According to a recent analysis, graduate-level enrollment has been on a decline nationwide since 2011 resulting from changes in the economy, generational shifts and more, however, the need for well-educated professionals remains. To meet this new demand, the Colorado School of Public Health recently added four new certificate programs that address emerging public health issues nationally and provide ongoing training and education to the public health workforce.
“Certificate programs are a great way to add to your professional portfolio, enhance your qualifications or became a subject matter expert in a particular topic area in a shorter amount of time,” says ColoradoSPH’s Practicum and Career Services Senior Professional Katie Brumfield. “These new areas offered by ColoradoSPH will serve to address the local and national workforce needs and get more experts on the ground in communities in need more quickly.”
The four new certificates in Latino Health, Population Mental Health, Preparedness and Disaster Response and Total Worker Health join three other existing certificates that are also offered by ColoradoSPH in Public Health Sciences, Global Public Health and Maternal and Child Health.
Enrollment for all certificates is open through October 15, 2017 for the classes commencing in January 2018.
Latino Health Certificate
The Latino/a population currently makes up 17% of the US population, 21% of Colorado’s population, and 32% of the residents in metro Denver, making it the largest and fastest growing ethnicity in this country. Significant disparities in Latino health are seen throughout the nation resulting from challenges such as insufficient educational attainment, high poverty, and high rates of being uninsured. The ColoradoSPH certificate in Latino Health is currently the only graduate Public Health Certificate in the country devoted to preparing a sector of the public health workforce to address this need.
“The Latino Health Certificate will provide scholars with the necessary tools and experience to strategically and effectively implement research or service programs to improve the lives of Latino communities in Colorado and beyond,” said Fernando Holguin, MD, MPH, director of ColoradoSPH’s Latino Research and Policy Center.
Population Mental Health and Well-Being Certificate
The Population Mental Health and Well-Being certificate from ColoradoSPH addresses the challenges of preventing and treating mental health and substance use conditions, to promote overall mental well-being at a population level. Curriculum addresses the unique problems that face behavioral issues such as mental health and substance use, and how to work with the misinformation and societal stigma that interferes with help-seeking behaviors, as well as the lack of behavioral health training in the workforce and lack of investment in mental health promotion and early intervention.
This Population Mental Health and Well-Being certificate is designed for those seeking to build expertise in behavior health issues and for members of the behavioral health workforce looking for a population-based perspective. It will introduce students to innovative, population-minded approaches and students will receive training on the epidemiology of mental and substance use disorders, population-based prevention and treatment strategies, integrative care models, policy and advocacy efforts.
Public Health Preparedness & Disaster Response Certificate
The ColoradoSPH certificate in Public Health Preparedness & Disaster Response is focused on the learning and practice of skills that are needed to protect and promote the health of communities during natural disasters, bio-terrorist incidents, infectious disease outbreaks and emergent public health threats. The program is interdisciplinary and prepares trainees in the planning, response, recovery, and mitigation of disaster impact.
“Feedback from regional emergency managers indicates a lack of practical skills amongst individuals seeking employment in Disaster Management and Public Health Preparedness and Response fields. With the exponential rise in disaster and emergency events this need has become increasingly urgent,” said Debra Kreisberg, PhD, senior clinical instructor for ColoradoSPH’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. “The goals of the program are to enrich disaster management curricula through the integration of hands-on experiential learning and performance-based exercises into high-complexity simulated disaster scenarios.”
Total Worker Health Certificate
The Total Worker Health certificate from ColoradoSPH is tailored to current public health students and new and mid-career professionals who want to expand their knowledge and practice in improving population health and well-being through work design. Creating healthy and safe work environments has become essential in addressing prevention and improving health and well-being. It enables leading practice-based research and interventions, effecting change in organizations and communities, and assuming key roles in the public health and business community at local, national, and international levels. The interdisciplinary nature of the field lends itself to integrating the knowledge and training into business practices such as sustainability, risk management, healthcare, insurance, and management.
For more information on these and all the certificates offered by Colorado School of Public Health, visit bit.ly/CoSPHCertificates.
