Inside this issue:
  • 2018 Positive Culture Framework Training
  • Staff Spotlight: Annmarie McMahill
  • Upcoming Webinars
  • Engaging Workplaces to Improve Health and Safety
  • Leadership Skills to Improve Health and Safety 
  • Psychological Reactance and Communication
  • Reducing Underage Drinking With Practical Tools That Develop Social and Emotional Skills
  • Communication: A Catalyst for Growing Positive Culture 
  • Moving Beyond Bystander Engagement: Growing Citizenship to Improve Health and Safety
  • Dr. Kari Finley in Spain for the 2018 Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Conference
  • 2018 Symposium
  • Other Center News
2018 Positive Culture Framework Training
We believe a cultural approach to public health is critical. Our research at the Center for Health and Safety Culture seeks to learn and share how to effectively address areas of action to improve health and safety in communities and in organizations. The Positive Culture Framework is our approach to improve health and safety from a cultural perspective. It recognizes that many different layers in a community (such as individuals, families, schools, and workplaces) or organization (such as executive leadership, managers, and supervisors) impact its culture. It is not enough just to focus on one layer. Instead, we need to engage all layers of the social ecology to address health and safety. When all layers share values, beliefs, and attitudes, a healthier and safer culture emerges and is sustained over time.
An important part of our work is to share what we have learned with others. The 2018 Positive Culture Framework Training will take place in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia on September 25-27. The training will cover our cultural transformation process and initiate the development of skills in three critical areas: leadership, communication, and the integration of effective strategies. 

Improving health and safety is an act of leadership – we are leading people to make healthier and safer choices. Changing cultural factors can be challenging, as people often resist questioning their core assumptions. Developing leadership skills increases this effectiveness.

Virtually all efforts to improve health and safety involve communication. Often, communication efforts addressing health and safety have minimal results and sometimes have even made the problem(s) worse. It is very important to ground communication efforts in strong research and to recognize that even conversations are critical communication opportunities. 
When we recognize the work of improving health and safety is about impacting many behaviors across the social ecology, we realize that there is no single strategy that will address complex issues (such as substance misuse prevention and violence prevention). Accepting that we need a portfolio of strategies means we must also accept the need to actively manage and align these strategies. This management and alignment of strategies is the work of integration. Developing skills in integration means we can foster better resource utilization, reduce competition and foster cooperation, align purpose, and increase the effectiveness of our efforts.

The 2018 Positive Culture Framework Training participants will leave with an understanding of how culture influences behavior, how they can cultivate cultural transformation, and specific next steps for implementing this process to achieve community health and safety goals.
The social ecology layers (individual, family and peers, schools and workplaces, and community)
September 25, 2018 | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Breakfast (8-8:30 AM)
  • Registration
  • Welcome, Introductions, Overview
  • Models for Engaging in Behavior Change
  • The Challenge of Perceived Culture: Actual vs. Perceived Culture
  • The Positive Culture Framework

September 26, 2018 | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Breakfast (8-8:30 AM)
  • Positive Culture Framework Seven Step Process
  • Positive Culture Framework Integration Skills for Evidence Based Strategies
  • Positive Culture Framework Communication Skills (Part 1)

September 27, 2018 | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Breakfast (8-8:30 AM)
  • Positive Culture Framework Communication Skills (Part 2)
  • Positive Culture Framework Leadership Skills
  • Resources and Next Steps
The Center is a designated provider for continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC). Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) can receive up to  16.0 Category I CECH in health education at the 2018 Positive Culture Framework Training. CECH are available at no additional cost.

Participants can also earn non-specific Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from Montana State University's Office of Academic Technology & Outreach (Continuing, Professional, and Lifelong Learning). CEUs are available for an additional $25.00.

Registration for the 2018 Positive Culture Framework Training closes on September 11, 2018 at 11:59 PM (MDT).
Staff Spotlight: Annmarie McMahill
Annmarie McMahill is the Center Manager and a Research Scientist II for the Center for Health and Safety Culture. She holds a Masters of Prevention Science from the University of Oklahoma and undergraduate degrees from the University of Wyoming. In her role at the Center, Annmarie assists with basic and applied research into the definition, measurement, and transformation of culture in addition to being responsible for the technical, financial, and administrative management of the Center.

After several years of traditional classroom teaching, Annmarie chose to focus her energies on the at-risk youth population and developed an independent and transitional living program for youth aging out of the foster care and juvenile justice systems in Wyoming. Seeing the need to strengthen the social ecology around youth she was serving directed her to the prevention field where she led a community prevention and wellness office addressing the issues of substance abuse, tobacco-free environments, child wellness, and chronic disease. Annmarie’s areas of interest continue to be focused on at-risk youth, as well as substance abuse prevention, comprehensive community development, and violence prevention.

Apart from work, Annmarie is an avid outdoorswoman. In her free time, she enjoys fly fishing, camping, kayaking, and traveling. Annmarie resides in Cody, Wyoming with her two children and her husband.
Photo of Annmarie McMahill
Photo of Annmarie McMahill presenting
Annmarie will be presenting at the National Prevention Network Conference on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 from 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT). Her presentation titled, “Reducing Underage Drinking in Montana with Practical Tools that Develop the Social and Emotional Skills of Parents and Their Children,” involves a recent study that found that Montana parents with higher social and emotional parenting skills were over six times more likely to engage in best-practices to reduce underage drinking. Her presentation will review social and emotional skills, how they are protective for youth, and a project creating practical tools for parents to reduce underage drinking and strengthen social and emotional skills.

