State Technical Assessment Team (STAT) Program
Apply for a STAT Visit | Become a STAT Team Member
What is the STAT Program?
Launched in 2000, the State Technical Assessment Team (STAT) program is designed to assess injury prevention within the state health agency, focusing on specific roles, relationships, and performance of the designated injury prevention program. The goal of the STAT Program is to support the development, implementation and evaluation of injury prevention efforts at the state health department level by conducting an on-site, point-in-time assessment of the injury prevention program, and providing recommendations for improvement. The assessment focuses on five core components of a successful state health department injury prevention program, including infrastructure; data collection, analysis and dissemination; design, implementation, and evaluation; technical support and training; and public policy. For each core component, Safe States Alliance has developed standards and indicators that describe the conditions that should exist within an ideal, comprehensive state health department injury prevention program.
The assessment often serves to refocus the state by requiring participating states to reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and barriers to success. The STAT process also serves to bring together different members of the injury prevention community and allows individuals to share ideas for program development. The process provides participating states with an outside perspective and important information they need, which is often critical to moving a state agenda forward. In addition, the STAT process provides the team with the opportunity to learn about another state’s program and ultimately to share barriers encountered and successful strategies used among state programs.
Use of the word assessment in the title of this program is intentional. The STAT visit serves as an assessment, not an evaluation. The team describes the status of a program, taking into account its complexity and uniqueness. It reveals the program’s assets and identifies ways in which the program can focus its efforts in order to strengthen its core capacity to prevent injuries and violence in the state.
The program is funded by direct and in-kind support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s NationalCenter for Injury Prevention and Control, the Health Resources and Services Administration through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the Children’s Safety Network, and U.S. state health departments.
What does a STAT visit involve?
The basic steps of preparing for and receiving a STAT visit are:
- State injury and violence prevention programs (IVPP) apply for visits
- Safe States Alliance Office and STAT Committee selects states to receive STAT visits
- Safe States Alliance compiles the team of Safe States Alliance members and others from federal and partner organizations to serve as team members
- State injury prevention program compiles materials for prior review by the STAT members
- State injury prevention program schedules sessions with injury prevention program staff and partners to provide information to the team on their collaboration with the IVPP.
- STAT arrives for a five day site visit (excludes travel)
- STAT hears testimony and conducts interviews
- STAT writes and delivers consensus assessment report on site
Why receive a STAT visit?
Experiences thus far suggest that the STAT process is rewarding and valuable for both the injury prevention programs receiving the visit and the assessment team members. States that have received STAT visits report a variety of benefits from the assessment, including:
- Increased funding for staff and programs
- Increased program visibility within the state health department
- Helped to “legitimize” the injury prevention program
- Assisted in vision and planning
- Improved networking/collaboration
- Improved data access, quality and analysis
- Increased allocation of funds for program evaluation
- Highlighted program successes and accomplishments
- Identified technical assistance needs
- Provided information for grant writing
Is our injury prevention program ready for a STAT visit?
Consider the following factors when thinking of applying for a STAT visit:
Size doesn’t matter
Staff size, program budget and staff experience have varied widely among the states that have received visits.
Support from state health officer
An individual with the authority to invite STAT members into the state must make the STAT visit request
Staff time to prepare
Timing
Key events to consider include legislative sessions, budget deadlines, planned reorganization, grant cycles, etc.
Familiarity with the STAT process
Help assess another state first by serving as a team member of STAT visit
Readiness of the state to implement STAT report recommendations
How can our program apply for a STAT visit?
Safe States Alliance announces the availability of STAT visits in the early fall each year pending receipt of funding. Applications are reviewed by a committee that selects the states to receive a STAT visit during the next fiscal year. Only states that are current in their Safe States Alliance membership dues are eligible to receive a STAT visit. State injury prevention programs interested in receiving a visit should call the Safe States Alliance office by late summer to request a visit and application materials. Click here to learn more about how to apply for STAT visit.
How can I serve on a STAT visit?
Each STAT typically consists of seven members -- a team leader and six additional team members, including an administrative assistant and a designated back-up team member. Team members are selected based on several factors, including expertise in core component areas, prior STAT experience, communication skills, and availability. Click here to learn how to apply as a STAT team member.
"On behalf of all the DSHS participants and ulitmately all the people of Texas, I want to say thank you so much for all that you have given us! Your recent [STAT] visit was for us an unprecedented opportunity for us to share with and get inspired by others interested in and passionate about injury and violence prevention. After meeting with more than 45 individuals...you were able to sort through that mountain of input and distill it into observations and recommendations that were right on; not only that, you have given us some excellent ideas for what we need to do next. It is of immeasurable help to have the opinions of experts who are unbiased and objective...from the bottom of our hearts -- a great big Texas THANKS Y'ALL!!"
Linda Jones, M.S.P.H.
Group Manager
Environmental Epidemiology & Injury Surveillance
Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
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