Registration

Select the enroll button below to register for access to the materials.

Registration

Select the enroll button below to register for access to the materials.

Description

The Vermont Community Health Equity Partnership exists to assist the Vermont Department of Health to meet the goals of the CDC Grant to Address Health Disparities – specifically to “mobilize partners and collaborators to advance health equity and address social determinants of health as they relate to COVID-19 health disparities among populations at higher risk and that are underserved.” All grant program webinar recordings and related materials will be located on this platform for you to access at any time. If you have any questions related to these materials please reach out to Cathy, Operations Manager, at vtpublichealth@outlook.com.

This course page allows teams to access video and resources from meetings and links to documents and chat platforms and will be updated regularly.

About this Workshop

This MACHW interactive workshop series aims to support CHWs as they strive to serve their clients during these challenging times. The workshop formats will include expert panels, Q and A, and case studies on critical issues from across Massachusetts.

CHWs and Trauma Informed Care: A trauma-informed approach to care is necessary to transform health care. Working on the frontlines, Community Health Workers (CHWs) are public health professionals who simultaneously build on the strengths and resilience of themselves and the communities they serve. CHWs provide supportive care to trauma survivors across various behavioral health spectrums; including grief, loss, substance use and mental health services.

In this workshop we will learn about the impact that traumatic experiences have on individuals, families, and communities. We will also examine the parallels of caring for ourselves as we care for our clients. Finally, we will explore building a community collective that is strength-based and fosters safe and compassionate spaces that encourage resilience.

What you'll learn

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Hythia Phifer

More

Hythia Phifer is a mental health therapist and clinical consultant whose practice prioritizes Expressive Arts Therapy, Trauma Healing & Resilience, and Social Justice. She combines formal training with lived experiences to offer tailored strategies that reimagine the ways people engage the work environment and each other. She has experience working within multilevel systems as well as smaller businesses and NGOs. She provides quality interventions with compassion and proficiency in equal measure to senior managers and individual clients. As a clinical consultant, Hythia engages a collaborative approach founded on the belief that her clients hold an innate knowledge of their own needs as well as an awareness of the greater needs of the system they function within. She enjoys utilizing her specialized abilities and clinical background to provide support and strategy to provide tailored solutions to complex challenges.

Moderator

• 
  

  Jamie Berberena

More

Jamie Berberena is the Southeast Regional Leader and Advisory Board member with the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers. She is a passionate public health advocate focused on promoting racial equity throughout Massachusetts. With over a decade of experience promoting the health and well-being of diverse communities across Massachusetts by providing direct support and guidance through community-based programs, multi-disciplinary clinical programs and health policy initiatives.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this workshop. If you have any trouble accessing the workshop, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement:} 

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

_{This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

About this Workshop

Getting’ By is a game appropriate for public health classroom or student groups, public health program managers and departmental staff, cross-silo departments or organizations who want to get to know each other better.

What you'll learn

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe a range of real-life situations and the options open to low-income people
• Recognize how thinking and decision-making changes when the brain is tunneled
• Explain how poverty affects the brain, decision making, and behaviors
• Discuss how their own work might impose practical and cognitive demands on potential clients or patients

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  

  Linda Riddell

More

Linda Riddell is an epidemiologist, specializing in poverty and social-economic status issues. She has a master’s degree in health policy and management and keeps abreast of developments with courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Michigan. She has a bachelor’s in English.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this recording. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement: This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program.” This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

About this Workshop

Getting’ By is a game appropriate for public health classroom or student groups, public health program managers and departmental staff, cross-silo departments or organizations who want to get to know each other better.

What you'll learn

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe a range of real-life situations and the options open to low-income people
• Recognize how thinking and decision-making changes when the brain is tunneled
• Explain how poverty affects the brain, decision making, and behaviors
• Discuss how their own work might impose practical and cognitive demands on potential clients or patients

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  

  Linda Riddell

More

Linda Riddell is an epidemiologist, specializing in poverty and social-economic status issues. She has a master’s degree in health policy and management and keeps abreast of developments with courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Michigan. She has a bachelor’s in English.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this recording. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement: This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program.” This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

NOTE:   

Due to funding sources, this course is only available to public health professionals from Connecticut.  If you are not from Connecticut, you will be removed from the course. Thank you for understanding.

