ECCS Touchpoints Webinar: Safe Sleep

What is a touchpoint?

A child’s brain undergoes rapid development during the first three years of life, making this period crucial for their overall growth. Each new brain connection formed during this time has been referred to as a “touchpoint,” which is why we named our informational webinar series after this important milestone in a child’s development. Through these hour-long, interactive webinars, our goal is to help you create your own touchpoints across South Dakota, contributing to the healthy development of all the state’s children.

Safe Sleep

This introductory training will educate attendees on safe sleep practices for infants by exploring the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) safe sleep recommendations and evidence behind the guidance. Unsafe sleep practices are one of the leading causes of preventable infant death in SD. By connecting recommendations to state data and highlighting the risks of unsafe sleep, this training will continue to create a statewide culture that supports safe sleep practices.

By the end of this session, attendees will understand safe sleep recommendations, value their importance, and feel empowered to promote safe sleep in their communities.

Speakers: Laurel Rick and Lexi Ortiz , SD Department of Health

Laurel Rick, Infant Health Coordinator at the SD Department of Health, leads statewide efforts to improve infant outcomes—with a continued focus on promoting safe sleep to prevent sleep-related infant deaths. In addition to coordinating safe sleep efforts, she oversees strategic planning and implementation, capacity building, and partner development and support for initiatives that focus on infant health. Laurel facilitates the Infant Health Committee of SD’s Maternal and Infant Health Task Force, which primarily focuses on developing and implementing safe sleep strategies.

Laurel graduated in August 2023 from University of South Dakota with an MPH and received her Bachelor of Science from USD in psychology and public health.

Lexi Ortiz, Infant and Child Health Epidemiologist at the South Dakota Department of Health, leads analytic efforts to understand the factors contributing to infant and child mortality across the state. She works extensively with vital records and South Dakota’s Child Death Review data to identify trends, uncover preventable risks, and inform evidence‑based strategies that strengthen infant and child health. Her role also includes supporting statewide planning, collaborating with partners, and providing data expertise to initiatives and task force committees focused on reducing preventable deaths.

Lexi earned her BA in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed her MPH at the University of York in the United Kingdom.

CEUs: SD Board of Social Work Examiners This organization (University of South Dakota – Provider #1048) is approved as a provider for continuing education by the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners. Social workers will receive up to 1.0 Continuing Education clock hours for participating in this course.