About this Webinar

Public Health Nurses in Massachusetts have a vast and varied accounting of job responsibilities, position descriptions and dedicated hours for PHN services.  The one hour webinars will provide an introduction into the three areas of concentration for PHNs in MA: Infectious Disease, Immunizations and Emergency Preparedness with resources clearly identified through membership in the Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses; the only state recognized Public Health Nursing Organization. 

About this Course

Resilience is defined by psychologists as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. This collection of micro-learnings and resources will equip learners with practical actions and tools that can be applied in any environment by changing thoughts and behaviors in times of adversity and trauma.

How to Use this Resource

Select from the below topics as you need learning, are preparing to engage with your community, elected officials and governing boards, or your workforce/ team. Or explore the opportunities for yourself.

• Building Resilience in Communities
• Building Resilience in Organizations
• Building Resilience with Self and Others

What You'll Learn

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

• Obtain resilience micro-learnings and resources for use in public health

Collaboration

This resource was developed by the Public Health Learning Network, a consortium of regional Public Health Training Centers, the country’s most comprehensive resource for public health workforce development. Program management and instructional design of this resource was provided by the Midwest Public Health Training Center.

Registration and Contact Hours

Select the Enroll button below to register for this webinar. If you have any trouble accessing the webinar, 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.}

_{* 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}

About this course

Following a short overview of the causes and mechanisms of climate change, the course reviews current and expected human health impacts, with particular emphasis on impacts in Vermont and the northeast. These include heat-related illness, water-related impacts, vector borne diseases, air quality impacts, and mental health and well-being. Because climate change affects some people more than others, populations of concern and measures of vulnerability are addressed. The course culminates with examples of strategies used in Vermont and nationally to reduce climate change impacts on health and to improve health through climate change mitigation actions. Learners can select Level 1 for an overview or Level 2 for a deeper exploration of the five types of health impacts.

What you'll learn

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

• Explain how and why the climate is changing.
• List the health conditions exacerbated by climate change, explain how weather/climate affects each health condition, and how we expect future climate change to modify health risks.
• List those populations more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and explain why they are vulnerable.
• Describe the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation strategies.
• Describe climate adaptation and preparedness strategies to reduce climate-related health risks.

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  Jared Ulmer, MPH, AICP

  Climate & Health
  Program Coordinator,
  Vermont Department of Health

• 
  Lynn Blevins, MD, MPH

  Clinical Assistant
  Professor,
  University of Vermont
  College of Medicine



• 
  David Grass, PhD

  Environmental Health
  Surveillance Chief,
  Vermont Department of Health

• 
  Elizabeth Faye, MPH

  Instructional Technologist
  Activist Lab,
  BU School of
  Public Health

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. 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

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 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 course

This course provides an overview of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and the risks it poses to people and pets. Learn how to monitor recreational waters for cyanobacteria (including distinguishing it from look-alikes), manage recreational waters when cyanobacteria is present, and track blooms. Information is provided on documentation through photographs, water sampling and reporting systems.

This training is intended for public health and environmental personnel, state and municipal employees responsible for management of recreational waters, citizen scientists participating in a cyanobacteria monitoring program, as well as anyone interested in learning about cyanobacteria and how recreational waters are monitored and managed from a public health perspective.

This training was developed in conjunction with the University of Vermont, Vermont Department of Health, and Lake Champlain Committee to address the concern about water quality in Vermont. Therefore, the regulations and administrative processes cited are specific to Vermont. However, the underlying science and public health implications are applicable to all states and jurisdictions.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to answer the following questions.

• What are cyanobacteria?
• What are the risks to people and pets?
• How do you monitor for it?
• What should you do if you find it?
• How can you track instances?

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Lynn Blevins

  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Vermont
  College of Medicine

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.

If you wish to receive contact hours in Massachusetts, please go to the Massachusetts-specific training on Recreational Waters.

About this course

This course reviews the four health hazards common to recreational waters: biological, chemical, physical, and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Information is provided on water sampling and testing, visual monitoring, reporting, and recreational water management (i.e., beach closure, signage). This training is intended for the environmental public health workforce, state and municipal employees responsible for management of recreational waters, as well as anyone interested in understanding how recreational waters are monitored and managed from a public health perspective.

This training is intended for public health and environmental personnel, state and municipal employees responsible for management of recreational waters, citizen scientists participating in a cyanobacteria monitoring program, as well as anyone interested in learning about cyanobacteria and how recreational waters are monitored and managed from a public health perspective.

While the regulations and administrative processes cited are specific to Vermont, the underlying science and public health implications are applicable to all states and jurisdictions.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to address the following questions.