About this course

The aim of this 10-part course is to build skills in applying evidence-based decision making to improve population health and advance health equity. Through presentations, practice exercises, and case examples, the course takes a “hands-on” approach and emphasizes information that is readily available to busy practitioners.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Describe the basic concepts and the value of evidence-based decision making.
• Identify some sources and types of evidence.
• Recognize the importance of evidence-based decision making to advancing health equity.
• Describe several applications within public health practice that are based on strong evidence and several that are based on weak evidence.
• Define some barriers to evidence-based decision making in public health settings.

Subject Matter Experts

Kathleen O’Connor Duffany, PhD		Amy Griffin, MA
Dr. Debbie Humphries		Dr. Tekisha Dwan Everette

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Note there are two different options for enrolling in this course highlighted in the table below.

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

Acknowledgements:

NEPTHC thanks the St. Louis Prevention Research Center for sharing their EBPH curricula for public health workforce development

This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP27877 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this Workshop

This MACHW interactive workshop series aims to support CHWs as they strive to serve their clients during these challenging times. The workshop formats will include expert panels, Q and A, and case studies on critical issues from across Massachusetts.

Community Health Workers are central in supporting the health of the communities they work with, and yet, they are often at risk for burnout themselves due to inequitable work conditions. This workshop will discuss strategies for voice and reflect on how to improve well-being at work.

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explore the connection between workers’ voices and their well-being as individuals, and as a collective group.
• Discuss benefits of worker unions and strategies for organizing workers in health and social services.
• Discuss strategies for voicing and improving well-being at work
• Recognize how systemic oppressions and practices impact our work and well being

Subject Matter Expert

To Learn more about the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers please visit: www.machw.org

About this Webinar

This workshop is designed to help leaders learn skills for restarting their teams effectively after the multitude of crises that have occurred over the last year plus. These skills range from empathy and compassion to making and implementing difficult decisions in uncharted economic and societal territory.

What you'll learn

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize crises and discuss how to process and make sense of them
• Identify ways to ‘bounce forward’ – capturing gains and seizing the organizational moment
• Describe methods of sustaining long-term team health

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Laura Freebairn-Smith,
  Partner and co-founder, OPG

Laura Freebairn-Smith is a Partner and co-founder at OPG. She has been a consultant for such distinguished organizations as the New York Times, Lemann Foundation, and ESPN. Her specialty is assisting leaders in realizing the full potential of their organizations through humanistic and analytical practices, while offering guidance in the in the redesign of infrastructure, the creation of strategic plans, and with organizational development. Prior to founding OPG, Laura served as Director of Yale’s Organizational Development and Learning Center, which she helped create. Laura currently teaches leadership at Yale’s Drama School. 

Her work and career have three major foci: 

• Leading the creation of extraordinary organizational cultures 
• Guiding groups, large and small, to greater effectiveness and impact
• Consulting on organizational development issues with a special emphasis on strategic planning and organizational redesign 

Laura’s credentials include a BA from UC Berkeley (Philosophy and Political Science) and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She holds a doctorate in Organizational Systems from Saybrook Institute and has published articles and chapters on organizational development topics, most recently on radical move leadership. 

Prior to joining Yale, Laura founded Good Work Associates, a consulting firm providing strategic planning and organizational development. Before that, she served as Managing Director for the Gesell Institute of Human Development, as Chief Operating Officer for Jobs for the Future, and as Education Coordinator for the International Rescue Committee on the Thai/Cambodian border. 

 In addition to her teaching at Yale, Laura has taught at University of New Haven, Georgetown, and Central CT State University. She served on the Town of Hamden Charter Revision Committee and has served on numerous other boards in the past. Laura has received several leadership awards. For recreation, Laura enjoys running, writing poetry, tennis, and gardening.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this webinar. If you have any trouble accessing the webinar, contact support@nephtc.org.

<sub>Acknowledgement: This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program.” This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

* Yale School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice, a New England Public Health Training Center partner, is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. All CHES credit inquiries are managed by YSPH</sub>

About this Webinar

This workshop is designed to help leaders learn skills for restarting their teams effectively after the multitude of crises that have occurred over the last year plus. These skills range from empathy and compassion to making and implementing difficult decisions in uncharted economic and societal territory.

