National Water Safety month has been recognized for the past 20 years every May to bring awareness on how to stay safe in and around water.  Idaho ranks ninth in the United States for deaths by drowning. This is a statistic we want to greatly improve. It is never too late to learn how to swim! Organizations such as the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), United States Masters Swimming, and others offer discounted or free swim lessons for children and adults.

Whether you are tubing down the Boise River with friends or on a boat at Lucky Peak, it is always wise to wear a United States Coast Guard Certified floatation device in case you fall into the water unexpectedly. In Idaho we have an abundance of lakes, streams, and rivers to recreate in, but swimming, playing, or wading in our canals are not only dangerous but illegal.

Every spring when the snowpacks begin to melt, Idaho rivers, streams, and canals fill with more water quickly.  Spring also brings warmer weather and outdoor activities such as water recreation. So, enjoy the warmer months that are upon us by playing it safe while in the water with your friends and family.  

Canal Safety

The water in canals serve an important purpose in Idaho as they help provide irrigation to approximately 69,000 acres of agricultural and residential lands. Canals are not only a swimming hazard, but also carry bacteria and parasites that are harmful to humans. 

Canals are a tempting place to cool off because they are often convenient to access in our neighborhoods, but they are also very dangerous. The range of water depth in our canals is between 1 and 10 feet and many have steep, vertical banks made of smooth concrete that can be slippery and make exiting a canal difficult.  No adult, child, or pet should ever swim or play near a canal. More children drown in canals than any other body of water in Idaho.

Canal water can be deceptively fast as there are no obstructions in the waterway to slow the current or provide visual projections on how fast the water is moving. The water in canals is also very cold and can cause hypothermia and death in as little as 10 minutes.

The Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District (NMID) estimates water flows at the Ridenbaugh Canal in Boise travel about 3 miles per hour at 4.5 feet per second. An example was provided by the NMID as a public safety announcement in 2012 when a child’s shoe was dropped into the canal to show visually how fast water travels. In just two minutes, the shoe traveled 540 feet and within 5 minutes, it was nearly a quarter mile away from where the shoe was originally dropped.

Most canals run through private property so playing in a canal or along its banks is trespassing under Idaho law. Each year, police, fire, and EMS personnel respond to distress calls in our local canals and it is difficult for emergency personnel to access them.

Splash pads

Splash pads are great water activities for children, but the water can become contaminated and shouldn’t be swallowed. Don't sit or stand directly on the jets, as this can contaminate the water with germs. Don’t allow children to swallow splash pad water because they can ingest germs that can make them sick. Although most splash pads use chlorine in their water systems, it doesn’t kill germs instantly: 

https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/safety/stay-healthy-at-splash-pads.html

Going to the pool

Going for a swim with kids? Take a break every hour to use the bathroom or check diapers to avoid accidents in the pool. When pee and chlorine mix in the pool, there is less chlorine available to kill germs: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/preventing-eye-irritation-from-pool-chemicals.html.

Check out some healthy swimming tips to protect yourself and those you care about from illness at the pool and beach this summer: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The groundbreaking for Jackson House in Idaho Falls on May 16 signifies a new era for adolescent mental healthcare in the state. This new Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) will fill a critical need and offers a beacon of hope for families struggling to find quality in-state treatment for their children.

Previously, Idaho lacked sufficient residential options for adolescents with complex mental health needs. This forced families to seek help outside the state.

“It’s exciting to see this type of facility coming to Idaho, but even more exciting to see it come locally to Southeast Idaho,” said Human Services Program Specialist John Hart, who works for the Division of Behavioral Health at DHW. “It’s hard enough for families to have to send their kids to a residential facility, but when they have to also send them out of state that can be especially hard.”

Jackson House is one of three PRTFs that Idaho helped fund through $15 million made available by Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature in 2022.

The Department of Health and Welfare awarded grants to three partners that will serve different regions in Idaho. They are Jackson House in east Idaho, the Idaho Youth Ranch in southwest Idaho, and Northwest Children’s Home in north Idaho.

This level of mental healthcare hasn’t existed in Idaho, so these three facilities are filling a critical gap in the state’s continuum of care for children and youth. Previously, about 100 kids were getting treatment in other states because Idaho didn’t have these services. Now many of these kids will be able to stay in Idaho close to their families.

The groundbreaking ceremony in Idaho Falls marked a successful collaboration between Headwaters Construction, Booth Architecture, and the Jackson House team. 

Headwaters pre-construction coordinator Brennon Baker expressed his clear enthusiasm.

“We are really excited for the contribution it’s going to make here to the community,” he said. 