• Identify common recreational water hazards
• Describe regulations and strategies to prevent recreational waterborne illnesses
• Describe methods to monitor, sample, and test recreational water
• Explain the process for posting warning signs and closing beaches

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Lynn Blevins

  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Vermont
  College of Medicine

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.

If you wish to receive contact hours in Massachusetts, please go to the Massachusetts-specific training on Recreational Waters.

About this course

This 10 module training series covers the basic principles of infection prevention and control that form the basis for CDC recommendations for dental health care settings.

The training was recorded with an audience of dental professionals in Vermont on June 10th 2019.  Adhering to the CDC script, presenter comments are excluded.  

Vermont and Rhode Island dental health care personnel and administrative staff  have a new option for learning about infection control in a dental practice setting! This 10 module series takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete and is based on the CDC's Basic Expectations for Safe Care training modules. This free course has been approved for 3.5 CE credits by both the RI and VT Boards of Dental Examiners.

CDC citation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. .Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; October 2016.

Adapted from: Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care

What you'll learn

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

• Provide basic infection prevention principles and recommendations for dental health care settings.
• Reaffirm standard precautions as the foundation for preventing transmission of infectious agents during patient care in all dental health care settings.
• Access links to full guidelines and source documents that can be referenced for more detailed background information and recommendations.

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Kathy J. Eklund
  Director of Occupational Health and Safety, RDH MHP
  

More

Ms. Eklund is the Director of Occupational Health and Safety, and the Forsyth Research Subject and Patient Safety Advocate at The Forsyth Institute. She is adjunct faculty at Regis College, Dental Hygiene Program where she teaches senior level courses in Oral Health Research and Evidence-Based Decision Making. Ms. Eklund serves as faculty for the New England AIDS Education and Training Center and HIVdent.org. She is a member and 2017-2019 Chair of the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Board of Directors. Ms. Eklund is a consultant to the ADA Council on Dental Practice.




Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. 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

About this course

This self-study course introduces learners to Transmission-Based Precautions. This course provides an overview of why and when Transmission-Based Precautions should be used, along with examples of how these precautions can be applied in the ambulatory care setting. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

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

• Define Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Recall the three categories of Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Describe the unique features of each category of Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Recognize when to use each category of Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Recognize when to combine Transmission-Based Precautions
  

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Louise-Marie Dembry
  MD, FACP, MS, MBA

  Professor of Medicine
  (Infectious Diseases)
  and of Epidemiology
  (Microbial Diseases);
  Director, Hospital Epidemiology
  VA CT Healthcare System

Enrollment and Contact Hours

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

About this course

This self-study course introduces learners to personal protective equipment (PPE) and safe surfaces, two components of Standard Precautions. After a quick review of Standard Precautions, this course provides an overview of types and use of PPE in the ambulatory setting and when and how to treat potentially contaminated surfaces. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

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

• Recognize commonly used personal protective equipment
  
• Recall actions to take is a surface may have been exposed to patient body fluid
  

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  David B. Banach
  MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor of Medicine
  Head of Infection Prevention
  and Hospital Epidemiologist
  UConn Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

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

About this course

After a quick review of Standard Precautions, this course provides an overview of how to prevent respiratory infection transmission. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

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

• Recall two types of respiratory infection transmission
  
• Recognize the correct approach to patient with a cough
  
• Recognize patient symptoms that require additional infection control actions
  

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  
  David B. Banach
  MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor of Medicine
  Head of Infection Prevention
  and Hospital Epidemiologist
  UConn Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

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

About this course

This course provides an overview of standard precautions, the practice of hand hygiene and the role of healthcare staff in preventing the spread of infections to themselves, colleagues and patients. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

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

• Define Standard Precautions
• List at least two reasons whyhand hygiene is important to infection prevention
• Recall when hand hygiene should be performed
• Recall how long hands should be rubbed when using long soap
• Recall two advantages of using alcohol- based rubs

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Louise-Marie Dembry
  MD, FACP, MS, MBA

  Professor of Medicine
  (Infectious Diseases)
  and of Epidemiology
  (Microbial Diseases);
  Director, Hospital Epidemiology
  VA CT Healthcare System

Enrollment and Contact Hours

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

About this course

This course provides an overview of basic principles of infection transmission and the role of healthcare staff in preventing the spread of infections to themselves, colleagues and patients. It contains non-graded knowledge checks so learners can interact with the content. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

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

• Explain the basic modes of infection transmission

• Recall the differences between bacteria and viruses
• Recognize the three basic transmission principles
• Recognize common ways diseases are spread
• Recognize common signs of active infection
• Recognize the three stages of an infection


• Describe your role in preventing infection transmission

• Recall at least three ways you or others can prevent disease transmission
• Recognize the importance of teamwork in infection prevent in healthcare settings

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  Louise-Marie Dembry
  MD, FACP, MS, MBA

  Professor of Medicine
  and Epidemiology
  Director, Hospital Epidemiology
  VA CT Healthcare System

• 
  David B. Banach,
  MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor of Medicine, Head of Infection
  Prevention and Hospital
  Epidemiologist
  UConn Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

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

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 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 Webinar

This is Part 2 of a two-part, interactive webinar.  This webinar covers the the important role of community health workers in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. 