What you'll learn

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize crises and discuss how to process and make sense of them
• Identify ways to ‘bounce forward’ – capturing gains and seizing the organizational moment
• Describe methods of sustaining long-term team health

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Laura Freebairn-Smith,
  Partner and co-founder, OPG

Laura Freebairn-Smith is a Partner and co-founder at OPG. She has been a consultant for such distinguished organizations as the New York Times, Lemann Foundation, and ESPN. Her specialty is assisting leaders in realizing the full potential of their organizations through humanistic and analytical practices, while offering guidance in the in the redesign of infrastructure, the creation of strategic plans, and with organizational development. Prior to founding OPG, Laura served as Director of Yale’s Organizational Development and Learning Center, which she helped create. Laura currently teaches leadership at Yale’s Drama School. 

Her work and career have three major foci: 

• Leading the creation of extraordinary organizational cultures 
• Guiding groups, large and small, to greater effectiveness and impact
• Consulting on organizational development issues with a special emphasis on strategic planning and organizational redesign 

Laura’s credentials include a BA from UC Berkeley (Philosophy and Political Science) and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She holds a doctorate in Organizational Systems from Saybrook Institute and has published articles and chapters on organizational development topics, most recently on radical move leadership. 

Prior to joining Yale, Laura founded Good Work Associates, a consulting firm providing strategic planning and organizational development. Before that, she served as Managing Director for the Gesell Institute of Human Development, as Chief Operating Officer for Jobs for the Future, and as Education Coordinator for the International Rescue Committee on the Thai/Cambodian border. 

 In addition to her teaching at Yale, Laura has taught at University of New Haven, Georgetown, and Central CT State University. She served on the Town of Hamden Charter Revision Committee and has served on numerous other boards in the past. Laura has received several leadership awards. For recreation, Laura enjoys running, writing poetry, tennis, and gardening.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this webinar. If you have any trouble accessing the webinar, contact support@nephtc.org.

<sub>Acknowledgement: This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program.” This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

* Yale School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice, a New England Public Health Training Center partner, is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. All CHES credit inquiries are managed by YSPH</sub>

Registration

Select the enroll button below to register for access to the materials.

About this Workshop

This MACHW  interactive workshop series aims to support CHWs as they strive to serve their clients during these challenging times. The workshop formats will include expert panels, Q and A, and case studies on critical issues from across Massachusetts.

In this workshop, we explore the Stress First Aid (SFA) model based on five evidence-informed factors that help people recover from stress and adversity. These include the need for safety, calm, connection, sense of competence or self-efficacy, and hope.

Stress First Aid (SFA) provides a framework for psychological peer support, with a set of supportive actions designed to promote self-care and coworker support. The overarching aim of SFA is to identify and mitigate the negative impacts of stress at work before they impair staff health and well-being.

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explore evidence informed strategies to increase self efficacy, promote self care and mental wellness
• Begin to understand and utilize resiliency practices and Stress First Aid
• Define empathy and compassion, how they differ and what gets in their way
• Describe what makes us strong and what makes us vulnerable as caregivers
• Better understand what takes place in our mind and body when we experience stress

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Beth Lown

More

Beth Lown, MD Chief Medical Officer of The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. In this role she creates scientific content and develops new initiatives, programs and research. She speaks locally, nationally and internationally about empathy, compassion and communication, and teaches these attributes and skills to health professionals across the continuum of learning. Dr. Lown is associate professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA and is a clinician- educator at Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA.

• 
  

  Lisette Blondet

More

Lissette Blondet is the director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers (MACHW). She has dedicated most of her professional life to anchoring community health workers (CHWs) as public health professionals. In 1993, she founded the Community Health Education Center (CHEC), one of the first training and resource centers for CHWs in the country. CHEC’s standards for CHW curricula and core competencies have been replicated in other states. The program was so successful that in 1997, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health funded its expansion to the northeast region of the state. Both centers, CHEC Boston and CHEC Northeast are still thriving and have graduated over a thousand CHWs. More recently, Lissette provided technical assistance to the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund on community health and community health workers. She also previously served as Director of Community Benefits for Cape Cod Healthcare, focusing on making healthcare accessible to the underserved while building her experience in healthcare financing. As the director of MACHW, Lissette brings all her experience and skills to strengthen the association and strategically position the workforce to seize the many opportunities now available through health care reform, including reimbursement and broad recognition of the attributes and competencies of CHWs.

