Training Services
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of program activities provided to our state and local partners, we must assess the change in emergency preparedness of those agencies. Emergency public health preparedness is a function of a number of variables. A key component is a competent workforce with a sense of self-efficacy in their ability to fulfill the roles demanded of them in an emergency situation. Preparedness also includes institutional capacity to function in an emergency situation, which is determined by: the availability of appropriate numbers and types of personnel, well-defined plans that coordinate with other response agencies in the jurisdiction, a defined Incident Command System that complies with the National Incident Management System, and a well-planned and equipped location to function as a Departmental Operations Center.
CPHD has received numerous requests to review or write emergency response plans; identify training needs; develop and conduct trainings; and facilitate, observe, design, implement, and evaluate exercises. To meet this need, the Center offers a variety of services to state and local public health agencies to increase their emergency public health preparedness and inter-agency response. All are designed with objectives that are mapped to the competencies in emergency preparedness.
Institutional
Capacity Assessment
Plan Writing
Training Needs Assessment
Training Plans
Trainings
Exercises
Institutional Capacity Assessment
This assessment elucidates the strengths and weaknesses of the agency’s present state of preparedness. The assessment gathers information about the agency and identifies community needs that must be met to strengthen institutional capacity.
CPHD can provide assistance to public health agencies in developing their all-hazards disaster/emergency response plans. Plans are tailored to the community needs of each agency and assistance may include writing, revising, or reviewing plans and annexes, including, but not limited to:
The Training Needs Assessment provides a picture of the agency’s strengths and the training needs of its workforce. This knowledge-based, online questionnaire is designed to assess the perceptions of competencies as well as evaluate knowledge related to the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals and the Emergency Preparedness Core Competencies for all Public Health Workers. Results from these assessments will assist health departments and other health care providers in determining their training needs with the goal of improving workforce capacity to provide essential public health services in times of emergency.
A training plan is a guideline designed to help public health agencies develop and/or facilitate a learning experience that will increase and/or delineate the skill and knowledge level required of public health staff to assure a timely, efficient, and organized response in a public health emergency. An operational training plan focuses on meeting the identified needs of the public health agency by providing access to an ongoing learning process. A training plan outlines what training will take place; who will benefit; and how, when, and where the training will be conducted. CPHD is available to assist public health departments in reviewing and/or developing a training plan.
Trainings are tailored to meet the emergency preparedness needs of each agency and focus on increasing competency. Trainings are conducted in-person at the local public health agency and include scenario-driven tabletop exercises. Training topics are competency-based, customized for each jurisdiction, and built around local plans, legal responsibilities, and hazards.
Each training is mapped to both the competencies and essential services covered. In order to measure the effect of the training on the participating agency, an evaluation is conducted. Training evaluation reports provide valuable feedback to the participating agency.
Topics for on-site trainings include, but are not limited to:
The Center also develops and conducts workshops on emergency public health. CPHD hosts a workshop series on topics in public health preparedness, and will also collaborate with public health agencies on specific topics to meet their education and training needs.
If there is a topic you are interested in and CPHD is not able to provide the training or workshop, one of the other CPHPs may be able to assist.
CPHD designs, conducts, and evaluates exercises that challenge the response and planning capabilities of state and local public health agencies. These can be expanded to include emergency management partners.
Exercises are designed to assess the competency of individuals and capacity of the public health agency to respond to a public health emergency. Exercises effect the integration of an incident command management structure and the adequacy of the physical setting used for incident control through an interactive environment. In addition to assessing the response capacity of personnel, exercises allow agencies to practice decision-making and communications skills, identify future training and planning needs, and establish policies and procedures. These can be designed as tabletop, functional, or full-scale exercises or drills.
These exercises utilize scientifically valid modeling techniques to design a scenario that allows the agency to truly experience the demands of an emergency. To simulate real-life, messages are provided to the agency through telephone, in-person, and written communications. The exercise facilitators respond to the actions of the agency and simulate responses from other agencies the health department might interact with during an event. The actions undertaken by the agency are evaluated using standard evaluation methodologies that conform to HSEEP guidelines. These methodologies include the development of measurable objectives for the exercise, from which critical actions must be taken to successfully respond to the emergency. These critical actions reflect both the agency’s plans and currently accepted emergency public health science. A team of evaluators utilize standardized evaluation forms (both quantitative and qualitative) to observe and evaluate the exercise. The Center also conducts process evaluation of the exercise through a post-exercise debriefing with the participants and an evaluation instrument. Using both methods allows those who are better verbalizing their perceptions and those who are better writing them to express themselves. Both the observations and process evaluations are analyzed and an after action report is provided to the agency.
The Center also has resources to assist public health agencies in increasing their competency and capacity. These can be downloaded from the Resources page.
For more information about these services or others, contact the Center at 310-794-0864
or cphdplan@ucla.edu.