MFRP Quarterly Trainings Opportunities
Michigan Fatality Review and Prevention’s (MFRP) quarterly learning opportunities are open to all individuals involved in the fatality review and prevention space. Trainings focus on increasing an individual’s familiarity and comfort with salient topics to improve the overall effectiveness of fatality review discussions. These trainings will introduce emerging trends that impact not only fatality review and prevention, but the overall health and wellbeing of those involved in this work.
Social Determinants of Health
Date of Training: June 3, 2026 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET Register Here
Speakers: Dr. James Arthur and Dr. Fernando Ospina
Description: This session explores the complex relationship between social determinants of health (SDOH) and health outcomes. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how factors such as income, education, housing, access to healthcare, and social supports impact health outcomes. Through a review of evidence, data analysis, and interactive discussion, we will examine how social inequalities and differential access to opportunities impact communities, including the leading causes of early death across age groups. The session will also propose possible community-based interventions and cross-sector collaborations to address both immediate needs of children and families as well as long-term solutions.
Suicide Prevention in the Digital Age: Recognizing Warning Signs and Accessing Support
Date of Training: September 9, 2026 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET Register Here
Speaker: Danielle Sackrider
Description: Join us for an informative and compassionate talk focused on suicide prevention, where we will discuss how technology and digital behavior can influence mental health. You’ll learn how to recognize important warning sign both online and offline and hear firsthand about the resources available in our community and beyond. Whether you’re concerned for yourself or someone you care about, this training will empower you to spot potential risks and find help. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights, ask questions, and connect with support networks dedicated to saving lives. This is a community conversation on mental health and technology.
Recognizing Early Warning Signs: Sentinel Injuries and Missed Opportunities to Prevent Child Injury and Death
Date of Training: November 18, 2026 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET Register Here
Speaker: Dr. Debra Simms
Description: Children are one of the most vulnerable population groups, relying on adults for every aspect of life when they are little, but how do we know if a child is actually safe behind closed doors? This training equips participants with the knowledge and tools to recognize signs of child maltreatment, understand risk factors, and take proactive steps to protect children.
2026 Infant Safe Sleep 101 Trainings
Description: One way professionals can protect the lives of infants in Michigan is through an understanding of safe sleep habits and ensuring better education for the families we encounter through our work. Through a contract with the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI), the Infant Safe Sleep 101 training will be provided virtually and is approximately 90 minutes in length. It is designed to raise awareness among child welfare case managers regarding the importance of engaging parents and caregivers in following safe sleep guidelines. This training will provide staff with knowledge surrounding safe sleep practices, an understanding of policy as it relates to safe sleep, how to reduce infant deaths due to unsafe sleep, and how to engage families in discussion regarding the importance of safe sleep practices. Contact Kim Pickett (kpickett@mphi.org) for any questions.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Dates:
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 from 10:00 – 11:30AM Register Here
Thursday, September 17, 2026 from 10:00 – 11:30AM Register Here
Thursday, December 10, 2026 from 10:00 – 11:30AM Register Here
Previous Trainings
Connecting Communities: Understanding Michigan 211 and Its Role in Meeting Critical Needs
Recorded: March 11, 2026
Presenter: Sarah Kile; Director of Community and Partner Engagement
Description: Michigan 211 is a free, confidential resource that connects individuals and families to over 27,000 programs and services statewide. This training will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of Michigan 211’s operations, the most common reasons individuals reach out for help, and how professionals across disciplines can leverage this system to support community well-being. Michigan 211 is not just for individuals—it’s a tool for law enforcement, social workers, nurses, teachers, CPS, and other mandated reporters to connect families with critical supports before crises escalate. Professionals can use Michigan 211 to prevent child maltreatment and family crises by linking families to community-based supports early, reducing reliance on CPS interventions.
Empowering Public Health through Lived Experiences in Native American Communities
Recorded: November 13, 2025
Presenter: Melissa Bailey, Maternal Child Health Nurse, Healthy Start Program, Nimkee Public Health Department , Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Description: In this presentation, we will explore the critical intersections of public health, lived experiences, and prevention initiatives within Native American communities. Our discussion will highlight the importance of understanding and integrating the lived experiences of tribal members into public health strategies to create more effective and culturally relevant prevention initiatives. By examining initiatives, we will uncover how public health professionals can collaborate with Native American communities to address social determinants of health and implement innovative prevention strategies. This presentation will also provide insights into the challenges and successes of integrating lived experiences into public health practice, ultimately aiming to inspire and inform future prevention efforts.
Engaging People Who Use Drugs: A Public Health Approach to Harm Reduction
Recorded: August 13, 2025
Presenters: Dr. Colleen Lane, Medical Director Addiction Medicine at Corewell Health and Daniel Wicklund, Nurse Practitioner Addiction Medicine at Corewell Heatlh
Description: This training session focuses on the public health approach to harm reduction as an effective method for engaging people who use drugs into treatment. Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. It is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs.
Participants will learn about the principles and practices of harm reduction, including how to create a supportive environment that encourages individuals to seek treatment. The training will cover various harm reduction strategies such as needle exchange programs, supervised consumption sites, and the distribution of naloxone to prevent overdose deaths.
