The Core State Injury Prevention Program (CORE SIPP)

Maryland’s Core State Injury Prevention Program (Core SIPP) supports state and local health department infrastructure, data, and partnerships to identify and respond to existing and emerging injury threats with data-driven public health actions. Core SIPP focuses strategic efforts on addressing transportation safety, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through data-driven approaches and partnerships with state-affiliated organizations and local health departments.

Core SIPP supports the Partnership for a Safer Maryland (PSM) to promote injury prevention. PSM is a primary hub for injury and violence advocacy, connection, prevention education, initiatives, and resources for Maryland's general public and health professionals. The organization shares national and state-level resources from the CDC and MDH on its website and in its monthly newsletter. PSM also facilitates training and co-sponsors violence and injury forum events. The forum events engage local and state public health professionals in understanding and using injury prevention data, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and informing local public health action. To learn more about different injury and violence areas and membership opportunities, visit the PSM website.

Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Core SIPP contributed to the development of the Building Healing Systems Data-to-Action Toolkit, spearheaded by the MDH Behavioral Health Administration, Maryland Commission on Trauma-Informed Care, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine Division of Psychiatry. The toolkit aims to increase awareness and knowledge of ACEs and trauma-informed systems among behavioral health service providers, other healthcare professionals, and community stakeholders. It includes data, evidence-informed ACEs prevention and trauma-informed approaches, and best practices for meeting behavioral health needs. Core SIPP also developed a fact sheet on ACEs in Maryland using 2020 data collected in BRFSS. The report featured a comprehensive overview of ACEs and ACEs prevalence among Maryland adults looking back at their childhood years. Click here to view the Maryland Special Emphasis Report: Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Core SIPP works in collaboration with organizations to reduce TBI in Maryland. Partners include the Brain Injury Association of Maryland, the MDH Behavioral Health Administration, the State Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board, and other related groups. With these partnerships, data is used and shared to help prevent TBI and TBI-related injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, and firearm misuse. The Maryland Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Portal* now includes TBI data related to falls, firearms, and motor vehicle crashes, including state and county trends, and disparities in emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Visit the EPHT Portal to access the TBI module.

*The EPHT Portal is an interactive tool that provides stakeholders with environmental and health data for planning, monitoring, and evaluating public health action to help drive data-informed decisions to improve community health.

Transportation Safety

Core SIPP aims to reduce transportation-related injuries and improve built environments, social norms, and surveillance data. Prince George’s County Health Department is one of the program’s partners that works to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by promoting safer environments for walkers, bikers, drivers, and public transit commuters. Core SIPP also supported adding a Distracted Driving Module on the 2023 Maryland Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), with data to be released in Fall 2024. Aggregate data from the module will improve understanding of behavioral health and safety risks associated with distracted and impaired driving-related injuries.

To learn more about Prince George’s County Health Department’s transportation safety efforts, visit https://visionzero-princegeorges.hub.arcgis.com/
To learn more about Maryland BRFSS, visit the MDH Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control

Partners and Resources

211 Maryland is a statewide helpline that provides resources and services for residents.

For help with a crisis, housing, utility bills, employment, or child care, contact a specialist by dialing 211, then pressing 1
For help with brain injury, access Maryland Access Point; dial 211 and ask for MAP

The MDH Behavioral Health Administration addresses TBIs and houses the Office of Older Adults and Long-Term Services and Supports which is responsible for Maryland’s plans, activities, and services for people with TBI.

Partnership for a Safer Maryland provides free membership to people and organizations interested in injury prevention in Maryland. Members receive monthly newsletters on injury topics, events, and resources.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy is dedicated to preventing injuries caused at home, by substance use and overdose, by transportation-related events, and by violence through outreach, training and education, and research.

The Safe States Alliance provides technical assistance, resources, and publications to professionals in the injury prevention field.