196552 Turning competencies for state oral health program practice into reality

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 5:30 PM

Beverly Isman, RDH, MPH , ASTDD, Davis, CA
Reginald Louie, DDS, MPH , ASTDD, Castro Valley, CA
Donald W. Marianos, DDS, MPH , ASTDD, Pinetop, AZ
As a next step to more closely tie the 10 Essential Public Health Services to Promote Oral Health in the US and the Guidelines for State and Territorial Oral Health Programs to workforce development and oral health program capacity building, The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) developed competencies for State Oral Health Program Practice. While many other public health competencies were reviewed, these are modeled after ones developed for Chronic Disease Program Practice. They cover seven domains: 1) Build support, 2) Plan/Evaluate programs, 3) Influence policies and systems change, 4) Manage people, 5) Manage programs and resources, 6) Use public health science, 7) Lead strategically, and reflect eight overriding principles. Levels of attainment from minimal competence to higher levels are outlined. Competencies also can be applied to local oral health programs with some adaptations. Every individual working in an oral health program need not be proficient in each competency. The competencies represent those skill sets that a state oral health program should have access to whether they are present in staff or are obtained from other programs or outside sources. This presentation will discuss how the competencies were developed and vetted and how they can be used for public health system planning and evaluation, strategic planning, position descriptions and interview questions, professional development plans and courses, program and individual performance measurement.

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain how the state oral health program practice competencies relate to other public health and oral health competencies. 2. Discuss steps involved in developing and vetting the competencies. 3. List ways that competencies can be integrated into public health system planning, implementation and evaluation.

Keywords: Competency, Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I serve on the ASTDD Leadership Committee and helped to develop the competencies described in the abstract. I have taught public health at the graduate level and have worked in public health for almost 30 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? Yes

Name of Organization Clinical/Research Area Type of relationship
ASTDD leadership development Consultant

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.