Click here to access the archived version of Part 1 of the webinar

What you'll learn

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

• Describe 2 types of diabetes
• List 3 risk factors for diabetes
• State 3 types of prevention activities
• List 2 prevention programs

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Dawn Heffernan
  Director,
  W. MA Public Health Training Center
  UMass Amherst
• 
  Kelly Henry, RN, CDE
  
  Cooley Dickinson
  Medical,
  Group Diabetes Center

Registration and Contact Hours

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

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the webinar. 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.

About this Webinar

This is a two-part, interactive webinar.

Community health workers play an important role in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.  Learn the basics of diabetes with a focus on prevention and see how CHW's are making a difference.

What you'll learn

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

• Describe 2 types of diabetes
• List 3 risk factors for diabetes
• State 3 types of prevention activities
• List 2 prevention programs

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Dawn Heffernan
  Director,
  W. MA Public Health Training Center
  UMass Amherst
• 
  Kelly Henry, RN, CDE
  
  Cooley Dickinson
  Medical Group,
  Diabetes Center

Registration and Contact Hours

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

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the webinar. 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.

About this Webinar

In February of 2020 Vermont began preparing for what became the COVID-19 pandemic. From the start, the Governor and the people supporting him, most notably the Commissioner at the Vermont Department of Health, relied on science and the data at hand to inform the public. During this session, you will learn the principles of effective marketing in public health and how Vermont applied the principles in its messaging.

What you'll learn

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

• Summarize the basic components of a public health communications strategy
• Outline what worked well with respect to the Vermont Department of Health communication approach to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Recognize some common pitfalls to avoid in public health communications
• Apply principles of effective communications strategy by analyzing a current campaign

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  

  Rebecca Brookes

More

Over the past 40 years, Rebecca has worked nationally and internationally in many areas of public health marketing and behavior change, including the Tobacco Control Programs for New York State and Vermont. She’s worked for the Ford Foundation, the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Planned Parenthood International Federation and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (where she was national Director of Social Marketing), and trained national grantees for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to embed behavior change into programs. Rebecca was on staff at VDH from 2012-2017, where she worked on the Medicaid Tobacco Benefit Expansion and Promotion Initiative and was a co-author on the subsequent article “A Framework for Effective Promotion of a Medicaid Tobacco Cessation Benefit,” published in Health Promotion Practice in July 2020. She has been on the editorial board for Social Marketing Quarterly since 2013. She currently holds a legislative appointment to the Vermont Substance Misuse Prevention Oversight and Advisory Council, which advises the Governor and legislature on policy for tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs. Her profile as a social marketer in public health will be the first inclusion of social marketing in the upcoming third edition of 101+ Careers In Public Health published by Columbia University.

• 
  

  Shari Levine

More

Shari Levine has extensive professional experience in communications and in writing for various public and professional audiences. She has a demonstrated history of working in the health, wellness and fitness industry. Shari’s experience includes consulting with nonprofit organizations, use of program evaluation and also editing, journalism, and creative writing. She is known as a strong media and communication professional. Shari earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree focused on Health Education and Behavioral Sciences from Emory University. Presently, she is the Information Director for the Vermont Department of Health, Division of Maternal and Child Health. She has served on the VDH COVID 19 Crisis and Emergency Response (CERC) team over this past year, in which data, assessment, message design, and evaluation were used to inform Vermonters of the risks and the nature of COVID 19.

Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this webinar. If you have any trouble accessing the webinar, 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.}

_{* 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}

About this Webinar

Participants will explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and this new moment in the civil rights movement for Black lives through a lens of trauma-informed care. The workshop will cover self- and community care, self-reflection for allyship and liberation, and resiliency-building through a lens of racial and gender justice.

What you'll learn

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

• Identify tools for self- and community care to help sustain health workers in a critical time
• Name Principles of Trauma-Informed Care and some ways they can be applied to daily work with colleagues and clients/ patients
• Think about how to hold trauma-informed, healing-centered space to talk about some of the major changes happening in our society right now.
• Deepen a self-reflection practice for resiliency-building and improved collaboration.

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Samantha Calero
  
More

Samantha Isabel Calero (Sam, she/her) is a biracial Latinx public health consultant. Her work includes training and facilitation, technical assistance, policy analysis and development and organizational capacity building to address trauma, resiliency, racial and gender justice. She approaches her work with an intersectional, margins-to-center lens of relationship building and critical analysis for change. Sam is a member of Mijente and currently is completing her master's degree in health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She lives in Roxbury with her daughter.