• 
  

  Jamie Berberena

More

Jamie Berberena is the Southeast Regional Leader and Advisory Board member with the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers. She is a passionate public health advocate focused on promoting racial equity throughout Massachusetts. With over a decade of experience promoting the health and well-being of diverse communities across Massachusetts by providing direct support and guidance through community-based programs, multi-disciplinary clinical programs and health policy initiatives.

• 
  

  Areliz Barbosa

More

Areliz Barbosa is a CHW and is the Regional Chapter Leader for Western Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this workshop. If you have any trouble accessing the workshop, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement:} 

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

_{This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

About this Workshop

This MACHW interactive workshop series aims to support CHWs as they strive to serve their clients during these challenging times. The workshop formats will include expert panels, Q and A, and case studies on critical issues from across Massachusetts.

In this workshop, we explore the science of stress and anxiety. One of the impacts of the ongoing stress that many of us are experiencing as a result of COVID-19 is that we may feel like doing nothing, when actually doing something is critical for building resilience. We will explore how our science-based framework, TEB (thoughts, emotions and behaviors) can get us unstuck. We will then explore our science-driven skill “Charge Up” by practicing planning activities that charge up our “batteries” and can help us, and the individuals we work with, improve mental and physical health.

What you'll learn

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe what is happening in our brains when we experience stressful situations
• Describe the difference between healthy and unhealthy levels of stress and anxiety
• Explain how stressful situations can lead to “spinning cycles” of unhelpful thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
• Describe how stressors can cause us to shut down and disengage
• Explain how “Charge Up” can be used to help someone who is overwhelmed with stress and feeling stuck, disengaged, and drained of energy
• List multiple examples of how to Charge Up
• Describe the steps of Charge Up and how those steps could be applied

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Ylira Pimentel

More

Ylira Pimentel, LICSW, currently works with MGH’s Community Psychiatry Program for Research in Implementation and Dissemination of Evidenced-Based Treatments (PRIDE) which spearheads efforts to bring evidenced-based practices and science-driven skills to organizations and communities. At PRIDE’s Training Institute she is a group coach for its Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) based TEB (Thoughts, Emotions, Behavior) curriculum. She has extensive experience working with diverse populations through administrative, clinical, and consulting roles in organizations such as Vinfen, BayCove, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-Boston and MGH’s Chelsea Healthcare Center. She is also a part-time faculty member at Boston College School of Social Work, where she teaches Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She holds an B.A. from Umass Boston, an M.S.W. and a certificate in child and adolescent trauma from Simmons College.

• 
  

  Lisette Blondet

More

Lissette Blondet is the director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers (MACHW). She has dedicated most of her professional life to anchoring community health workers (CHWs) as public health professionals.
In 1993, she founded the Community Health Education Center (CHEC), one of the first training and resource centers for CHWs in the country. CHEC’s standards for CHW curricula and core competencies have been replicated in other states. The program was so successful that in 1997, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health funded its expansion to the northeast region of the state. Both centers, CHEC Boston and CHEC Northeast are still thriving and have graduated over a thousand CHWs.
More recently, Lissette provided technical assistance to the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund on community health and community health workers. She also previously served as Director of Community Benefits for Cape Cod Healthcare, focusing on making healthcare accessible to the underserved while building her experience in healthcare financing.
As the director of MACHW, Lissette brings all her experience and skills to strengthen the association and strategically position the workforce to seize the many opportunities now available through health care reform, including reimbursement and broad recognition of the attributes and competencies of CHWs.

• 
  

  Jamie Berberena

More

Jamie Berberena is the Southeast Regional Leader and Advisory Board member with the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers. She is a passionate public health advocate focused on promoting racial equity throughout Massachusetts. With over a decade of experience promoting the health and well-being of diverse communities across Massachusetts by providing direct support and guidance through community-based programs, multi-disciplinary clinical programs and health policy initiatives.

• 
  

  Areliz Barbosa

More

Areliz Barbosa is a CHW and is the Regional Chapter Leader for Western Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this workshop. If you have any trouble accessing the workshop, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement:} 

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

_{This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

Registration

Select the enroll button below to register for access to the materials.

About this Workshop

The November 5 workshop is about the end of the eviction moratorium.

