are in an intimate relationship
resources,
Continued on page 3

DEPRESSION DURING AND AFTER PREGNANCY
In general, clinical depression occurs
in approximately 15 to 25 percent of
the population, and women are twice
as likely as men to experience depression. Because women are more
likely to experience depression during
the primary reproductive years (age
25 to 45), they are especially vulnerable to developing depression during
pregnancy and after childbirth.
Women who develop these disorders
do not need to feel ashamed or alone;
treatment and support are available.
The US Department of Health and
Human Services has provided a

FREE booklet on this important subject. It is available to download or to
order up to 100 at a time. Please see
the below links and choose what
manner works the best for you.

Printer-friendly Perinatal Depression Booklet (628KB):
To order up to 100 booklets at a time:
http://www.ask.hrsa.gov/detail.cfm?Pu
bID=MCH00221

Inside this issue
Recognizing the signs of a violent
relationship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Depression during and after pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
All about bullying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
RMPHEC update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
AZ newborn hearing screening . . . 3
County prenatal block grant . . . . . . 3
Becoming a Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
New employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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ALL ABOUT BULLYING!
There are a number of reasons to be concerned about bullying among children and youth. These reasons range from the
prevalence of the problem to the impact on children who
bully.
Bullying can take many forms such as:
• Physical bullying, such as hitting or punching;
•

Verbal bullying, such as teasing or name-calling;

•

Nonverbal or emotional bullying, such as intimidating
someone through gestures or social exclusion

Children and youth also may be involved in cyber bullying,
which occurs when children or teens bully each other using
the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology. This
can include:
• Sending mean text, e-mail, or instant messages;
•

Posting nasty pictures or messages about others in
blogs or on Web sites;

•

Using someone else's user name to spread rumors
or lies about someone.

Who is bullied?
Studies show that between 15-25% of U.S. students are bullied with some frequency while 15-20% report that they bully
others with some frequency. (Melton et al, 1998; Nansel et
al, 2001)
Boys are more likely than girls to bully others. Girls frequently report being bullied by both boys and girls, but boys
are most often bullied only by other boys.
What are the consequences of bullying? Children and youth
who are bullied are more likely than other children to be depressed, lonely, anxious; have low self-esteem, feel unwell,
and think about suicide.
How aware of bullying are adults? Adults are often unaware
of bullying problems. In one study, 70% of teachers believed
they intervene "almost always" in bullying situations; only
25% of students agreed with this assessment. (Charach et
al, 1995)

Fall 2007

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PUBLIC HEALTH
EDUCATION CONSORTIUM UPDATE
The mission of the Rocky Mountain Public Health
Education Consortium (RMPHEC) is to improve
health among women, children and families by increasing the knowledge, skills, and capacity of the
current and future public health workforce, organizations and systems through:
• Workforce development
• Collaborative research
• Community engagement
One of the Consortium’s greatest successes is the
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Certificate Program
offered by the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.
The Certificate Program is a terrific way for MCH staff
to enhance their expertise in scholarship, leadership,
and partnership in MCH practice. It is designed to
provide working public health professionals with an
opportunity to participate in a part-time, 12 month
graduate education program that uses a variety of
learning methods. Web-based courses are included,
focusing on fundamentals of public health, program
planning and evaluation, MCH data interpretation,
cultural factors, formative research, and specialized
areas such as children with special needs, substance
abuse, and nutrition and physical activity. For more
information, check out the website at
http://www.publichealth.arizona.edu/mch.
Another exciting activity is happening in RMPHEC
under the leadership of Dr. Rhonda Johnson at the
University of Alaska Anchorage. Several community
and academic partners are currently completing work
on several case modules entitled, “Frontier Models of
Leadership: Learning from Communities”. This collaborative web-based course is currently being piloted and revised as needed over the next few
months; initial modules should be available by late
2007, with the development of at least one additional
module planned for 2008. For more information,
please feel free to contact Dr. Johnson at
Rhonda.Johnson@uaa.alaska.edu or 907-786-6545.

If you're not already familiar with the Stop Bullying Now (SBN!) website, please visit: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov
You can order resources by calling 1 888 ASK HRSA. Most of them can also be downloaded directly from the website.
References for Articles Cited Above:
McEvoy, A. (September, 2005). Teachers who bully students: Patterns and policy implications. Paper presented at the Hamilton Fish Institute’s Persistently Safe Schools Conference. Philadelphia, PA, September 11-14, 2005.
Olweus, D. (1996). Bullying of students by teachers. Bergen, Norway.
Twemlow, S. W., Fonagy, P. ., Sacco, F. C., & Brethour, J. R., Jr. (2006). Teachers who bully students: A hidden trauma. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 52, 187-198.

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Fall 2007

RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF A
VIOLENT RELATIONSHIP CONTINUED...

