BeHERE's effective virtual training to build capacity to support people who use drugs in non-substance use disorder settings.

BACKGROUND: Human service settings not specifically focused on supporting people who use drugs (PWUD), especially those with a substance use disorder (SUD), such as probation and parole services, homeless shelters, and work re-entry and job training programs, offer a unique opportunity to assist this population and prevent overdose deaths. During the COVID-19 pandemic (pandemic), building capacity in such settings for overdose prevention, harm reduction, and to address barriers to treatment, recovery, and support services required that training vendors use a virtual format. Post-pandemic, virtual training remains a cost-effective and convenient alternative to in-person training. The Behavioral Health and Racial Equity (BeHERE) Training Initiative of Health Resources in Action, which offers eight training modules on prevention, recovery, and harm reduction, delivered 224 online trainings between April 2020 and June 2022. METHODS: A mixed methods evaluation based upon the Kirkpatrick Training Evaluation Model was employed, which utilized post-training (n = 1272) and follow-up surveys (n = 62), and key informant interviews (n = 35). RESULTS: The findings showed BeHERE's trainings were relevant, engaging, and satisfying to trainees; increased their knowledge, skills, and confidence; and influenced workplace performance. Some participants also indicated that the training influenced the effectiveness of their work with clients and other staff. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation identified aspects of training that make a virtual format effective at improving the capacity of non-SUD settings to address substance use and support PWUD. Findings offer insights for those interested in delivery of virtual training, as well as training to influence the practice of human service providers across different settings to support PWUD.

The Need for Responsive Workforce Development During the Pandemic and Beyond: A Case Study of the Regional Public Health Training Centers.

CONTEXT: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of a strong public health infrastructure for protecting and supporting the health of communities. This includes ensuring an adaptive workforce capable of leading through rapidly changing circumstances, communicating effectively, and applying systems thinking to leverage cross-sector partnerships that help promote health equity. The 10 Regional Public Health Training Centers (PHTCs) advance the capacity of the current and future public health workforce through skill development and technical assistance in these and other strategic areas. PROGRAM: This study examines activities through which the Regional PHTCs and their partners supported the public health workforce during the pandemic. Representatives of the 10 Regional PHTCs completed a survey in the spring of 2022. The survey included (1) pulling trends in training usage from 2018-2021 annual performance reports and (2) questions assessing the type, content, and reach of training needs assessments, training and technical assistance, student placements, and PHTC Network collaborative activities that occurred from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. Respondents also reflected on trends in use, challenges, lessons learned, stories of impact, and future PHTC practice. EVALUATION: During the pandemic, the Regional PHTCs engaged in numerous efforts to assess needs, provide training and technical assistance to the practice community, facilitate projects that built student competency to support public health agency efforts, and collaborate as the PHTC Network on national-level initiatives. Across these activities, the Regional PHTCs adjusted their approaches and learned from each other in order to meet regional needs. DISCUSSION: The Regional PHTCs provided student and professional development in foundational public health knowledge and skills within their regions and nationally while being flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the field during the pandemic. Our study highlights opportunities for collaboration and adaptive approaches to public health workforce development in a postpandemic environment.

Public Health Training Centers' Support for Community Health Workers: Case Studies of Needs Assessment, Training, and Student Field Placement Initiatives.

CONTEXT: Community health workers (CHWs) are vital frontline public health workers. Given their trusted roles and connection to and understanding of the communities they serve, CHWs are able to link underserved communities to resources and public health agencies. With CHWs' increased prominence in the public health workforce, calls have been made for expanding and supporting CHW training and career development opportunities. PROGRAM: Public health training centers (PHTCs) are mandated to assess public health workforce needs, provide evidence-based professional development trainings, and increase students' aptitude for working with underserved and underresourced communities through applied practice experiences. Public health training centers can support CHWs in each of these areas. DESIGN: Case studies from 3 PHTCs are provided to exemplify how PHTCs are well positioned to support the critical CHW workforce via assessment, training, and student field placements. IMPLEMENTATION: A regional needs assessment survey with a designated section for CHWs, the provision of accessible and relevant CHW training, and CHW-focused student field placements were implemented in PHTC Regions 6/South Central, 1/New England, and 5/Great Lakes, respectively. EVALUATION: The Region 6 needs assessment found that CHWs in Oklahoma had multiple core roles and training interests. A crosswalk of needs and available training in the region guided the creation of tailored CHW trainings. Across 35 CHW-targeted trainings in Region 1, 88.5% of trainees were satisfied with the trainings and identified actions they could take to apply information they learned to their work. Significant improvements ( P < .001) in knowledge occurred across the 13 trainings that had pre-/posttests. In Region 5, students engaged with CHW-based organizations in Wisconsin to inform statewide CHW priority action items and deliverables and found the field placements meaningful for their academic experience. DISCUSSION: Public health training centers' strengths in workforce development can complement and extend existing efforts to support the CHW workforce.

Building Professionalism Through Management Training: New England Public Health Training Center's Low-Cost, High-Impact Model.

CONTEXT: Evolving practices, accreditation, and priorities established in Public Health 3.0 are adding to the long-identified need for management training among public health practitioners. PROGRAM: The New England Public Health Training Center is addressing this need with a flexible, open-source, 16-topic training program. The program is designed to build competencies for current and future managers, preparing them for their day-to-day tasks and for the kinds of adaptation suggested by Public Health 3.0 advocates. IMPLEMENTATION: The training program uses live expert instructors for 10 webinars and 2 in-person trainings. Experts have also created the content for multiple self-paced E-Learnings that trainees undertake in addition to the instructor-led sessions. A webinar platform with breakout rooms and an advanced learning management system allows for online discussion and mentor interaction. The course has now been offered, evaluated, and modified 3 times, and the materials are available for noncommercial use by the public health community. EVALUATION: Using the Kirkpatrick training evaluation model, the recent cohort was satisfied (87.5%) with the training, reported identifying actions to apply information learned to their work (85.8%), and experienced statistically significant knowledge gains. Earlier trainees reported work-related behavior change. DISCUSSION: Management training offers the hope of increasing professionalism; creating better, more effective workplaces and programs; and preparing practitioners for an evolving public health landscape. Early results indicate that NEPHTC's program, Managing Effectively in Today's Public Health Environment, is a useful tool in realizing that hope.

On your time: online training for the public health workforce.

The need for competency-based training for the public health workforce is well documented. However, human and financial resource limitations within public health agencies often make it difficult for public health practitioners to attend classroom-based training programs. The Internet is an increasingly popular way of extending training beyond the workforce. Although research describes attributes of effective online learning modules, much of the available training delivered via the Internet does not incorporate such attributes. The authors describe the On Your Time training series, an effective distance education program and training model for public health practitioners, which includes a standardized process for development, review, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement. On Your Time is a series of awareness-level (i.e., addressing what practitioners should know), competency-based training modules that address topics related to regulatory responsibilities of public health practitioners (e.g., assuring compliance with codes and regulations governing housing, retail food safety, private water supplies, hazardous and solid waste, on-site wastewater systems, etc.), public health surveillance, case investigation, disease prevention, health promotion, and emergency preparedness. The replicable model incorporates what is known about best practices for online training and maximizes available resources in the interests of sustainability.