Kansas Local Public Health Workforce Training Needs Assessment 

 The Kansas Local Health Department Workforce Training Needs Assessment was conducted in partnership with the Heartland Centers for Public Health and Community Capacity Development at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health in 2005. Click here to view a report of the findings.

In FY 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established a national system of Centers for Public Health Preparedness. This national system is aimed at providing a continuum of accessible learning opportunities for frontline workers throughout their careers.  The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is partnered with the St. Louis University School of Public Health, Heartland Center for Public Health Workforce Preparedness, to develop new and innovative ways to address the training and professional development needs of the workforces in the states.

In order to identify and prioritize training needs, a KDHE Workforce Training Needs Assessment was completed recently in partnership with the Heartland Center.  The survey is based on the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals that have been developed and revised by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, as well as the Bioterrorism and Emergency Readiness Competencies developed to address public health preparedness.  These competencies were developed broadly, with the understanding that environmental health is a part of public health.  The assessment results will allow each KDHE Bureau/Office to identify gaps in training.  As a result, KDHE will be able to offer training programs that are more specific to individual needs and to build workforce expertise.

The next step in this process is an assessment of the Kansas local public health and environment workforce.  A three part series of articles is being sent to Kansas local health departments over the next three months to educate the workforce on:

1.      What are the core functions, essential services, and core competencies of public health?
2.      Where do the daily activities of public health fit into the core competencies?
3.      How will the Local Public Health Training Needs Assessment be carried out?

The information in these articles is to be read by all staff in the local health agency.  The articles are being written to make the assessment, based on public health competencies, easier to understand.  The assessment will take place later this fall.

Click here to read "Part One:  Core Functions, Essential Services, and Core Competencies" (7/27/04)

Click here to read "Part Two:  Core Functions, Essential Services, and Core Competencies" (9/17/04)

For additional information, see the following web sites:

Public Health Competencies:
http://trainingfinder.org/competencies/

Public Health Performance Standards Program:
Workforce and Policy Development:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/ocphp/nphpsp/