Connecticut State Department of Public Health

Contents
 
       TRAINConnecticut
       Student Internships                     
          
 
THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE 
 
The public health workforce focuses on preventing disease and injury while protecting and promoting the health of populations, whereas the health care workforce focuses on the health of individuals.
 
The public health workforce includes employees of federal, state, and local health agencies, along with anyone, regardless of profession or place of employment, who performs any of the following 10 Essential Public Health Services:*
  1. Monitor health status to identify community health problems
  2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
  3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues
  4. Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems
  5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
  6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
  7. Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
  8. Assure a competent public health and personal health care workforce
  9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health
    services
  10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems
The public health workforce is thus multidisciplinary, comprising nurses, physicians, occupational health and safety personnel, epidemiologists, environmental health professionals, public health laboratory personnel, health administrators, health economists, health planners and analysts, licensure, inspection, and regulatory specialists, community development workers, health educators, and others from a wide range of occupations.
 
*  The Public Health Workforce: An Agenda for the 21st Century. A Report of the Public Health
    Functions Project. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
 
 
PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AT DPH
 
An adequate and well-trained workforce is an essential element of public health efforts. It ensures that critical services such as disease surveillance, environmental and water safety, and immunization programs are provided, and that the health implications of physical inactivity, obesity, tobacco use, bioterrorism, natural disasters, and other health threats are addressed. 
 
Public Health Workforce Development programs at DPH have the following functions:
  • Monitor public health and health care workforce issues, and work with State agencies, legislative groups, and other organizations to address them 
  • Provide professional development and continuing education opportunities that enhance worker competency, through collaboration with academic and community partners
  • Promote online learning opportunities and enhance distance learning technology
  • Work with organizations to grow and diversify Connecticut's health career pipeline
 
 
TRAINConnecticut is a free, centralized, learning resource for Connecticut's health workforce.  The resource, available at https://ct.train.org, provides online registration and access to Connecticut-specific and national continuing education and professional development opportunities that are posted by Connecticut, national, and other state registered course providers. The available courses are offered either online or in-classroom.
 
TRAINConnecticut is open to students, professionals, and course providers that work to protect the health and safety of Connecticut's residents. Currently there are 19,000 registered users.
 
Students and Professionals can use TRAINConnecticut to:
  • Search or browse the nationwide database for on-site or distance learning courses
  • Sign up for e-mails about new courses
  • Create a personal learning record of competency-based training
  • Provide and view feedback about courses listed on the site
  • Register online for many courses
  • Earn CEUs (often at no cost)
Course Providers can use TRAINConnecticut to:
  • Publicize courses to thousands of TRAIN users through multiple web sites. Enter course information once, and it is automatically visible through the sites of all 22 states that participate in the TRAIN network. 
  • Manage online registration and student rosters
  • Collect feedback from learners online
  • Post course materials and discussion topics
(Contact: Chris Stan christopher.stan@ct.gov) 
 
 
DPH provides opportunities for students to learn about public health and public health careers.  It also provides relevant, structured, placements for students in public health and related disciplines.  Participants have the opportunity to gain broad knowledge of current public health issues and State public health agency operations, including interface with local public health and federal agencies.
 
Program Eligibility:
 
DPH cannot guarantee placements; however, internships may be available to undergraduates and graduate and post-graduate students at colleges and universities, with first consideration given to those in programs in public health, allied health, medicine, and related fields in Connecticut schools.
 
Inquiries:
 
If you are interested in an internship, please go to Student Internship web page.

             

The public health "career pipeline" consists of students and workers in other professions who may be interested in pursuing careers in public health. DPH routinely provides classroom presentations, mentoring opportunities, and information at career fairs for students in middle schools and high schools across the state. DPH staff also serve on Boards and Committees with educators to enhance health-related curricula and develop workplace learning opportunities. Many DPH staff serve as preceptors, mentors, and instructors or faculty for Connecticut colleges and universities.

 

DPH also works with the Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA) to develop the Mentoring Organization Registry for the Future of Public Health (MOR). The mission of the CPHA MOR is to grow and diversify Connecticut's public health career and volunteer pipeline, by preparing youth and young adults for community service, healthier lifestyles, and careers in public health, especially public health shortage areas. The MOR has 23 organizational members that collaborate on grants and free programs aimed at developing students in middle schools and high schools as future public health leaders. The MOR focuses on fostering new relationships between public health organizations and educators.

 

In 2010, DPH received a grant from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) for the ASTHO Marketing Public Health Careers Project (see also PowerPoint Presentation on Building the Public Health Pipeline). In collaboration with the CPHA MOR, the funds were used to train educators about public health concepts and careers, and to demonstrate alignment between public health skills and skills for the 21st century that are being adopted by schools across the country (see Partnership for 21st Century Skills).

 

(Contacts: See CPHA MOR Co-Chairs)

 

 

Other DPH and Federal Programs that Support Public Health Workforce Development