Category: Cultural Competency

Primary Competency Area

Navigating the path to a culture of healing: How trauma-informed care provides a blueprint for the well-being of public health professionals and the communities they serve

Course Objective

  • Understand the increasing and universal need for trauma-informed care and communication
  • Identify the linkage between trauma and adverse health outcomes
  • Articulate the underlying principles of trauma-informed care

Date: October 3, 2023

Presenter:
Carina Schmid, MPH
Lecturer, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Trauma-informed coach and resonant healing practitioner


Ms. Schmid discusses how trauma-informed care provides a basis for public health professionals and the communities they serve. Trauma-informed care and communication have become increasingly crucial for public health professionals, driven by the substantial impact and prevalence of trauma within individuals, communities, and populations — including the professionals themselves. This webinar serves as an introduction to the realm of trauma-informed care, encompassing essential concepts, the intricate connection between trauma and adverse health outcomes, and the guiding principles of trauma-informed practice. Together, we get a taste of the journey that shifts our perspective from asking, “What is wrong with you?” (or me, or them) to understanding, “What happened to you?” (or me, or us).

Confronting Barriers to Vaccine Acceptance: Create Effective Communication Using Behavioral Science

Course Objective

  • Describe vaccine hesitancy/vaccine confidence and why it is an important public health issue
  • Define behavioral science
  • Apply the Health Belief Model (HBM) to design vaccine messaging
  • Describe approaches to using behavioral science to combat misinformation about vaccines and build trust and confidence in vaccines and health care providers
  • Explain how these principles apply to current public health challenges that are described in case studies, including flu, COVID, and childhood vaccines

Date: June 30, 2023


This self-paced module course outlines how to confront barriers to vaccine acceptance by creating effective communication using behavioral science, health literacy, and techniques to combat misinformation. It provides an introduction to the key tools from each of those fields, then instructs on the five-step process of developing vaccine communications. It includes case studies to show how these principles have been applied in a real-world setting. This course is appropriate for anyone communicating about vaccination, from healthcare workers in one-on-one communications to public health promotion specialists developing full communication campaigns.

Public Health’s “Equity Clout” Problem: What Is It And How Do We Address It To Achieve Structural and Cultural Humility?

Course Objectives

  • Examine what equity clout means in the context of public health departments’ efforts to build structural and cultural humility.
  • Describe three primary factors contributing to diminished equity clout.
  • Identify three approaches for bridging the equity clout gap.

Date: June 04, 2023

Presenter:
Jerel Ezell, PhD, MPH
Director, Cornell Center for Cultural Humility
Assistant Professor in General Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine


Dr. Jerel Ezell presents on the importance of equity clout and what that means in the context of public health departments working to build structural and cultural humility. He begins by describing three primary factors that contribute to diminished equity clout. Ezell goes on to discuss approaches for bridging the equity clout gap. He ends by suggesting implications for practice and next steps.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Examine what equity clout means in the context of public health departments’ efforts to build structural and cultural humility.
  2. Describe three primary factors contributing to diminished equity clout.
  3. Identify three approaches for bridging the equity clout gap.
Occupation and COVID-19 Mortality in New York City

Course Objectives

  • Examine the impact of COVID-19 on mortality across occupational groups in New York City
  • Describe mortality across occupational groups during the COVID-19 pandemic study
  • Describe the evidence demonstrating disproportionate mortality across occupational groups by age, race/ethnicity, and gender

Date: May 2, 2023

Presenter:
Blanca Bernard-Davila, MPH, MS
COVID-19 Data Coordinator and Analyst
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Division of Epidemiology
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene


In this month’s Log-in2Learn, Blanca Bernard-Davila, MPH, MS presents on the importance of occupation COVID-19 mortality in NYC. The presenter begins by examing the impact of COVID-19 mortality across different occupational groups in New York City and how it realtes to public health. She then describes the COVID-19 pandemic study period and the mortality across occupational groups. She goes on to discuss the evidence demonstrating mortality across occupaitonal groups by age, race and ethnicity, and gender and the public health relevance.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Examine the impact of COVID-19 on mortality across occupational groups in New York City.
  2. Describe mortality across occupational groups during the COVID-19 pandemic study period.
  3. Describe the evidence demonstrating disproportionate mortality across occupational groups by age, race/ethnicity, and gender.
Public Health Law in the 21st Century: Exploring Authority, Equity, and Advocacy

Course Objectives

  • Describe how law serves as a foundation for public health practice.
  • Provide examples of how law serves as a social determinant of health.
  • Identify efforts to limit or diminish public health authority and how these efforts impact public health outcomes.
  • Provide examples of how law can be used to advance health and racial equity.
  • Highlight activities under way to strengthen public health advocacy at the local, state, and national levels.

