Online Program

327039
Real-time University/Agency Collaboration to Train Public Health Workers in Response to Emerging Crises


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Bernadette Boden-Albala, DrPH, MPH, Division of Social Epidemiology, College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY
Chris Dickey, DrPH MBA, Global Institute of Public Health, New York University, New York, NY
Heather Carman Kuczynski, MPH, CHES, CPH, Global Institute of Public Health, New York University,, NY, NY
Juliet Bedford, Ph.D, Anthrologica, York, United Kingdom
Sherine Guirguis, UNICEF, New York, NY
Rafael Obregon, PhD, UNICEF, New York, NY
UNICEF aims to provide advanced training for its field-based professional in behavioral and communications strategies. In response, the Global Institute of Public Health at New York University (NYU GIPH) partnered with the UNICEF Communications for Development (C4D) team to create an intensive three-credit Master’s course, Behavioral and Communication Strategies for Global Epidemics: Focus on Polio and Ebola. The class integrated theory and practice.

The class structure utilized unique methods to designing and implementing strategies for behavioral change including understanding social data, role play, scripted scenarios, CBPR exercises, training simulations, negotiation practices, and train-the-trainer. Modules were overlaid with epidemiology, theory and activities to enhance management/leadership skills. Course attendees were half NYU GIPH MPH students and half UNICEF country-level management staff.

The course assignments included behavioral situation analyses, operations, communications, and technology – all focused on practical application and immediate implementation. The class culminated in the production of a group-developed theory-driven behavioral intervention that teams presented to NYU/UNICEF leadership. The course projects developed are being introduced at the country level.

The NYU GIPH/UNICEF partnerships provided a valuable opportunity for NYU GIPH students to network and learn from professionals in the field and UNICEF gained high-quality training for its front-line staff and an opportunity to build skills and interest for the next generation of public health communicators. The collaborative model utilized for developing this course will be applied to other partnerships between academia and organizations, including NGOs and health departments, to meet immediate and long-term needs of the public health workforce.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Communication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Explain the value of courses that combine MPH students and public health workers in the field. Identify strategies to create mutually beneficial partnerships between academia and the public health workforce. Describe tactics for developing unique real-time course activities and assignments as part of a collaboration.

Keyword(s): Workforce Development, Partnerships

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Bernadette Boden-Albala is recognized as one of the key leading social epidemiologists utilizing stroke and cardiovascular disease models to define the ways in which culture, ethnic groups and individual behavior interact to create disease, including examining vascular outcomes and oral health practices.
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.