Annmarie is also hosting a free webinar on December 18, 2018 at 12:00 PM (MST) titled, “Reducing Underage Drinking with Practical Tools that Develop Social and Emotional Skills.” The webinar aligns with her NPN presentation. It will review social and emotional skills, how they are protective for youth, and a project creating practical tools for parents to reduce underage drinking and strengthen social and emotional skills. Click here to register for the webinar.
Engaging Workplaces to Improve Health and Safety 
October 10, 2018 at 12:00 PM (MDT)
Speaker: Jay Otto, M.S. 

Often, efforts to improve health and safety focus on reaching children in schools. While this strategy is important, it neglects the need to address the behaviors of adults. Workplaces provide an important opportunity to engage adults about health and safety behaviors. In this webinar, we will explore definitions for healthy workplaces, the evidence base for workplace interventions, and future opportunities as to how workplaces could expand our portfolio of strategies to improve health and safety.
Leadership Skills to Improve Health and Safety
October 30, 2018 at 12:00 PM (MDT)
Speaker: Katie Dively, M.S., CHES

Improving health and safety and transforming culture are acts of leadership. But what leadership skills are necessary to support and sustain effective actions? This webinar will explore different leadership skills that are important to cultural transformation applicable to a variety of settings.
Psychological Reactance and Communication
November 20, 2018 at 11:00 AM (MST)
Speaker: Jay Otto, M.S.

Psychological reactance is a negative reaction triggered by a perception that something or someone is impinging on an individual's freedom and autonomy. Psychological reactance can impede efforts to improve health and safety on a wide variety of issues including traffic safety ("don't tell me to wear a seat belt"), prevention ("don't tell me how to raise my children"), and violence ("don't take my guns if I have been violent"). During this webinar, we will introduce the concept and ways to quiet the negative response. 
Reducing Underage Drinking With Practical Tools That Develop Social and Emotional Skills
December 18, 2018 at 12:00 PM (MST)
Speaker: Annmarie McMahill, M.S. 

A recent study found that Montana parents with higher social and emotional parenting skills were over six times more likely to engage in best practices to reduce underage drinking. During this webinar, we will review social and emotional skills, how they are protective for youth, and a project creating practical tools for parents to reduce underage drinking and strengthen social and emotional skills.
Communication: A Catalyst for Growing Positive Culture
January 16, 2019 at 12:00 PM (MST)
Speaker: Katie Dively, M.S., CHES

Communication includes a variety of methods ranging from mass media campaigns to leveraging the power of individual voices. This webinar will engage participants in developing a deeper understanding of how communication can be used as a catalyst to improve health and safety.
Moving Beyond Bystander Engagement: Growing Citizenship to Improve Health and Safety
February 12, 2019 at 12:00 PM (MST)
Speaker: Kari Finley, Ph.D.

Safety citizenship requires creating a culture that values "our safety" and empowers early identification of potential risk, being proactive, and bystander engagement. This webinar will introduce safety citizenship, which seeks to involve the majority of people engaging in safe behaviors to influence the smaller group engaging in risky behaviors.
Share the upcoming webinars with others!
Dr. Kari Finley in Spain for the 2018 Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Conference
Research scientists and practitioners from over 50 countries gathered together to share ideas and engage in conversations at the Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences held in Granada, Spain. This conference was a unique opportunity to explore: “Autonomy in Times of Turmoil: What to Make of the Social?” Dr. Kari Finley was honored to speak at the conference and share the work that we have been doing in partnership with the Traffic Safety Culture Pooled Fund around traffic safety citizenship. In Kari’s words: 

“Experiencing the culture of another country and engaging in conversations with people from around the world has provided me with new perspective and a renewed sense of curiosity about a variety of global issues impacting all of us. There were many opportunities at the conference to engage with one another and share diverse perspectives. Each of these experiences reaffirmed my belief in the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. I believe it is through this type of collaboration that new ways of thinking to tackle complex social issues emerge.”

Kari is hosting a free webinar on February 12, 2019 at 12:00 PM (MST) titled, “Moving Beyond Bystander Engagement: Growing Citizenship to Improve Health and Safety." The webinar will introduce safety citizenship, which seeks to involve the majority of people engaging in safe behaviors to influence the smaller group engaging in risky behaviors. Safety citizenship requires creating a culture that values "our safety" and empowers early identification of potential risk, being proactive, and bystander engagement. Click here to register for the webinar.
The 2018 Symposium was held in Bozeman, Montana at the historic Baxter Hotel on June 20-22, 2018. We explored concepts of positive culture, communication, leadership, safety citizenship, social and emotional development, psychological reactance, stigma, and engaging workplaces to improve health and safety. Attendees shared best practice in methods of cultural transformation, learned about the latest science regarding the relationship of culture with health and safety, and fostered new partnerships, knowledge, and insights.

Nearly 50 professionals and advocates from many health and safety fields including traffic safety, substance misuse, violence prevention, marketing, and more attended the Symposium. The event was kept small to allow for rich conversation and application to issues attendees faced in their everyday work. Attendees traveled from distances as far as the Northern Mariana Islands, Maryland, Florida, and Canada.

The Symposium is a biennial event. Please join our email list to get updates on our 2020 Symposium.
Other Center News
Since our previous newsletter, we have been a part of many informative and engaging events. Here’s what we have been up to in the past few months:
  • We held our first Symposium! Our remote staff traveled to Bozeman, MT for the event held in June.
  • Members of our staff traveled to the following locations for trainings and events:
  • Washington, DC
  • Boise, ID
  • Madison, WI
  • Weston, WV
  • Bozeman, MT
  • Granada, Andalusia, Spain
  • Jeckyll Island, GA
  • Honolulu, HI
  • Jay Otto presented his webinar, “What is the Positive Culture Framework?" Watch the webinar recording on our Youtube here.