ARIZONA NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING
MAKING THE GRADE

call the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence: (602)
279-2900/(800) 782-6400 & TTY: (602) 279-7270 or the
National 24 hour Domestic Violence Hotline (800) 799-7233
& TDD (800) 787-3224.

A recent article in the journal Pediatrics, “Medical
Home for Children With Hearing Loss: Physician Perspectives and Practices,” summarized survey data
from Rhode Island. 59% of surveyed pediatricians
see themselves as the medical home for their patients with hearing loss but only 43% were well informed of services for their patients.

For more information about domestic violence, these web
sites may be helpful:
• http://endabuse.org/ - Has good information about Health
Issue and DV and Battered Immigrant Issue and DV
• http://www.ncadv.org – A good link to many web sites and
resources nationally
• http://www.nwnetwork.org/ - for Gay, Lesbian, bisexual
and trans-gender population
• http://www.elderabusecenter.org/ - Elder abuse issues
• http://www.cpsdv.org/ - Sexual Assault and DV - Also has
a focus on the religious response to DV

COUNTY PRENATAL BLOCK GRANT: PUBLIC
HEALTH’S “SILENT SOLUTION”
The County Prenatal
Block Grant (CPBG) was
established in 1996 to
address the needs and
issues of women of childbearing age in order to
reduce infant mortality,
low birth weight and premature birth. While the
County Prenatal Block
Grant exists in all 15
counties, many people
throughout the state of
Arizona are not aware this
program. The CPBG is
non-competitive and is
funded with state passthrough dollars. Each
county determines what is
needed in their community
and utilizes CPBG funding
to fill those needs. Every
year the counties do a
miraculous job of addressing the needs of women
that would otherwise go
unmet.
Many services have funding sources that require
specific criteria be met
and in some cases, low

income women aren’t eligible for those services.
The CPBG is available to
fill those gaps. For example, in one CPBG program, pregnant women
participate in prenatal
education classes that are
funded by another program; the CPBG is able to
fund additional women to
attend these existing
classes. In these classes
women learn how periodontal disease may be
linked to premature birth.
The women also receive a
free dental exam and free
dental cleaning. Other
examples of CPBG services include car seat
safety classes and free
car seat distribution, nurse
home visitation to high risk
pregnant women, bonding
classes for new dads,
childbirth education
classes, douhlas, breastfeeding education and
support, lead poison
screening, and assistance
to access community

In Arizona, the Office of Newborn Screening has a
mandate to collect results of all hearing screening
tests. We assist audiologists and pediatricians in
connecting their patients to services available in their
local areas. Our efforts have been very successful
and healthcare providers statewide remain confident
about the progress being made to elevate the priority
of early hearing detection and intervention. Finding
hearing loss early in a child’s life allows for normal
development of communication and language skills.
The Pediatrics article highlights that pediatricians are
certainly motivated but “additional educational efforts
and strategies for enhanced care coordination are
needed to develop an effective, seamless medical
home for children with permanent hearing loss.” The
Office of Newborn Screening maintains close relationships with the statewide network of individuals
and organizations devoted to children with hearing
loss. We also continue to enhance our website,
www.AZnewborn.com, as the main way to educate
parents, healthcare providers, and the general public
regarding everything related to newborn screening in
Arizona. Check it out today.
Source:
Dorros C. Medical Home for Children with Hearing
Loss: Physician Perspectives and Practices. Pediatrics 2007; 120; 288-294.
services such as Baby
Arizona, WIC and
AHCCCS.
The CPBG program helps
to insure that women of
childbearing age and infants up to the age of two
years can receive a full
continuum of care, particularly in rural areas.
Over 20,000 women and
children are served each
year through CPBG pro-

grams. For the women
who participate in this
program, birthweight has
gone up, breastfeeding
has increased and women
receive prenatal care earlier than the general population.

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Fall 2007

Becoming a bureau...
The Office of
Women’s and Children’s Health recently became the
Bureau of Women's
and Children's
Health. This change
was implemented in
order for the Public

Health Prevention
Services which is
part of the Division of
Public Health, to be
more closely aligned
with the other half of
the division - the
Preparedness side.
What that essentially

meant is a lot of retitling of offices into
bureaus and in some
cases, sections into
offices. The Bureau
of Women’s and
Children’s Health
consists of four offices: Office of New-

born Screening, Office of Community
Services, Office of
Planning, Education,
and Partnership and
the Office of Assessment and
Evaluation. This has
been a smooth tran-

sition and we are
happy to call ourselves a bureau.

New Employees Since Our Last Edition

Tamara Rhoderick
Newborn Screening

Troi Baker
Newborn Screening

Diane Gates
Newborn Screening
Office Chief

Davina Benally
Newborn Screening