Date: April 4, 2023

Presenter:
Montrece Ransom, JD, MPH, ACC
Director, National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training 

Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH
Director, Southwestern Regional Network for Public Health Law


Montrece Ransom, JD, MPH and Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH present on public health law fundamentals. The presenters begin by explaining the basics of law in the United States and how it realtes to public health. They then discuss landmark supreme court cases and changes to public health authority since the COVID-19 pandemic. The presenters go on to discuss law as a tool for equity and racism as a public health crisis. Finally, the presenters explain how law can be used as a tool for public health practice.

Participants will be able to:

  • Describe how law serves as a foundation for public health practice.
  • Provide examples of how law serves as a social determinant of health
  • Identify efforts to limit or diminish public health authority and how these efforts impact public health outcomes.
  • Provide examples of how law can be used to advance health and racial equity.
  • Highlight activities under way to strengthen public health advocacy at the local, state, and national levels.
The Science of Trust: Implications for Public Health Research and Practice

Course Objective

  • List key determinants of trust and trustworthiness at the community, population, and patient levels
  • Discuss the impact of trust and mistrust on behavioral and social outcomes as related to a variety of health topics
  • Describe implications of “the science of trust” for public health research and practice

Date: March 7, 2023

Presenter:
Renata Schiavo, PhD, MA, CCL
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health


Renata Schiavo presents on the importance of trust in public health research and practice. She begins by defining “trust” and explaining the importance of gaining trust among communities. Schiavo goes on to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted trust and presents commonly used models of trust. “The science of trust” is then explained by the interconnected nature of biological, social, political and environmental factors, and a new model of trust is presented. Schiavo ends by suggesting implications for practice and next steps

Participants will learn about trust in public health research and practice from Renata Schiavo, PhD, MA, CCL, from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Participants will be able to:-List key determinants of trust and trustworthiness at the community, population, and patient levels-Discuss the impact of trust and mistrust on behavioral and social outcomes as related to a variety of health topics-Describe implications of “the science of trust” for public health research and practiceRecommended Reading:-Renata Schiavo (2022) The ‘Science of Trust’: moving the field forward, Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 15:2, 75-77, DOI: 10.1080/17538068.2022.2089611https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538068.2022.2089611-Renata Schiavo (Moderator and Roundtable Chair/Organizer), Gil Eyal (Participant), Rafael Obregon (Participant), Sandra C. Quinn (Participant), Helen Riess (Participant) & Nikita Boston-Fisher (Co-Organizer) (2022) The science of trust: future directions, research gaps, and implications for health and risk communication, Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 15:4, 245-259, DOI: 10.1080/17538068.2022.2121199https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538068.2022.2121199

 

This program has been approved for 1.0 Category I Continuing Education Credit for CHES/MCHES by the Rutgers School of Public Health. The Rutgers School of Public Health is a certified CHES/MCHES provider by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

This program has been approved for 1.0 Certified in Public Health (CPH) credit by the Region 2 Public Health Training Center. The Region 2 Public Health Training Center is a certified CPH provider by the National Board of Public Health Examiners.

Commercial Determinants of Health : A New Framework for Improving Population Health and Reducing Health Inequities

Course Objective

  • Define commercial determinants  of health and explain the historical origins of this concept
  • Identify the  potential and limitations of the commercial determinants of health framework for development of more effective strategies to improve population health and reduce health inequities
  • Discuss key current needs for research, education  and practice on commercial determinants of health

Date: May 3rd, 2022

Presenter:
Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH
Distinguished Professor of Public Health
CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
Senior Faculty Fellow, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute


In this month’s Log-in2Learn, Dr. Nicholas Freudenberg presents how the commercial determinants of health framework can help reduce health inequities, guided by the belief that another world is possible. He starts by defining commercial determinants of health and reviewing the cascade of public health crises that have happened in the 21st century. He goes over a framework that attributes this cascade and increases in stratification, inequality, and inequity to changes in 6 characteristics of capitalism. He then reviews the importance of changing corporate practices and political and economic structures that harm health, and lists key ideas and strategies that can help tackle that change. He finishes by providing specific examples of how public health professionals can build more alliances and move practice beyond business as usual, and answers questions from attendees.

Participants will be able t0:

  1. Define commercial determinants of health and explain the historical origins of this concept
  2. Identify the potential and limitations of the commercial determinants of health framework for development of more effective strategies to improve population health and reduce health inequities
  3. Discuss key current needs for research, education and practice on commercial determinants of health
Redefining Resilience in the Post-COVID Era

Course Objective

  • Discuss how COVID 19 has exacerbated disparities within health departments.
  • Describe how to utilize trauma informed principles to shift internal policies and procedures to support resiliency amongst staff.
  • Identify the stages of trauma resilience and implementation into policies.
  • Explain the importance of viewing staff as whole people within an equity and resilience framework.