Registration

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this webinar. If you have any trouble accessing the webinar, 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 Webinar

Participants will learn about the history of slavery and racism in Maine, including the role of eugenics and the term Vacationland. Presenters will talk about our shared ancestry and how the slavery has impacted the way the world functions today. Participants will also learn specific examples of racism and how it plays out in communities.

What you'll learn

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

• Describe how Maine’s history with slavery has impacted genocide, immigration, disinformation and racism in American culture.
• Describe the hidden history of black communities in Maine.

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  

  Myron M. Beasley, PhD

More

Myron M. Beasley, Ph.D. is Associate Professor and Chair of American Studies at Bates College. His ethnographic research explores the intersection of cultural politics, material culture and social change. His book, Disturbers of the peace: Performance, Art, and politics of the African Diaspora is currently in press by Routledge. Having conducted fieldwork in Morocco, Haiti, and Brazil he writes about art and food and the constructions of identity and culture. He is also an international curator and he is a trustee of the Maine Historic Society. He has been recognized with distinguished awards and fellowships by the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Whiting Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, the Kindling Fund, The Davis Family Foundation, the Reed Foundation, and Dorathea and Leo Rabkin Foundation. His writing appears in Liminalities: The Journal of Performance Studies, The Journal of Poverty, Text and Performance Quarterly, Museum & Social Issues, The Journal of Curatorial Studies and Performance Research, and Gastronomica.

• 
  

  Bob Greene

More

Bob Greene is a native of Portland and the eighth generation of his family to be born in Cumberland County. His roots in Maine stretch back into the 1700s. After graduating from Portland High, Bob went off to college and a career as a journalist, covering among other things airplane crashes, Mississippi River floods and the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He has met three presidents: Harry Truman, Lyndon Baines Johnson and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. And, as The Associated Press Tennis Writer, Bob traveled the world covering the sport. After retiring he returned home to Maine where his genealogical research has led to his deep knowledge about Maine’s Black history. He currently teaches a Black History of Maine course at OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute} at the University of Southern Maine. Bob also is the 2021 recipient of the Maine Historical Society’s Neal Allen Award, which is presented each year for exceptional contributions to Maine History.

• 
  

  Pedro Vazquez

More

Pedro A. Vázquez (he/him/his) is a community leader and organizer holding multiple roles dedicated to abolitionism, anti-racism, and uplifting of the community. His work highlights the need for just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive initiatives in all structures of society and demands accountability to aim beyond the cosmetic. A father of 6, he specifically engages with young people in recognition of their brilliance and natural ability to lead.

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 Webinar

The concept of food sovereignty has developed within Indigenous communities and is broadly applicable. It offers a framework for working toward a greater degree of local autonomy over food production and food access, alleviating food insecurity, and fostering a culture of environmental justice. While food sovereignty has received increased attention in recent years, the focused has largely been on developing a conceptual framework emphasizing local, Indigenous control over food production and distribution in Tribal communities. Less information has been disseminated on practical strategies for implementing food sovereignty initiatives in real-world settings. The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (HBMI) has launched a food sovereignty initiative with the aims of increasing access to nutritious food, improving food security, and strengthening connections to Wabanaki culture through the sharing of traditional approaches to food production, storage, and preparation - including planting edible landscapes, Three Sisters, and sacred medicines. Lessons learned are adding to current knowledge about how to develop, implement, and evaluate a model that is rooted in the principals of food sovereignty and designed to increase access to nutritious food, food security, and connection to traditional culture.

The Initiative is implementing coordinated, culturally-connected strategies including establishing community gardens available to youth, Elders, and over 309 individual households throughout Maliseet territory, as well as foster-children in non-Native households - this represents a reach to over 700 individuals. Youth interns have been engaged in program management, training, and evaluation activities. Opportunities to learn and share knowledge about traditional storage and recipes are being provided to community members. Existing partnerships are being leveraged to develop a sustainable model. Evaluation processes are collecting input from the community to understand the overall impact. Household gardens are being installed for each Tribal housing unit. Additional community gardens will enable food production capacity to increase over the coming years.

What you'll learn

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

• Describe the concepts of food sovereignty, food security, and environmental justice
• Describe the main programmatic aspects of the Maliseet Food Sovereignty Initiative
• Discuss strategies for implementing and evaluating a community-based food sovereignty initiative

Subject Matter Experts

Chief Clarissa Sabattis, Houlton Band of Maliseets

More

Andrew Pritchard, MPH Lead Program Evaluator, PHRI Consulting

More

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.}