Informed Choices = Injury Prevention - Illicit and Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention

This course features a presentation made at Pulaski Technical College on November 8, 2012 for the Informed Choices = Injury Prevention Conference. The Injury Prevention Center of Arkansas Children's Hospital hosted the day-long event. 

The course details the national and state epidemic of youth drug abuse. Three leading experts, Fran Flener MSH, Laura James, M.D., and Jeffery Moran Ph.D., discuss the latest data, statistics and efforts Arkansas is taking to reduce one of the biggest threats to teen health. They explain that the most commonly abused drugs by teens nowadays are prescribed medications. Each presenter describes, in detail, the ill effects of teen drug abuse and provides suggestions for recognizing and preventing it.

The content in this course is graphic in nature.

Informed Choices = Injury Prevention - Head Bonks to Brain Injury

This course features a presentation made at Pulaski Technical College on November 8, 2012 for the Informed Choices = Injury Prevention Conference. The Injury Prevention Center of Arkansas Children's Hospital hosted the day-long event. 

Neurosurgeon, Dr. Richard Kyle is the featured expert in this course. Dr. Kyle introduces the anatomy and function of the brain. He also provides audience members with the opportunity to inspect a human brain. Dr. Kyle discusses types of brain injuries and explains common ways these injuries are sustained. Treatment options are reviewed as well. 

The content in this course is graphic in nature.

Informed Choices = Injury Prevention - Improving Playground Safety

This course features a presentation made at Pulaski Technical College on November 8, 2012 for the Informed Choices = Injury Prevention Conference. The Injury Prevention Center of Arkansas Children's Hospital hosted the day-long event. Lacye Vance, Recreation Specialist at UAMS, is the featured expert for this course. Ms. Vance identifies the mechanisms of injury on playgrounds as well as other injuries associated with hazardous equipment. She also offers strategies to reduce playground bullying.

Heat Illness: Hydration Awareness - Athletics/Best Practices: Parental Involvement

This course features Rhonda Fincher, co-founder of the Kendrick Fincher Hydration Foundation. The Kendrick Fincher Hydration Foundation exists to promote proper hydration and prevent heat illness through education and supporting activities. During this presentation coaches are provided with knowledge and encouragement to involve all stakeholders in hydration awareness.

Ms. Fincher's 13-year-old son, Kendrick, died from multi-system organ failure as a result of heat stroke following his first day of football practice in 1995. Since then, she has been active in educating parents, coaches, athletes and school children on the importance of proper hydration. Ms. Fincher has also published a book for grieving parents and others who better want to understand the grieving process entitled, Good Night Kendrick, I Love You - A Mother's Journal Through Grief.

This course is intended for the following audiences: athletic directors, coaches, and physical education teachers.

Heat Illness: Hydration Awareness - School & Parental Involvement

This course features Rhonda Fincher, co-founder of the Kendrick Fincher Hydration Foundation. The Kendrick Fincher Hydration Foundation exists to promote proper hydration and prevent heat illness through education and supporting activities. During this presentation educators and administrators are provided with knowledge and encouragement to involve all stakeholders in hydration awareness.

Ms. Fincher's thirteen-year-old son, Kendrick, died from multi-system organ failure as a result of heat stroke following his first day of football practice in 1995. Since then, she has been active in educating parents, coaches, athletes and school children on the importance of proper hydration. Ms. Fincher has also published a book for grieving parents and others who better want to understand the grieving process entitled, Good Night Kendrick, I Love You - A Mother's Journal Through Grief.

This course is intended for the following audience: classroom teachers, physical education teachers, and administrators.

Hidden Wounds: What You Don't Know About Cutting

"Hidden Wounds" is a dramatized story of 'Ashley' and how she copes with emotional pain through self-injury, interspersed with valuable information from seasoned Arkansas mental health and medical professionals. These professionals provide teachers, parents, and school counselors with much needed information on how to recognize signs and symptoms of self-injurious behavior, and how and where to access help for students in Arkansas who are suffering with this type of problem. This ArkansasIDEAS course is recommended for secondary level teachers, counselors, and administrators.

This course meets the mental health awareness components of ACA 6-17-708.

108 Degrees: Critical Response

Through personal testimonies from families who have been affected by exertional heat stroke and interviews with coaches, certified athletic trainers, kinesiologists, and other medical professionals, 108°: Critical Response looks at the seriousness of heat illness and its underlying causes, as well as how to treat and prevent exertional heat illness.

This course features the AETN documentary, 108°: Critical Response, which received the prestigious 2015 NETA award for achievements as a Teacher Resource in Instructional Media.

This course meets the heat illness prevention training requirements for coaches as set forth in ACA 6-18-708.

Something to Talk About: Suicide Awareness

This course meets the requirements of ACA 6-17-708. The rate of teen suicide is steadily rising in school communities, yet this growing trend is considered taboo by most and not up for discussion. Greg Adams, Program Coordinator for the Center for Good Mourning at Arkansas Children's Hospital, educates school communities about finding better ways to talk about suicide, which can be life saving. In this course, Mr. Adams addresses the challenges of talking about suicide and resolves the misconceptions that hinder our ability to prevent such an event. He also provides guidance on identifying the risks and warning signs of suicide, approaches to talking about it, and constructive responses for communities impacted by a suicide. Several resources are also provided to help in the prevention and postvention of suicide.

This course was taped on March 16-17, 2015 at the AETN studios in Conway, Arkansas.

This course meets the suicide awareness and prevention components of ACA 6-17-708.

Gatekeepers: Youth Suicide Prevention Awareness (Update 2015)

This course meets the requirements of Act 770 of 2011. Gatekeepers is a suicide awareness and prevention program made available through the Arkansas Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force. The purpose is to heighten suicide awareness in adults by providing knowledge about warning signs, risk factors, and protective factors. Many suicides are preventable if adults can recognize the warning signs and respond with specific intervention skills. Objectives for this course include: recognize the warning signs, distinguish between facts and myths about youth suicide, understand the risk factors for suicidal behaviors, demonstrate intervention strategies, and identify resources at school and in the community.

This presentation includes A Life Saved, a true story about a suicide intervention told by students and a guidance counselor. The video is appropriate to illustrate the value of teaching suicide prevention.

Bell Ringer: A Concussion Awareness Course for Arkansas Coaches

Every year, as many as 3.8 million brain injuries occur in athletics, and they are more common among children and students than star athletes. We often hear about concussions in professional football, but they can be a problem in any sport and at any age. To ensure the lifelong wellness of active youth, it’s essential to better understand the brain and the process of safely navigating brain injuries.

This course features the award-winning AETN documentary Bell Ringer: The Invisible Brain Injury. Through eye-opening interviews with former professional players, medical experts, and renowned researchers, we explore the short-term effects and long-term risks of concussions, how to handle them when they occur, and the best methods of preventing them altogether.

This course meets the concussion training requirements for coaches as set forth in ACA 6-18-708 and in support of ACA 6-18-710.