Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109947

Heather Vilvens, MEd, CHES, School of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1212 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212, 614-292-2303, hvilvens@sph.osu.edu

The Pennsylvania & Ohio Public Health Training Center's (POPHTC) purpose is to improve the performance effectiveness of the public health system by enhancing the competencies of public health workers to carry out the essential public health services. One way to ensure that this purpose is accomplished is through the maintenance and enhancement of partnerships. A unique partnership opportunity came in 2003 when the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) approached POPHTC and asked them to deliver a pilot training for their newly developed workbook tool entitled Service Delivery and Community Partnerships: Strategic Decision Making in Local Health. This tool was designed to help local agencies make decisions about the need for direct clinical care services in their community. Shortly after the pilot, the Ohio Department of Health approached POPHTC and asked them to coordinate a series of the same workshop for grant recipients of their Child and Family Health Services Bureau. In 2004, six workshops were conducted across the state of Ohio and over 208 individuals were trained. A peer trainer methodology was followed to bring this training to public health professionals across the state in a meaningful yet non-threatening way. Follow-up surveys are being conducted with these individuals to determine the full impact of the trainings. This presentation will highlight the results of this collaboration, focusing on the ways in which the three organizations created mutually beneficial partnerships. The benefits and drawbacks of the peer trainer methodology will be discussed, as well as the follow-up surveys.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Recognize the advantages of creating mutually beneficial partnerships for delivery of workforce training.
• List the benefits of delivering a training using peer trainers as instructors/facilitators.
• List the drawbacks of delivering a training using peer trainers as instructors/facilitators.

Keywords: Collaboration, Public/Private Partnerships

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.