This MACHW interactive workshop series aims to support CHWs as they strive to serve their clients during these challenging times. The workshop formats will include expert panels, Q and A, and case studies on critical issues from across Massachusetts. 

Get the resources and skills you need to excel as a CHW during these trying times. A monthly participatory workshop designed specifically for CHWs

What you'll learn

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe the moratorium at the federal and state level and the governor's new EDI initiative
• Describe strategies for advocacy at the local level
• Describe the fair housing framework and discrimination red flags
• Know the two follow up steps: Apply for RAFT and fill out the CDC Order

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Andrea M. Park

More

Andrea M. Park joined MLRI as a Housing and Homelessness staff attorney in 2016. Prior to that Andrea worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights and Consumer Protection Divisions of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; an attorney at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau on an innovative foreclosure defense project partnering lawyers and community organizers; and a staff attorney at Community Legal Aid in Worcester specializing in housing, foreclosure, consumer and bankruptcy litigation.
In 2015 Andrea was honored by the Harvard Law and International Development Society and Harvard Women's Law Association in their International Women's Day Portrait Exhibit entitled Women Inspiring Change. Andrea holds a B.A. from Tufts University, an M.A. from the University of Chicago, and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she served as director of the Indian Child Welfare Act Clinic. Andrea grew up in East Tennessee and is a lifelong musician.

• 
  

  Mary Ellen Natale

More

Mary Ellen Natale is Managing Attorney of South Coastal Counties Legal Services’ (SCCLS) New Bedford, MA Law Office. Prior to joining SCCLS, she was Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Society of Rockland County (NY). Her previous positions include Managing Attorney with Legal Aid of Western Ohio; and Staff Attorney positions with the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, NY and with the Food Research and Action Center in Washington, DC. A graduate of Colgate University and Boston College Law School, she has held faculty positions at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and at St. John’s University School of Law.

• 
  

  Kristina da Fonseca

More

Attorney Kristina da Fonseca is founder and Executive Director of SouthCoast Fair Housing (SCFH). SCFH is a non-profit full-service fair housing organization with a mission is to eradicate housing discrimination and increase equal housing opportunities in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. SCFH provides fair housing education and outreach, investigates fair housing complaints, enforces fair housing laws, and advocates for policies that will further fair housing.

• 
  

  Lisette Blondet

More

Lissette Blondet is the director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers (MACHW). She has dedicated most of her professional life to anchoring community health workers (CHWs) as public health professionals.
In 1993, she founded the Community Health Education Center (CHEC), one of the first training and resource centers for CHWs in the country. CHEC’s standards for CHW curricula and core competencies have been replicated in other states. The program was so successful that in 1997, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health funded its expansion to the northeast region of the state. Both centers, CHEC Boston and CHEC Northeast are still thriving and have graduated over a thousand CHWs.
More recently, Lissette provided technical assistance to the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund on community health and community health workers. She also previously served as Director of Community Benefits for Cape Cod Healthcare, focusing on making healthcare accessible to the underserved while building her experience in healthcare financing.
As the director of MACHW, Lissette brings all her experience and skills to strengthen the association and strategically position the workforce to seize the many opportunities now available through health care reform, including reimbursement and broad recognition of the attributes and competencies of CHWs.

• 
  

  Jamie Berberena

More

Jamie Berberena is the Southeast Regional Leader and Advisory Board member with the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers. She is a passionate public health advocate focused on promoting racial equity throughout Massachusetts. With over a decade of experience promoting the health and well-being of diverse communities across Massachusetts by providing direct support and guidance through community-based programs, multi-disciplinary clinical programs and health policy initiatives.

• 
  

  Areliz Barbosa

More

Areliz Barbosa is a CHW and is the Regional Chapter Leader for Western Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this workshop. If you have any trouble accessing the workshop, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement:} 

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

_{This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

About this Workshop

This MACHW interactive workshop series aims to support CHWs as they strive to serve their clients during these challenging times. The workshop formats will include expert panels, Q and A, and case studies on critical issues from across Massachusetts.

