Prevention
Injury Prevention Resources
Bystander CPR
We all know CPR can save lives – but we may not know the proper steps to perform CPR in the case of an emergency. Watch this educational video explaining the steps of how to give hands-only CPR.
Local Prevention Spotlight
Washington Ozaukee prevention at National Night Out events
In response to ongoing concerns about child safety and mental health, the Washington Ozaukee child death review team brought prevention education directly to families at this year’s National Night Out events.
The team set up a safe sleep and suicide prevention trailer across both counties, giving families a chance to learn about child safety and local mental health resources in a welcoming community setting. A pediatric nurse practitioner was on hand to answer questions, helping hundreds of families walk away with practical tools they can use at home.
By meeting people where they already gather, the team was able to build awareness and support strategies that keep children safe.
Previous Prevention Spotlights
In 2024, the Adams County Child Death Review team reconvened after a six-year hiatus. Led by the county’s public health officer in collaboration with the medical examiner’s office, the team conducted several reviews to identify preventable causes of child deaths.
As a rural county with limited access to aquatic facilities, efforts are underway to implement a summer school program offering swimming lessons at local county beaches. In addition, the Parks and Recreation Department is providing life jackets at county owned beaches, while public health staff are distributing educational pamphlets and conducting targeted outreach to the Amish community to promote water safety and appropriate swimwear.
Given that Adams County is a popular tourist destination, the Public Health and Environmental Health departments are working together to ensure that short-term rental property owners, including those listing through Airbnb, are aware of the need for clear “Swim at Your Own Risk” signage at properties with pools, spas or access to natural water bodies.
In May, the Walworth County Child Death Review (CDR) Team, promoted and participated in a boating safety course on Delavan Lake.
These free courses were available to those age 12 and older, and are designed to help boaters learn safety techniques related to navigation, regulations, personal safety, boating use and how to properly use a life jacket.
We appreciate Walworth County and their commitment to water safety and prevention efforts!
The Fox Valley Safe Sleep Coalition (Coalition) is a collaborative group working to promote consistent safe sleep messaging between organizations and health systems that work with families. This effort was developed after realizing Fox Cities’ residents move between each participating county. The Coalition uses physical safe sleep displays to enhance health literacy for all; especially visual learners. Displaying a physical safe sleep environment, rather than solely using a poster, is a unique way to bring teaching to life. Displays will rotate throughout the Tri counties.
Posters are being developed and will be available for partners who do not have space for the display. Posters provide another opportunity to support visual learners and are typically coupled with verbal messaging. The Coalition is a Tri-County Coalition that stemmed from a project led by the Outagamie County Child Death Review team, and has grown to include Calumet and Winnebago counties.
Current Coalition members include health systems, nonprofits and four local health departments. We are excited that Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties are collaborating in this way!
In response to firearms becoming the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 17, Green County Public Health recently launched a community-wide campaign to help people store their guns safely and prevent accidents.
The county gave out more than 200 free gun locks at local health fairs, doctors’ offices and through a vending machine at the Green County Government Services Building. The machine is open 24/7. Local law enforcement agencies participating in Project ChildSafe provided the firearm locks. Each lock came with a keychain listing the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988.
To spread the word and educate the community, public health nurse and health educator visited every gun shop in Green County. They gave shop owners flyers about gun safety. This way, gun owners get safety facts right where they shop. The campaign also reached the public through multiple media channels including billboards, radio ads and TV commercials, to share the message about safe gun storage.
Safe Kids Oconto County received a $2,500 grant from the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation to improve all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety for young riders. The coalition works with Oconto County Public Health and Children’s Wisconsin to prevent injuries in children.
Safe Kids Oconto County will use the grant to work with local ATV dealers, safety instructors, trail guides and Department of Natural Resources wardens. The goal is to promote helmet use and make safety gear more affordable for families. The project will connect new and experienced riders to promote safe riding and support local businesses.
“This is the first project of its kind for a Safe Kids group in Wisconsin and could be used in other places,” said Mary Rosner, Safe Kids Oconto County coordinator and public health nurse. “This funding helped us build relationships with community members who care about keeping children safe. We know helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injury by 88%. This funding will help prevent life-changing injuries in our youth.”
