Partnering for Change: Collaboration between Local Government and Public Health Educational Institutions to Translate National Academic Literature into Local Health Education Practice

Health Education Administration (HEA), Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's (DPH) health education unit, identified “Continuing-Education Needs of the Currently Employed Public Health Education Workforce” as an eminent source regarding health educators' national continuing education needs. It delineates the criteria necessary to provide meaningful professional development for health educators: (1) Basing trainings on health education competencies (2) Gathering participant input and (3) Mobilizing partnerships to develop a cooperative training approach. HEA translated academic literature into professional practice by developing a web-based survey, utilizing The National Commission on Health Education Credentialing's “7 Areas of Responsibility” as a framework, to gather training needs directly from DPH's 81 Health Education Assistants, Health Educators, Senior Health Educators, and Health Education Coordinators. HEA's Advisory Council, a group of experts from 5 local public health schools and programs, helped develop the Baseline Survey (BLS). Collaboration to assess needs resulted in partnerships to address the BLS's top three training needs—conducting program evaluations, understanding health policy, and writing grant proposals. Educational institutions support HEA's work by funding or conducting trainings. These collaborative efforts result in monthly skill building activities that anyone with health education interests can attend. DPH workforce members and students both benefit from greater access to free and local professional development opportunities. Furthermore, collaboration has provided DPH a greater understanding of its workforce needs, allowed schools/programs to identify strengths and gaps in their curricula, and opened discussion for future or improved collaboration relating to recruitment and accreditation activities.