What you'll learn

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe strategies for CHWs supporting immigration rights at the state/local level
• Find resources about worker rights and access to healthcare regardless of immigration status
• Find housing resources for immigrants
• Describe the current status of humanitarian immigration relief & Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Describe temporary Protected Status (TPS) & Reasons for deportation
• Identify an organization to contact if a client experiences discrimination

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Margalit Tepper

More

Margalit Tepper is the Integration Projects Lead at MIRA Coalition, working on initiatives related to education, social integration, and immigrant family wellbeing. She has previously worked in refugee resettlement case management and managed an ESOL program. Margalit holds a B.S. in Human Development from Indiana University, and an M.S.W. with concentrations in child welfare and immigrant and refugee populations from Boston College.

• 
  

  Jessica Chicco

More

Jessica Chicco oversees MIRA Coalition's education and training programs, citizenship program, and federal policy work. Prior to joining MIRA she was the Senior Immigration Attorney at DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended, Inc.) where she represented immigrant survivors of domestic violence. Jessica has wide-ranging experience working with community-based immigrant organizations in the greater Boston area. She holds a JD from NYU Law School and a BSFS from Georgetown University.

• 
  

  Lisette Blondet

More

Lissette Blondet is the director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers (MACHW). She has dedicated most of her professional life to anchoring community health workers (CHWs) as public health professionals.
In 1993, she founded the Community Health Education Center (CHEC), one of the first training and resource centers for CHWs in the country. CHEC’s standards for CHW curricula and core competencies have been replicated in other states. The program was so successful that in 1997, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health funded its expansion to the northeast region of the state. Both centers, CHEC Boston and CHEC Northeast are still thriving and have graduated over a thousand CHWs.
More recently, Lissette provided technical assistance to the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund on community health and community health workers. She also previously served as Director of Community Benefits for Cape Cod Healthcare, focusing on making healthcare accessible to the underserved while building her experience in healthcare financing.
As the director of MACHW, Lissette brings all her experience and skills to strengthen the association and strategically position the workforce to seize the many opportunities now available through health care reform, including reimbursement and broad recognition of the attributes and competencies of CHWs.

• 
  

  Jamie Berberena

More

Jamie Berberena is the Southeast Regional Leader and Advisory Board member with the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers. She is a passionate public health advocate focused on promoting racial equity throughout Massachusetts. With over a decade of experience promoting the health and well-being of diverse communities across Massachusetts by providing direct support and guidance through community-based programs, multi-disciplinary clinical programs and health policy initiatives.

• 
  

  Areliz Barbosa

More

Areliz Barbosa is a CHW and is the Regional Chapter Leader for Western Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this workshop. If you have any trouble accessing the workshop, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement:} 

This project is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

_{This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

About this Workshop

This fast-moving, interactive, competence-building, and entirely enjoyable workshop will include both didactic instruction and interactive work that will introduce participants to the Foster Hicks Model. The model includes an overview of “Executive Brain Function,” and tools for living more effectively and happily through difficult times. The session will include a 20 minute break at midpoint.

Expect a fast-moving immersion during which you will engage with others in small break outs to explore and reinforce the tools and techniques you have learned about. If you manage any kind of team of any size, this session will provide tools for creating the healthiest and happiest team culture.

What you'll learn

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Define the biochemistry of well-being
• Utilize tools to invoke the “Executive Function” of the brain – at work and at home
• Apply concepts and practical tools for work and at home
• Use “intention,” appreciation, truth-telling, and giving as behaviors and attitudes for the most enjoyable, effective, and high-trust work environment

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Rick Foster,
  Author and Consultant

Rick Foster and Greg Hicks have dedicated the last seventeen years of their lives to studying people and organizations that thrive. Embarking on a unique journey to research happiness in 1995, they eventually traveled to all 50 states, 7 continents, and over 70 countries, finding and interviewing, ultimately, thousands of extremely happy people. Their initial research uncovered a system of nine choices that’s been studied by researchers at leading institutions and proves to lead to good health, strong team culture, better job performance, and effective stress-management.
Their first book, How We Choose to Be Happy – The 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People (Putnam, 1999), became a national bestseller and has been on bestseller lists ever since. Available in 22 languages, it was selected by the Book of the Month Club as one the Best Books of the Year, and was nominated as Best Motivational Book by the prestigious Books for a Better Life.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this webinar. If you have any trouble accessing the webinar, contact support@nephtc.org.

