141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

279250
Workforce development for prevention practitioners: Virtual approaches to training and technical assistance

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Chelsey Goddard, MPH , Health and Human Development Division (HHD), Education Development Center, Inc., Waltham, MA
Korene Stamatakos , Health and Human Development Division (HHD), Education Development Center, Inc, Waltham, MA
Carol Oliver, MA , Health and Human Development Division (HHD), Education Development Center, Inc, Waltham, MA
David Castañeda , Education Development Center, Inc, Waltham, MA
As travel budgets shrink and cost restrictions on in-person meetings grow, Federal-, state-, and local-level substance abuse prevention and behavioral health agencies are turning to virtual methods to meet workforce development needs of a growing cadre of practitioners. Yet, in transitioning from in-person to virtual, it is important to consider effective instructional design in virtual settings.

EDC's Health and Human Development (HHD) Division has provided technical assistance (TA) through established centers at home and abroad. These centers evaluate the effectiveness of various virtual learning approaches, including online courses, webinars, TA sessions, training of trainers, and blended learning, serving audiences working in diverse settings. Virtual TA approaches can often bridge gaps that make travel next to impossible.

To identify and define critical components of effective virtual TA, we conducted an in-depth literature review on virtual learning focused describing the extent of online TA use in prevention; the effectiveness of different approaches; challenges to implementation; and criteria for choosing appropriate methods. Our review draws upon 5 years of evaluation data from TA initiatives conducted through HHD. We created a typology of virtual TA approaches to illustrate how these approaches fit together based on evidence. Our review will increase awareness of virtual learning methods and their relative effectiveness.

We will recommend effective virtual learning applications, relative costs, accessibility, technical expertise required, and criteria for choosing appropriate methods. Our analysis will provide a menu of approaches for practitioners to do their jobs within financial constraints and using effective and innovative approaches.

Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Describe novel approaches to delivering prevention workforce development training and technical assistance in the current economic environment Compare the relative effectiveness of various virtual training and technical assistance methods as demonstrated in recent literature and other relevant data sources Identify the challenges to providing effective virtual training and technical assistance for prevention workforce development Present criteria that can be used to choose appropriate virtual training and technical assistance methods

Keywords: Workforce, Distance Learning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Chelsey Goddard is a Senior Project Director in the Health and Human Development Division of Education Development Center (EDC). In her various roles in EDC, Ms. Goddard provides strategic direction to the organization’s technology transfer activities including training and technical assistance, product development, distance learning, and communications. Chelsey brings 20 years of experience providing multi-model approaches to T/TA, including delivering advanced consultation on evidence-based interventions, assessment, program planning, and evaluation for States and federally-funded grantees.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.

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