The National MCH Workforce Development Center is excited to share a preview of the sessions and posters we’ll be presenting at the upcoming Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Conference, scheduled for March 7-10 in Washington, D.C.!
Our staff, partners, graduate student assistants, and recent internship program alumni are facilitating six skill-building and discussion sessions and presenting two digital posters.
This annual event brings together leaders and innovators in maternal and child health, and we’re excited to share our expertise, insights, and best practices with the field. We look forward to connecting with colleagues, exchanging ideas, and learning from the work that’s happening across the country.
Skill-Building and Discussion Sessions
Turning Action Plans into Progress: A Systems-Informed Implementation Workshop
Saturday, March 7, 2026, 9:30am – 12:30pm ET
Meeting Room 5
- Jess Simon, MSW, Systems Integration Expert
- Kristen Hassmiller-Lich, PhD, Systems Integration Expert
- Justin Huang, MPH, Systems Integration Expert
- Rebecca Greenleaf, MPH, Director of Learning
- Amy Mullenix, MSW, MSPH, Deputy Director
In the early stages of implementing their 5-year action plans, Title V programs are at a critical point to assess readiness, optimize impact, and strengthen the systems that support success. This interactive skill-builder guides participants through a systems-informed approach using an impact matrix to prioritize strategies for focused attention, followed by the 5 R’s framework to assess progress and adapt implementation. Through Title V-inspired case studies, participants will explore how well current resources, partnerships, policies, and supports align with their strategies, identifying high-leverage opportunities, and plan actionable next steps, leaving with practical tools to enhance implementation in their own context.
Practical Use of AI for Maternal and Child Health: Tools and Techniques
Saturday, March 7, 2026, 2:30pm – 5:30pm ET
Meeting Room 8/9
- John Richards, MA, Executive Director, National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
- Lynda Krisowaty, MHS, Evidence-Based Decision Making Expert
- Jess Simon, MSW, Systems Integration Expert
This session will equip public health professionals with practical skills and strategies to responsibly integrate AI tools into their daily work, with a focus on maternal and child health initiatives. Participants will learn about foundational AI concepts, look at different decision points for using AI, practice creating an AI assistant to support a task, and engage in a whole group discussion on successes, challenges, and wishes related to AI and their work.
(Invite Only) Adaptive Leadership: Practical and Creative Approaches to Advance Systems of Services for CYSHCN
Saturday, March 7, 2026, 2:30pm – 5:30pm ET
Facilitated by experts from the National Center for a System of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (American Academy of Pediatrics), including the MCH Workforce Center’s Rebecca Greenleaf (Director of Learning) and Amy Mullenix (Deputy Director).
This session will convene Title V CYSHCN program leadership and partners to discuss practical and creative approaches to advance the system of services for CYSHCN. Participants will learn about strategies to improve access to services and build/maintain partnerships with family leaders and other key stakeholders in states/territories. Participants will explore how to implement relevant strategies in their own states/territories and apply adaptive leadership skills to innovate and maintain momentum during times of disruption.
Title V Block Grant Five-Year Action Plans: How Can We Effectively Contract, Monitor Activities, and Demonstrate Results
Sunday, March 8, 2026, 12:45pm – 1:45pm ET
- Amy Mullenix, MSW, MSPH, Deputy Director
- Rebecca Greenleaf, MPH, Director of Learning
This session will create an active discussion space for Title V professionals to transition away from needs assessment activities to implementing their new five-year action plans, with a focus on tools used by states and jurisdictions to effectively contract Title V work to state partners, local health jurisdictions and community organizations.
Meeting Recent Graduates Where They Are: MCH Career Perspectives of National Title V MCH Internship Program Alumni
Monday, March 9, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm ET
- Christine Bozlak, PhD, MPH, Academic-Practice Partnership Team Consultant
- Chantelle Dowsett, PhD, Evaluation Manager
- Rebecca Greenleaf, MPH, Director of Learning
This interactive workshop will provide Title V and other MCH leaders with new insights into building the MCH workforce from the perspective of graduates from MCHB training programs (2022 – 24). Highlights from the 2025 Internship Alumni Survey of interns placed in Title V agencies will be shared. Participants will participate in an interactive gallery walk to reflect, identify, and develop strategies to successfully recruit and support new hires in Title V agencies and related MCH programs.
Leveraging Community Partnership in a Meaningful Way: A Discussion of Key Considerations When Conducting System-Level Public Health Initiatives (Student & Early Career Roundtable)
Monday, March 9, 2026, 12:45pm – 1:45pm ET
- Caroline Frisch, Graduate Research Assistant
The presentation and discussion will focus on how to balance fast and slow-paced research to best communicate and drive system-level change within public health. The conversation will specifically focus on how teams can productively engage individuals with lived experience in the work in ways that are meaningful and intentional while balancing program intentions and pace of the work. The time will focus on obtaining advice and guidance from the professional community.
Digital Posters
Sharing the Journey to Train the Next MCH Workforce Generation: 12 years of the Title V Internship
Sunday, March 8, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm ET
- Karen McDonnell, PhD, Academic-Practice Partnership Team Member
- Chantelle Dowsett, PhD, Evaluation Manager
For over a decade the National MCH Workforce Development Center (WDC) and state and territorial Title V agencies have collaborated to provide the Title V MCH Internship Program for MCH graduate and undergraduate students. This presentation will use a Plan-Do-Study-Act approach to analyze data from the 2014 to 2025 cohorts to evaluate the ability of this innovative program to meet the needs and build the capacity of both the Title V programs and the future MCH workforce.
Strengthening Statewide Early Childhood Developmental Screening: Insights from Virginia’s Developmental Screening Initiative and Key Informant Interviews
Sunday, March 8, 2026, 2:15-3:15pm ET
- Olivia Smith, MPH, 2025 Title V MCH Internship Program Alumnus
Join us to explore how MySwaddle connects families, hospitals, and community programs to improve postpartum mental health and early childhood outcomes. MySwaddle supports families from pregnancy through early childhood with digital screening, education, and continuous engagement. Learn practical strategies for integrating value-based, technology-enabled tools that enhance care coordination and promote whole-family wellbeing.