<sub>Acknowledgement: This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program.” This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

* Yale School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice, a New England Public Health Training Center partner, is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. All CHES credit inquiries are managed by YSPH</sub>

About this online peer learning series

Community Health Workers are a group of professionals who, under normal times, are generally overstretched and working with challenging populations. As the US confronts the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, these individuals deserve extra support of all kinds: emotional, informational and structural. We can learn from Community Health Worker (our peers’) insights during this time. This learning experience is intended to be a conversation. The HRSA-funded New England Public Health Training Center, with its network of almost 9000 public health professionals, is working with partners from Southern New Hampshire AHEC, Mane Mobile Health and the National Association of Community Health Workers to facilitate supportive conversations and learning among Community Health Workers on the frontlines of COVID-19.

Part 1: Resiliency and Thriving in the age of COVID19 – Peer Learning and Support

How do we uncover the secret power of stress and the key to grow from resilience to thriving for ourselves and the communities we serve?

About part 1 of the series: The Resiliency to Thrive Peer Learning session can help define how each participant perceives life challenges and examine how the power of perception can enhance your resiliency factor or erode it. Resiliency can grow when one is in tune with mind and body. Raising body consciousness is a KEY for sustainable wellbeing. Now more than ever self-care has been defined as critical to our mental and physical health under the new “normal” of COVID19.

What you'll learn

Through the peer learning process, our guided interaction and listening will allow you to:

• Apply the tools of Resilience and Thriving through self-examination of events in personal and professional lives.
• Evaluate the broader aspects of stress and how they can reframe stressors to strengthen their ability to flourish under challenging circumstances.   
• Integrate the role of stress and thriving across the National Wellness Institute’s six dimensions of Wellness.
• Recognize early warning signs and utilizing the core tools of the positive stress cycle

Part 2: Addressing Burnout: Peer Learning & Support for CHWs

Have you found yourself exhausted, frustrated, or discouraged by your job as a community health worker? This could be the right session for you.

About part 2 of the series: Today, burnout is an all too common experience among health care professionals, and Community Health Workers are no exception. On the front lines of providing critical services to vulnerable communities in the era of coronavirus, while often dealing with the same insecurities that their patients experience, CHWs are particularly vulnerable to stress and burnout. This session will be an opportunity to learn from other CHWs and a mental health professional on how burnout impacts our day to day work and to identify concrete strategies for self-care and peer support.

What you'll learn

Through the peer learning process, our guided interaction and listening will allow you to:

• Assess yourself for the three main components of burnout
• Choose one new strategy for self-care that you plan to apply to your daily routine
• Examine the potential for burnout in your work environment using 6 key-factors
• Investigate one new opportunity for peer support in your work environment

Part 3: Community Health Workers: Insights on Building a Movement for Health Equity and Social Justice during COVID-19

Will COVID provide the moment of equitable transformation in our systems? Will CHW drive the change?

About part 3 of the series: CHWs have many titles and roles. What is happening with CHWs in other parts of the country during COVID? Are emergency response structures changing because of new challenges and opportunities during the pandemic? This workshop will explore CHW experiences in Northern New England and some national data. The group will discuss systems changes involving CHWs needed to improve health.

What you'll learn

Through the peer learning process, our guided interaction and listening will allow you to:

• Examine themes from a national survey on CHWs and their information, resource and self-care needs in the early weeks of COVID-19
• Explore strategies used with public and private institutions to advocate for the role of CHWs in emergency response efforts
• Discuss how to advance an equity and social justice agenda among state and national emergency response initiatives

Part 4: Using the Research Lens: Thematic Analysis of the CHW Peer Learning Sessions

What have Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont Community Health Workers expressed about resiliency for themselves and their communities, preventing burnout, and needed change over the three workshops?

About part 4 of the series: Part 4 of the series will describe the research process used to identify key themes about resiliency, burnout, and CHW needs discussed in the previous three sessions. The evaluator will share the identified themes with participants and engage the CHWs in a discussion to validate and refine the themes.

What you'll learn

Through the peer learning process, our guided interaction and listening will allow you to:

• Describe the research methods used to collect and analyze data and validate findings from the three session
• Describe strategies that CHWs identified to build resiliency among their clients, as well as to build resiliency and prevent burnout within the CHW workforce and needed change

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Paula Smith, Co Host

  Southern New Hampshire Health Education Center

• 
  

  Maria Reyes, SME

  Seacoast Public Health Network

• 
  

  Ben Hummel, Co Host

  Maine Mobile Health Program

• 
  

  Laura Valencia, SME

  Maine Mobile Health Program

• 
  

  Denise Octavia Smith

  National Association of CHW

• 
  

  Hope Worden Kenefick, MSW, PhD

  Consultant and Evaluator

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this workshop series. If you have any trouble accessing the workshop, contact support@nephtc.org.

