Training for Results: Preparedness and Emergency Response Core-Competency Based Training

In response to requests for training that would efficiently prepare the public health workforce and allow the tracking of training, Public Health Foundation (PHF) developed TRAIN (www.train.org). Today, TRAIN’s community consists of 28 affiliates and nearly 4,000 course providers offering over 29,000 courses to over 900,000 learners, making it the nation’s premier online learning network for professionals who protect the public’s health.

In recognizing the value of competency-based professional education for providing effective public health services, TRAIN incorporated the Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) Core Competency Model and the Public Health Preparedness (PHEP) Capabilities. These two standards, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, are competencies and capabilities that public health workers, regardless of their employment setting, are expected to demonstrate to assure readiness. These competencies and capabilities provide strategic direction, support, and coordination for state, tribal, local, and territorial public health departments to meet training needs and to address gaps in individual competence and organizational capabilities that lead to a stronger, more prepared national public health infrastructure.

The session will provide background information on the PHPR core competencies and PHEP capabilities and introduce frontline public health workers to the high-quality, current trainings that have been tagged with one or more of the core competencies and capabilities on TRAIN. This session will also discuss how health departments and organizations can monitor, track, and generate reports on workforce participation in competency- based courses, noting specific PHPR core competencies and PHEP capabilities addressed by these courses.