Team Health is Contagious: Telling Stories to Save Lives
Recorded: May 21, 2025
Presenters: Susanna Joy and Edege Vales, Senior Project Coordinators, National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention, MPHI
Description: In this presentation, we will explore the critical components of building a healthy team culture, focusing on the importance of psychological safety, inclusion, and effective communication. We will delve into the concepts of burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS), examining how they impact team dynamics and individual well-being. Join us as we discuss practical habits and strategies to foster a supportive and productive team environment, ensuring that team health truly becomes contagious.
Navigating Tough Talks: How to Have Difficult Conversations in Fatality Review
Recorded: March 26, 2025
Presenter: Vanessa Fry, Consultant at MPHI
Description: This session is designed to introduce professionals to skills and strategies that can help effectively navigate and facilitate difficult conversations during child death reviews. Participants will learn how to approach sensitive topics with empathy and confidence and maintain a constructive dialogue. The training will cover key techniques such as active listening and conflict resolution, providing practical tools on how to better communicate with families, colleagues, and fatality review teams.
Biomechanics of Infant Safe Sleep, Infant Product Safety, and Marketplace Dangers
Recorded: October 29, 2024
About: From 2010 through 2021, approximately 146 Michigan infants died due to sleep-related causes each year. This equates to about 3 infants each week. One way professionals can support families and protect the lives of infants in Michigan is through deepening their understanding of the biomechanics of infant safe sleep, which focuses on understanding how infants’ bodies interact with their sleeping environments to ensure safety and prevent injuries. This session delves into the critical role of biomechanics research in enhancing the safety of commercial products designed for infants. Participants will explore how scientific studies have informed the development and safety standards of products such as inclined sleepers and other seated devices. The session will also cover the application of biomechanics in understanding and mitigating risks associated with these products, ensuring a safer environment for infants.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore how biomechanics research has been used to understand safety in commercial products for infants, especially in inclined sleepers and other seated products.
- Explain how easily available unsafe infant sleep products can be obtained even after they’ve been recalled and/or banned and how it effects safe sleep education.
Opioid Overdose Prevention for Community Providers
Recorded: August 30, 2023
Presenter: Gina Dahlem, PhD, FNP-C, FAANP. Dr. Dahlem is a Clinical Associate Professor at University of Michigan School of Nursing and a family nurse practitioner for people who are experiencing homelessness. She has been conducting naloxone trainings since 2013 and has been the lead consultant and educator for Region 6 Inpatient Health Plan counties on naloxone distribution since 2016. In addition, her training has been implemented in 31 emergency departments distributing naloxone across the State of Michigan and her work has further been disseminated through an evidence-based online training at www.overdoseaction.org.
Understanding Vicarious Trauma
Presenter: Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Ph.D, Michigan State University
Dr. Rebecca Campbell is a Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. Dr. Campbell’s research examines how contact with the legal and medical systems affects sexual assault survivor’s well-being. Most recently, she was the lead researcher for the National Institute of Justice-funded Detroit Sexual Assault Kit Action Research Project, which was a four-year multidisciplinary study of Detroit’s untested rape kits. Dr. Campbell also conducts training for civilian, military, and campus practitioners on the neurobiology of trauma and vicarious trauma among service providers.
Objectives:
- Acknowledge that exposure to trauma takes a toll on us
- Describe how exposure to trauma takes a toll on us
- Examine how exposure to trauma affects our health & job performance
- Promote supportive solutions at an individual and organizational level
Fatal Drownings and Drowning Prevention in Michigan
Recorded: November 2, 2022
This training provided information on drowning fatalities among children in Michigan, reviewed the new Drowning Death Scene Investigation Form and shared local drowning prevention efforts statewide.
We were excited to have the following guest speakers and topics:
- Laura Rowen- Injury Prevention/Michigan Safe Kids Coordinator, MDHHS
- Susanna Joy – Project Coordinator, National Center for Fatality Review & Prevention
- Local County drowning prevention efforts from Detective/Sergeant Erik McNichol from the Oscoda Twp. Police Department
- Local County drowning prevention efforts from Sgt. Jon Knott from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division
- Drowning prevention discussion with all CDR team members
Life Stressors and Suicide
Recorded: August 11, 2022
Speakers: Abby Collier and Susanna Joy from the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention
The National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention will be discussing life stressors and suicide reviews in CDR. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of adolescents in the United States. CDR teams play a vital role in understanding the contextual factors related to youth suicide. This session will focus on key questions CDR teams can ask during the investigation, review, and prevention discussion. Additionally, tips and tricks for using the life stressors section to document these factors will be provided. Lastly, key partners for prevention will be identified.
Twist and Shout- SUD, Recovery and Rubic’s Cube
Recorded: Jun 15, 2022
Speaker: Sam Price, MA (President/CEO @Ten 16 Recovery Network)
A native of Midland, Sam Price has been the President/CEO for the Ten16 Recovery Network since 2003. Providing services in 20 locations across 10 counties in mid-Michigan, Ten16 is the leading regional provider of prevention, treatment and support services for people struggling with substance use disorders. They are known for pioneering new services including collegiate recovery programs and embedding recovery coaches in hospital Emergency Departments. He has served on a number of regional and state boards including Governor Whitmer’s Opioid Task Force Stakeholder Advisory Group. Prior to his work at Ten16, Sam has held leadership positions at agencies in the community mental health system, child welfare, human services and served as a youth pastor. He has a bachelor’s degree in business (Central Michigan University) and two master’s degrees: one in religion (Asbury Theological Seminary) and one in Marriage & Family Therapy (Michigan State University).