Injury Prevention Program

The Injury Prevention Program at Riley at IU Health is part of the trauma services department. Our team works with the community to assess needs and create targeted programs to reduce all preventable injuries and deaths among Indiana’s children. 

Services and classes include:

• Safe Sleep Parenting class. This is a weekly class, beginning April 2018, in the Riley Hospital cafeteria conference room. The safe sleep class is open to any parent or caregiver of an infant child under the age of 1 year. This class educates and provides resources to caregivers about the safest way to put an infant to sleep at naptime and at bedtime.
• Child Passenger Safety community check-up appointments. Beginning April 2018, parents and caregivers can set up an appointment with a Child Passenger Safety Technician to check the installation and safety of their child’s car seat.
• Child Passenger Safety Training. Our Child Passenger Safety Technicians schedule and teach classes for caregivers and other advocates about child passenger safety. Participants learn the best practices recommended for installing a child into a car seat and a car seat into a vehicle. This is not a certification course. 
• Safe Sitter®. Adolescents in sixth, seventh and eighth grade learn safety skills and confidence for staying home alone, watching younger siblings, and babysitting as a job. The two day sessions also include instructions for choking rescue and CPR. Classes are offered once each fall, winter and spring, and twice in the summer.
• Heartsaver® CPR. Adults and teens who work closely with children learn adult, child, and infant CPR, AED use, and choking rescue. This course is designed for anyone with limited or no medical training. 
• Riley Children’s Health Facebook safety videos. Once weekly, the Riley Children’s Health Facebook page features a short video clip in the video series, ‘Simple Steps for Safer Kids’ in which an injury topic is discussed and/or safety education is provided. 

Partnering for Child Safety

Our Injury Prevention Program has been keeping kids safer since 2003. We work with organizations and agencies that also are committed to child safety. Together we assess needs, design programs and advocate for a safer, healthier environment for children in our communities.

The Injury Prevention Program at Riley at IU Health participates in many community-based programs, including:

• Injury Prevention for Your Baby. Through a partnership with Volunteers of America – Fresh Start Recovery Center, we offer education and resources for safe sleep, child passenger safety, home safety and child protection to mothers recovering from opioid substance abuse.
• Safety Baby Showers. Together with the Nurse-Family Partnership of Goodwill Industries we provide expecting mothers with education and resources for safe sleep, child passenger safety, home safety, and child protection. Safety baby showers are designed to provide fun and interactive learning, mimicking an enjoyable baby shower party for the mother.
• Project Life. This extensive community partnership gives Marion County juveniles and youth gun offenders education on the impacts of gun violence. The program’s goals are to prevent recidivism, prevent violence-related injury or death and present community resources to promote safety and resilience. Collaborating agencies include:
  • Marion County Prosecutor’s Office 
  • Marion County Juvenile Probation Division
  • Marion County Health Department
  • Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health
  • IU Health Methodist Hospital
  • Eskenazi Health
  • Connections, Inc
  • Marion County Youth Violence Prevention Coalition

• Health by Design Coalition - Safe Routes to School workgroup. The Injury Prevention Program at Riley at IU Health performs walk audits to assess the safety and walkability of the neighborhoods surrounding our community’s schools. 
• Automotive Safety Program and the Safe Kids Advisory Council. Our Injury Prevention team works Indiana’s Automotive Safety Program at car seat clinics during the annual Indianapolis Zoo clinic, during National Child Passenger Safety week and at other clinic events.