Jackson House CEO Bruce Figuered brings a wealth of experience and a deep personal commitment to the project. His career, spanning nearly 30 years, began as a counselor at an adolescent psychiatric ward. He’s seen the critical need for quality care firsthand.

“They're at a formative time in their life, and you can really have a big impact on their life and their future,” he said. “If you point them in the right direction, you are able to work with their families, and you give them the healthcare they need.”

Jackson House aims to bridge the gap between inpatient and outpatient services by providing accessible, high-quality residential treatment for adolescents with mental health challenges. Figuered  said he commends Idaho for being one of the few states addressing the need for such facilities. 

Jessica Divine is a technical writer for the Division of Behavioral Health at the Department of Health and Welfare.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

Each spring, Idahoans think about buying chicks or ducklings. All poultry carry the bacteria Salmonella, which can be harmful to people. Birds often don’t look sick but can spread the bacteria through their droppings.

To keep your family and friends from getting sick, public health officials recommend:

• Wash everyone’s hands with soap and water after handling live poultry, especially before touching toys and other items that children may play with or put in their mouths. 
• Supervise children under the age of five who play with chicks, ducklings, or live poultry.
• Change your shoes after you have walked in the coop and before you go into your home. 
• Leave the birds outside to roam in their own environment and habitat.
• Don’t eat or drink around them. 
• Clean the coop or cage, food and water bowls, and any tools or poultry equipment you use frequently.  
• Cook any collected eggs thoroughly.  

Children are more likely to get sick because of their developing immune systems and tendency to touch or snuggle with their pets, putting hands in their mouth, and not washing their hands quickly enough. Babies, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system are also more likely to get severely ill from Salmonella. In some cases, illness is severe enough for hospitalization and can become life threatening. 

Salmonella infections usually cause diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps 6 hours to 6 days after initial exposure. Most people are sick for up to a week but get better without specific treatment and should not take antibiotics. Antibiotics are usually used only to treat people who have severe illness or who are at risk for it. If you think you may have a Salmonella infection you should seek medical attention immediately. 

Although it’s common for all types of poultry to carry the Salmonella bacteria, birds with the infection don’t usually show any signs of being sick. The contaminated droppings may get on their feathers, feet, and beaks and they can transfer the bacteria to anything in their environment or people holding them.  

CDC estimates Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the United States every year. Food is the most common source of the bacteria. 

• Resources:
  CDC Salmonella Webpage: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/index.html
• CDC Signs & Symptoms: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/live-poultry-05-14/signs-symptoms.html
• Avoiding zoonotic disease from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/zoonotic/gi/index.html
• Safely Keeping Backyard Poultry, from CDC:  https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/farm-animals/backyard-poultry.html 

Dr. Kathryn Turner is deputy state epidemiologist in the Division of Public Health.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, in partnership with Idaho’s Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), is distributing an Idaho Healthcare Workforce Initiatives Survey. Two goals of this survey include:

1.    Identifying issues leading or contributing to healthcare workforce challenges, and this includes behavioral health and oral health, and 
2.    Capturing existing initiatives underway to help solve workforce challenges

Factors contributing to healthcare workforce challenges are often complex and multifaceted. Some examples include workforce shortages, recruitment and retention, and training and development of existing staff.

The results of the survey will inform future statewide workforce planning efforts by the Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho AHEC, and healthcare partners. When appropriate, the survey may connect organizations with others working to address similar workforce challenges.

The survey recognizes how administration, support staff and other non-provider roles also meet the needs of patients. Please include this population in your responses, if applicable.

The survey is open until May 22, 2024, and will take approximately five to seven minutes to complete.

If you are aware of other health workforce efforts by organizations in Idaho, please forward this survey so results are as inclusive as possible.

Survey Link: https://app.keysurvey.com/f/41705457/7a0a/ 

May is mental health awareness month. To note the occasion, the “Idaho Behavioral Health Authority Podcast” interviewed three guests for its latest episode, each with their own experience and expertise to help Idahoans.

Hosts Jeremy Storton and Dustin Lapray from the Division of Behavioral Health communications and training unit met individually with the guests:

• Alejandra Del Toro, a program manager at Empower Idaho, joined the podcast to talk about the work her organization does to promote awareness in Idaho each May. Empower Idaho releases an annual toolkit in English and Spanish, complete with an online store, an art exhibition, official graphics, and more. It’s a really neat kit.
• Brenda Wilson is the Executive Director of FYIdaho, an organization that focuses on youth and teen mental health in the Gem State. The programs Wilson discusses in the podcast include in-person and virtual options for modern kids to express their frustrations, needs, and to get real help from qualified professionals. 
• Laura Cardoza is an adjunct professor at The College of Idaho in the field of health and human performance. She has a background in exercise science, fitness, yoga, and life. She offered the podcast a top-10 list of suggestions for better mental well-being. While the other guests focused on adult and children’s mental health, Laura opened the door to everyone else, helping listeners stretch their minds and bodies toward better mental fitness.

