Findings: Local PIOs need skills for communicating with immigrant populations Local risk communicators perceive need for skills in communicating with linguistically diverse populations Create stronger liaison especially with Latino communities Extrapolate from emergency preparedness messages to health protection messages This group does not believe that individual job coaching would be an effective training strategy. As for MPH students, some are naïve about the communication demands in their prospective jobs, however most do sense a need for tools to facilitate community-based collaboration Methods utilize focus groups and online surveys 4 groups of exiting and mid-program MPH students 2 groups of health district emergency preparedness PIOs Online survey of state-level PIOs (National Public Health Information Consortium) A public health workforce development needs assessment for communication to reduce health disparities SCCHP responds to a convergence of new needs in workforce development The Southern Center for Communication, Health, and Poverty (SCCHP)—a CDC-funded center of excellence in health communication—is committed to public health workforce development in communication to reduce health disparities. A number of factors converge to create particular needs in that domain. E.g., communicating about genetics-related risks “digital divide” may limit access to information for many poor and near poor, and especially for the elderly many health and risk communicators possess credentials mainly in emergency response and preparedness and not in communication. Focus on 3 constituencies State Public Health Information Officers Local Emergency/Risk Communicators Public Health Students The Southern Center for Communication, Health, and Poverty --a CDC-funded center of excellence in health communication Mission and Values SCCHP develops, fosters, and translates health communication and social marketing research into strategies that enhance health and well-being of the economically disadvantaged people of the South. We affirm the centrality of communication to health protection and health care. We avow that eliminating health disparities is a fundamental goal of health communication. We will pursue the highest quality community-focused prevention and communication research. We will translate research findings into practical interventions to improve the health of economically disadvantaged people of the South. We will collaborate with community partners to assure research practices that reflect their health concerns. Center Studies Workforce Development Please visit our website at Year 1: Conducting Needs Assessments What factors contribute to the current need for workforce development in communication to reduce health disparities? What role can SCCHP play in monitoring and addressing workforce development needs in communication to reduce health disparities? Findings: MPH students need nuts-and-bolts public relations techniques Course work provided on causes and implications of health disparities tends to be abstract and policy-oriented Need dedicated course on cultural differences in health beliefs and communication patterns in specific communities Need dedicated course for direct instruction in running community meetings, writing PSAs, securing media presence, etc. ASPH standards for communication only partially met Donald L. Rubin, PhD & Lenette C. Golding, MPH, The Southern Center for Communication, Health and Poverty This poster publication was supported wholly by a Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (GRANT # SP01CD000242). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC. Findings: State-Level PIOs need skills for getting out credible messages to minority communities Building relationships with minority media outlets Documenting impact of minority media purchases Building trust with media users to draw upon in emergency response situations Information dissemination Study 1: Understanding the genetic bases for disease and message development Study 2: Multiple risk actors and information seeking Study 3: Teen Smoking and decision making State Public Health Information Officers Local Emergency/ Risk Communicators Public Health Students