Date: August 3rd, 2021

Presenter:
Mateo Belen, MSW
Trainer and Principle Consultant
A Mateo Consulting


In this month’s Log-in2Learn webinar, Mateo Belen, MSW, discusses how organizations can shift internal policies and procedures to support resilience amongst staff in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. He begins by introducing us to basic trauma informed principles and explains the need to consider impacts based on race and gender. Belen highlights the need to acknowledge racism as a public health crisis and the importance of recognizing its effects amongst our employees in addition to the communities we serve. He then spends time talking about how resilience can be seen as a coping mechanism and how it can be fostered by organizations. He shares effective strategies that can be incorporated into work structures in order to support resilience and provide adequate backing to employees in times of crisis.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Discuss how COVID 19 has exacerbated disparities within health departments.
  2. Describe how to utilize trauma informed principles to shift internal policies and procedures to support resiliency amongst staff.
  3. Identify the stages of trauma resilience and implementation into policies.
  4. Explain the importance of viewing staff as whole people within an equity and resilience framework.
Making Community Colleges and Public Universities Incubators Of Health Equity For Young Adults

Course Objective

  • Describe how the coivd-19 pandemic and its economic consequences, Black Lives Matter and other recent movements campaigning for social justice, and emerging federal higher education policies create an opportunity to strengthen the role of institutions of higher education in promoting health equity among young adults.
  • Explain how community colleges and public universities can contribute to reducing racial/ethnic and class inequities in health, academic and life success among young people enrolled in the community colleges and public universities that serve populations previously excluded from higher education
  • Identify specific roles public health and other professionals in health departments, health care and social service institutions, and higher education can play in the development of equity enhancing policies, programs and environments 
  • Describe how these institutions of higher education can expand and strengthen programs to promote mental health, food security, sexual and reproductive health and health care access, four challenges that can undermine academic success 

Date: June 1, 2021

Presenter:
Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH, MPH
Distinguished Professor of Public Health City University of New York School of Public Health and Health Policy
Director, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute

Erinn C. Bacchus, MPH
Doctoral Student, Community Health and Health Policy
Graduate Student Assistant, Healthy CUNY

 


In this month’s Log-in2Learn webinar, Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH, MPH and Erinn C. Bacchus, MPH, discuss how community colleges and public universities can contribute to reducing racial, ethnic and class inequities in health, academic and life success among young people. After a brief overview of trends related to student demographics, tuition and public support over the past 25 years, the speakers highlight the unique health challenges experienced by students of color and those from low income backgrounds. They then walk us through ways in which universities can move from stratifying students to building equity. These include how to support and engage students to promote health, how to create cultures of inclusion, how to partner with public and private institutions and how to use data to inform strategies. They end by addressing pertinent questions from audience members regarding self advocacy and best ways to hold institutions accountable.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Explain how community colleges and public universities can contribute to reducing racial/ethnic and class inequities in health, academic and life success among young people enrolled in the community colleges and public universities that serve populations previously excluded from higher education
  2. Describe how these institutions of higher education can expand and strengthen programs to promote mental health, food security, sexual and reproductive health and health care access, four challenges that can undermine academic success
  3. Identify specific roles public health and other professionals in health departments, health care and social service institutions, and higher education can play in the development of equity enhancing policies, programs and environments
  4. Describe how the coivd-19 pandemic and its economic consequences, Black Lives Matter and other recent movements campaigning for social justice, and emerging federal higher education policies create an opportunity to strengthen the role of institutions of higher education in promoting health equity among young adults.
The Challenge of Vaccine Hesitancy in the COVID Pandemic

Course Objective

  • Describe the continuum of vaccine acceptance and hesitancy
  • Identify the concerns that underlie hesitancy toward vaccination in general and COVID vaccination in particular 
  • Critique different approaches for achieving high uptake of COVID vaccines

Date: March 2nd, 2021

Presenter:
James Colgrove, PhD, MPH
Professor of Sociomedical Sciences,
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Dean of the Postbac Premed Program,
Columbia School of General Studies


This month’s Log-in2learn webinar comes at an opportune time, in the midst of a national vaccine rollout. Our presenter, James Colgrove, PhD, MPH, covers everything you need to know about vaccine hesitancy in the U.S.. He starts off with a brief history of the roots of vaccine hesitancy in the country and explains how these views have developed into the spectrum that we see today. He then shifts his attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing the available vaccine options, their development process and the public’s response to them. He carefully walks us through the different concerns regarding the vaccine and breaks down the demographic characteristics of each group. He lays a heavy emphasis on the need to address hesitancy using targeted strategies that meet the unique needs of each group. He shares a number of approaches to do this and highlights key messages that have been effective. He ends by reiterating the main challenges and the importance of addressing broken relationships and mistrust as we attempt to address vaccine hesitancy during COVID-19.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the continuum of vaccine acceptance and hesitancy
  2. Identify the concerns that underlie hesitancy toward vaccination in general and COVID vaccination in particular 
  3. Critique different approaches for achieving high uptake of COVID vaccines
Region 2 Public Health Training Center