Outagamie County prepared a report that highlights child death review activities from 2020-22. The report explains their mission, identifies stakeholders and summarizes the burden of injury-related fatalities to residents age 18 and younger. Included are the four leading manners of death which are: accident, homicide, suicide and undetermined. It also highlights recommendations that have been considered for prevention.
The report is a call to action to get involved. Review the recommendations and identity how you can help!
Rock County Public Health formed a community action team to focus on the suicide prevention recommendations coming from Child Death Review (CDR) meetings. Public health offered free trainings to school districts presented by Kevin Polky. The goal of these trainings was to include anyone that interacts with students in the school system (e.g., coaches, food service staff, janitorial staff, teachers and administration).
The presentation discussed how suicide is the second leading cause of death for young adults, and consistently amongst the top three causes of death of youth in Rock County. Young adults are feeling lonelier and more hopeless than ever before. They are most likely to reach out to their peers before they ask for help from the professionals in their life. This is something that we see in most, if not every, Rock County youth suicide case that the team reviews.
Polky’s presentation focuses on how staff can become a light in others’ darkness, or in other words, how they can become a trusted adult for students. Being a trusted adult involves pushing back against the prevalence of young adult suicide, identifying the risk factors and using techniques to create a culture to prevent another suicide.
So far, the presentation was given at Parkview School District, Beloit Memorial School District and Milton School District. We have reached more than 150 school staff members in Rock County. In 2025, we hope to add additional schools to receive this training and offer a student-focused training surrounding youth suicide and how to help peers who express suicidal ideation.
The Waupaca County Fatality Review teams have created and implemented a mental health and substance use resource guide in their community. This recommendation was created after identifying a need to better capitalize on interactions with individuals when mental health or substance use is recognized as a concern, but is not to the point of a crisis situation. The goal was to proactively get information into the hands of community members, so when they desire to seek help for themselves, a family member or friend, they would have the information needed.
In the first iteration of the project, law enforcement agencies were identified as the primary partner to distribute these guides as they interact with community members in a variety of situations, and desired to help the folks they come across while not being required to be subject matter experts on mental health or substance use resources. In July 2024, a total of 1,000 copies of the guide were distributed to all law enforcement agencies in the county. Officers keep these guides in their squad cars and hand them out to individuals in any instance they deem appropriate. After hearing such positive feedback, a second printing was funded and 1,000 additional copies are being distributed to other community partners including: probation and parole, treatment court, schools, health care partners, treatment providers, social service programs, local non-profits and many more.
To access the digital guide, please visit the Waupaca County Department of Public Health website. For additional questions or comments on the project, please contact Hailey Prosek with the Waupaca County Department of Public Health.
Death Scene Investigation Training
The SUID Case Registry works to improve death scene investigations (DSI) by tracking investigation data from SUIDs. The Alliance holds DSI trainings throughout the state on an annual basis. View our event page for upcoming trainings.
Autopsy Guidelines
This resources outlines the key components that should be included in each death scene investigation.
Death Scene Investigation (DSI) Training Infographic
This infographic highlights key takeaways from the 2025 Wisconsin Child DSI trainings.
Infant Death – Quick Reference Guide
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Office’s guide outlining questions to ask care providers following an infant death.
Contact Our Staff
Karen Nash, MBA
Program Leader
(414) 337-4567
knash@childrenswi.org
Amy L. Cline, MSW, APSW
Program Manager
(414) 337-4565
acline@childrenswi.org
Catheryn Morateck, MPH
Epidemiologist
(414) 337-4568
cmorateck@childrenswi.org
Joanna O’Donnell, GC-C
Program Manager
(414) 337-4571
jodonnell@childrenswi.org
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Keeping Kids Alive Connection: News for Your Review
Connection to a wide range of resources providing guidance and support, to ensure teams can conduct effective review meetings.
Keeping Kids Alive in Wisconsin is funded in part by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public, MCH Title V Services Block grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.