Despite the many challenges Idahoans endure to treat a variety of mental illnesses, there is still cause to celebrate this May. Mental fitness can help everyone. Treatment can help those who seek it. Although many mental illnesses have no cure, the working professionals of Idaho are here to help the vulnerable find treatment when they need it.

This May, consider the most vulnerable. Consider your friends and family who may be struggling behind the scenes. Ask them about it. Be bold. Offer your time and your care. If you or a family member, a friend or a stranger needs help, reach out to the Department of Health and Welfare.

Call the Idaho Careline by dialing 2-1-1 for information about services, insurance coverage, and more.
If you are in crisis, or want to learn what that means, call or text 988.

This May, wear green proudly to raise awareness about mental health!

Listen to the podcast series, now available on YouTube and Spotify,  or visit the home page for the “Idaho Behavioral Health Authority.”

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral health at DHW.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day. This is a great reminder to learn about the dangers of viral hepatitis, how to prevent the spread of the disease, and what to do if you become infected.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is often caused by a virus. The most common types of viral hepatitis's are A, B, and C.  Both hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and viral hepatitis-related deaths. In Idaho, chronic liver disease is the tenth leading cause of death.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 850,000 people in the United States are living with HBV, while the estimated number of people living with HCV ranges between 2.4 and 4.7 million. Unfortunately, a large majority of people don’t even know they are infected. The most common symptoms of hepatitis A, B, and C can include fever, fatigue, dark urine, abdominal pain and vomiting, jaundice, loss of appetite, and clay-colored bowel movements.

Anyone can get HCV. However, the Baby Boomer generation (1945-1965) are five times more likely to have chronic HCV than any other living adult generation. New cases of HCV are on the rise among adults 20-39 years of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Universal HCV screening is recommended for adults 18 years and older and all pregnant people during each pregnancy. Routine screening is recommended for people with ongoing risk factors.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually spread when someone comes into contact with blood from an infected person. This can happen through:  

•    Sharing drug-injection equipment. Today, most people become infected with HCV by sharing needles, syringes, or any other drug equipment used to prepare and inject drugs. 
•    Being born to a mother who is HCV positive.
•    Needlestick injuries in health care settings.
•    Sexual contact with infected partners. While uncommon, HCV can spread during sexual intercourse, though it has been reported more often among men who have sex with men. 
•    Unregulated tattoos or body piercings. 
•    Sharing personal items, such as glucose monitors, razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, and other items that may have come into contact with infected blood, even in amounts too small to see.

The best way to protect yourself from HAV and HBV is to get vaccinated. The HAV vaccine has been routinely recommended for children during the past 25 years. There are many Idahoans over the age of 30 who were not vaccinated as a child and are susceptible to acquiring HAV.

The HBV vaccine is recommended for all infants, all children or adolescents younger than 19 years of age who have not been vaccinated, all adults aged 19-59 years, and adults aged 60 years or older with risk factors for HBV infection. Adults who are 60 years or older without known risk factors for HBV may also receive an HBV vaccine.

There is not a vaccine for HCV. However, HCV is curable with a short course (8-12 weeks) of treatment. Being cured for HCV significantly improves the chances of living a longer and healthier life and prevents the ongoing transmission of the virus.

According to data compiled at the Get Healthy Idaho website, there were 722 chronic HCV cases reported, 62 chronic HBV cases reported, and 6 HAV cases reported in Idaho in 2023.

The HIV, STD Idaho Hepatitis Prevention Program and the CDC help promote awareness of viral hepatitis and encourage people to get tested to improve the overall health of affected Idahoans.

Resources:

Visit the CDC page on Hepatitis: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

Visit the Hepatitis Awareness Month CDC page: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/awareness/HepatitisAwarenessMonth.htm

Find testing services near me: https://hshslocator.dhw.idaho.gov/prevent/default.aspx

For more information on Hepatitis: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/hepatitis

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

May marks National Foster Care Month, a time to raise awareness about foster care issues in Idaho and express appreciation for those families who step forward to care for vulnerable children in their communities.

With approximately 1,500 foster children in the state at any given moment, the demand for compassionate families willing to support them is constant.

