Latest News & Headlines

Next Meeting

The Commission's next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Indiana State Library, 315 W Ohio St, Indianapolis, IN 46204, in the Author's Room. The meeting will also be webcast.

Mental Health and Wellness in Schools

The Commission encourages school districts to designate a professional at the district level to oversee initiatives related to social-emotional learning and mental health. At its December 2019 meeting, the Commission endorsed a set of suggestions for districts to consider, including potential titles, responsibilities, qualifications, and funding sources for the position.

Public Defense for Juveniles and CHINS Families

At its February 2019 meeting, the Commission endorsed recommendations to support an office for juvenile public defense at the state level and a pilot project to provide specially trained attorneys and system navigators for CHINS families. Both recommendations resulted from the work of the Indiana Task Force on Public Defense, whose report can be found here.

Safe Sleep

Nearly all SUIDs deaths involve unsafe sleeping conditions for infants. If you or someone you know is in need of a safe place for an infant to sleep, click here. To search for state licensed and registered child care locations, which are required to have safe sleep training and follow safe sleep practices, click here.

Zero Suicide Academy

The Commission endorses the Zero Suicide Academy, a training program for hospital emergency departments and community mental health centers, focused on changing policies, procedures, and practices to ensure that suicidal patients get the care they need and do not "fall through the cracks." Zero Suicide is an evidence-based approach being adopted statewide in Indiana.

Healthy Pregnancy App

The Indiana State Department of Health released a new mobile application aimed at improving infant and maternal health in Indiana. The free app is called Liv, and promotes early prenatal care and education about pregnancy. It includes interactive calendar and journal features, more than 100 articles, checklists and how-to's based on best medical practices, and links to community resources.