_{Acknowledgement: This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31685 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program.” This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.}

About this Course

This course is designed to strengthen the management skills of the current or future heads of local or regional health departments and managers or directors in city or state public health agencies in Massachusetts.

This is a team-based course taught in a blended format over four months. Once enrolled, you will be placed in a team and each team will be assigned a mentor. Your mentor will be an experienced public health professional who will guide your team discussion assignments.

At the conclusion of the course a graduation ceremony will be held. A certificate of completion and 25 contact hours will be issued once you submit the final post test and course evaluation. Self-paced modules that you completed as part of the course offer additional certificates and credits.

What you'll learn

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the need and urgency to manage differently in today’s environment
• Describe new information, tools, and resources to help manage more effectively
• Demonstrate enhanced skills to better manage all aspects of public health organizations

Each week’s lesson(s) will have specific learning objectives that are connected directly to the assignments and team discussions. Lessons include optional resources for you to learn more about each topic and have instructors who are subject matter experts in their field of study.

• 
  Kathleen MacVarish,
  Course Director
• 
  Seth Eckhouse,
  Course Manager

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Note that you must first register for this course by completing a registration form (PDF). Once your registration has been confirmed, you will receive an enrollment key to access the course.

Once the final post-test and course evaluation are submitted, participants will receive a certificate of completion and 25 contact hours. Self-paced trainings completed as part of the course may offer additional certificates and credits.

Trouble accessing the course or other course-related questions? Contact Seth Eckhouse at seckhous@bu.edu.

DISCLAIMER:
This training and all supporting material was supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, under B01OT009024. Additionally, this training was supported by the Grant Number, 5U90TP116997-10, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. This project is also supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP27877.
The views and opinions expressed as part of the training and all related documents and course materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions or the official position of, or endorsement by, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, the Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Hospital Preparedness Program, or that of HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this Course

The course is now at capacity - we are not accepting new applications.

Enrollment and Contact Hours

This course offers a cross-disciplinary approach to local public health practice in Massachusetts and is based on the three core functions and ten essential public health services. It incorporates the US Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020 goals and objectives.

The course goal is for Massachusetts public health workers charged with carrying out routine and emergency environmental and population-focused health functions to appropriately provide the ten essential public health services according to local and state laws, regulations, and policies.

Course participants may be Massachusetts local or state public health agency:

• Staff

  Includes Agents, Directors, Emergency Preparedness Coordinators and Planners, Environmental Health Sanitarians or Specialists, Health Inspectors, Health Officers, Sanitarians and Public Health Nurses

• Governing Bodies

  Includes Board of Health members -elected or appointed and Commissioners

• Consultants

  Working for state or local public health agencies

The course is appropriate for professionals new to the field as well as for professionals with experience who have an interest in advancing their knowledge and skills.

Participation in the course requires:

1. Written supervisor approval
2. Two to six hours of work per week (multiple break weeks are built in)
   1. Attendance at all live lessons (classes and webinars)
   2. Completion of self-paced E-Learnings
   3. Completion of individual assignments
3. Successful completion of the course requires ALL assignments be completed and ALL live sessions attended

Graduates will receive a certificate of completion and up to 17.5 continuing education credits. Self-paced trainings completed as part of the course offer additional certificates and credits.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply the ten essential public health services in local practice
• Employ cross disciplinary partnerships
• Perform routine and emergency environmental and population-focused health functions according to local and state laws, regulations, and policies

This is a blended course and each weekly session will include live lessons (classroom or webinar) or self-paced E-Learnings. Lessons are taught by instructors who are subject matter experts in their field of study. Lessons include optional resources for participants to learn more about each topic.

All course materials will be posted on the New England Public Health Training Center learning management system.

Meet the Course Manager

Seth Eckhouse

,

Course Manager

Sponsors

• Local Public Health Institute of Massachusetts
• New England Public Health Training Center

Enrollment and Contact Hours