There are two primary ways this happens in Idaho: through kinship care or foster care.

Kinship care

When children cannot safely remain with their parents, DHW’s priority is to seek out relatives or close family friends who can provide a nurturing environment while maintaining familial bonds and cultural heritage. 

These caregivers, known as kinship caregivers, play a crucial role caring for children in need of support , and they number in the tens of thousands. Whether formalized through legal channels or initiated during times of family crisis, kinship arrangements are pivotal, yet often come with legal, financial, and emotional challenges. 

However, kinship care providers in Idaho are not alone, as support services are available. Idaho's Kinship Program offers a range of resources tailored to kinship caregivers, including financial assistance, legal guidance, support groups, and respite care options.

Foster care

Foster families provide a crucial lifeline for children who cannot safely remain in their home. The need for additional foster families in Idaho is constant, making every willing caregiver invaluable to the well-being of vulnerable children. There is a specific need for families who can care for sibling groups and adolescents. 

To consider becoming a foster parent, call 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588 or visit: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-family-services-and-foster-care/about-foster-care

Miren Unsworth is a deputy director and interim Family and Community Services division administrator at DHW. She has spent 21 years working in service to children and families, including 18 years of work in public child welfare programs as a case manager, supervisor, policy manager, as well as a deputy administrator and administrator for FACS.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The National Association of Mental Health (now called Mental Health America) established May as Mental Health Month in 1949, making this year the 75th Anniversary of Mental Health Awareness Month.

In celebration of this occasion, the Division of Behavioral Health at the Department of Health and Welfare is asking Idahoans to “Light Up Green” this May. Replace your porch light. Dust off a Halloween projector. Wear a green shirt. Help us shine a light on Mental Health in Idaho.  

Across the nation, large venues, such as sports stadiums, bridges, monuments and other highly visible structures will bathe in green light to honor the many Americans facing mental health conditions.

Participating can be as simple as wearing green. Try a green T-shirt, a bracelet, or a ribbon.

Why Green? The official color for mental health awareness, green represents renewal, hope and vitality.

In Idaho, we ask our friends and neighbors to participate as they wish, to consider others who may be struggling, and to be open about their own situation. At any point in time, one in five Americans will be facing mental health challenges. In our lifetimes, about 50% of us will have a mental health condition.

Awareness helps us see these conditions as they are, as illnesses with treatment options. With the help of our community and partners, we can help Idahoans get the help they need, when they need it.

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral Health at DHW.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

Mental illness is a private medical condition that one in four Idahoans face, but just because it’s private doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be part of the public discourse.

Bringing mental health into the public conversation is the intent of the NAMI Walks, to be held in Idaho’s largest cities this May. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has held the walks in Boise in the past, but with the help of Rotary International, and Idaho’s local Rotarians, NAMI is stretching its legs statewide.

“NAMI Walks is about being very public, saying ‘it’s OK if you’re not OK’ … You’re not alone,” said Beth Markley, executive director of NAMI Idaho. “We all deal with these things, so let’s get together.”

Get together and “walk” about them, in big groups or small. Exercise helps reduce stress and can help people with mental illness. Walking together in public breaks down stigma, but also creates fellowship, Markley said. It can also help isolated people not feel alone.

NAMI organized the events in the hub cities, but anyone anywhere can host events this May for Mental Health Awareness Month. In Lewiston, there will be an unofficial walk, with a picnic. Others have done jump rope competitions.

Markley said we ought not hide our stigma, but rather bring into the open that mental illness should not come with derision or scorn. She talked about the cancer correlation, how afraid people used to be to talk about the disease, but now Idahoans confidently share how cancer affects them. The same breakthrough can happen with mental illness.

“Stigma is a factor in the isolation and loneliness that exacerbates a lot of mental health conditions,” Markley said. “There is a ripple effect, to families, communities, places of employment.”

The NAMI Walks are free, but they are also a fundraiser for NAMI’s year-long programs and services around the state. NAMI’s website has a calendar, a resource tab for faith members, military, teens, frontline workers, and lots of ways to get involved in your community (statewide programs and services, education programs for people with mental health disorders and families, statewide support groups.)

Information expos, tables, and representatives from partner organizations will be present at the walks.

2024 NAMI Walks: Click here to Register
May 4 – Coeur d'Alene: Landings Park  
May 4 – Twin Falls: Canyon Rim Trail
May 11 – Pocatello: Bonneville Park
May 25 – Boise: Anne Morrison Park + Greenbelt
June 1 – Idaho Falls: The Waterfront

Dustin Lapray is a public involvement officer with the Division of Behavioral health at DHW.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.