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This video post highlights the Colorado National Collaborative, an innovative collaborative framework that is improving suicide and overdose prevention efforts in Colorado, and how a similar approach might benefit other jurisdictions.

This interview is part of ASTHO’s Leadership Trailblazers series, which shares outstanding public health leaders’ inspirations, motivations, and accomplishments. This post features Donna Levin, JD, former executive director of the Network for Public Health Law.

Alisa Druzba, director of the New Hampshire State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, sat down with ASTHO spotlight PCO contributions to health equity and access to care, and how to build connections to other work within health agencies.

How the U.S. Virgin Islands is Improving Federal Grants Management astho, association of state and territorial health officials, public health, grant programs, grant management, overall health, health system, improving health, social determinants of health sdoh, grant funding, health outcomes, united states virgin islands, territory of the united states, health community, long term, quality of life, health care, grants management system, u.s. virgin islands. social determinants of health, population health, federal grants, federal grants management, federal grant planning, electronic grants management system Kristin Sullivan Learn about new grants management practices in the United States Virgin Islands. The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) continues to lead the way, making headway on improving key business processes. Last year, ASTHO reported on the beginning of a new "all-of-government" approach in the USVI to more efficiently manage and expend federal grant funding to identify territory-wide social determinants of health and in turn yield population health improvement. Under the leadership of Governor Albert Bryan, Jr., cabinet members from four administrative agencies (Offices of Management and Budget; Property and Procurement; Personnel; and Finance), four programmatic agencies (Health; Education; Human Services; and Justice), and the Governor’s Office comprised a Cross Agency Leadership Team (CALT). After evaluation of the federal grants' life cycle value stream, the team prioritized improving the Federal Grant Planning and Set Up process to prevent bottlenecks and other issues that occur throughout the rest of federal grant lifecycle. During this planning phase, the CALT—along with a project team comprised of key staff in each agency— were oriented to performance improvement basics and participated in Boundary Spanning Leadership workshops where they discussed a unified vision of collaboration to modernize business processes for the benefit of their community. In addition to the benefits to the community they serve, participants envisioned becoming better stewards of funds, increasing respect and trust with funders, increased cross-agency collaboration and communication, and improved job satisfaction due to less rework and urgent requests. "As we promote health equity in our diverse communities, we must recognize operational efficiency as a key driver including our ability to move resources to those most in need. This initiative creates an intentional focus through cross-agency dialogue on saving time, reducing duplication, and building workforce capacity to continuously improve." - Justa Encarnacion, Commissioner, USVI Department of Health Through a series of virtual and in-person workshops, each agency identified the steps in their current process revealing significant commonalities and supporting the feasibility of process standardization across agencies. The full project team worked to uncover the root causes behind process inefficiencies and identified and prioritized solutions. The workshops culminated in a set of recommendations for improvement, which was presented to and vetted by the CALT:   Create one standard process for all agencies documented in a standard operating procedure (SOP). Electronically enable the process (i.e., no paper or emails) using the existing grants management system to track information, facilitate workflow visibility and approvals, and store all information in one common location. Enhance quality and reduce errors through mistake-proof templates and checklists. Work toward removing redundant data entry across financial and grant systems. Streamline information sharing of notice of awards via the creation of general email inboxes. Establish Federal Grants oversight responsibilities in programmatic agencies. Establish Federal Grants Community of Practice (COP) among participating agencies to ensure continual effectiveness and efficiency.   Since then, the project team—with leadership support—has made significant progress developing the recommended improvements, working through challenges, and monitoring progress. To date, one standard process and SOP for all agencies was developed, and four workflows were created to automate the new process within their electronic grants management system, eCivis. Collaboration among programmatic, administrative agencies, and the eCivis vendor resulted in resolution of access issues, better-defined field entries for the automated workflows, and enhanced buy-in on broader system use. 100% of project team evaluation respondents reported improved communication and customer service among participating agencies. Additionally, the COP was established and alternates leading biweekly meetings allowing for the necessary time and space to develop emerging leaders, build capacity of the team, and prepare to sustain collaboration and improvement.  Options to establish federal grant oversight responsibilities in programmatic agencies is under discussion by a subgroup of leadership and COP members. Similar challenges that can be found in other jurisdictions, such as limited staffing capacity and turnover, changes in leadership, and managing daily priorities, affects the speed of which improvements are developed and implemented. These disruptions as well as individual agency process changes that occur over time, will need to be managed with attention given to momentum or resistance experienced, as well as to empowering the project team to adjust. Collaboration and decision making across multiple agencies is not easy. Success lies in engaging all agencies that play key roles in the grants process and strong executive leadership.  These keys to success can be replicated by other jurisdictions similarly interested in improving their ability to procure needed goods and services in a timely manner, efficiently recruit and on-board staff, and effectively manage grants and contracts.  Next Phase and Future Actions There are several critical actions USVI is working to execute prior to moving to full implementation of the new, improved process. Each agency will need to test the new workflows and prepare to roll out training to programmatic and administrative staff beyond the project team. Once completed, the new process will be in place and the COP will monitor process performance including speed and quality, and support ongoing process and system improvements. With reaffirmed commitment and prioritization from Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. and the U.S. Department of the Interior, ASTHO was recently awarded additional funding to continue supporting USVI on its journey to improve its federal grants management. Continual Impact thank you website yes

The youth mental health crisis has created the need for a comprehensive workforce response, which requires educators and school administrative staff, school-based mental health professionals, and communities to work collaboratively to strengthen prevention systems.

Discussing midterm election effects on public health policy and committees.

At ASTHO, we feel that it is incumbent upon us to build diversity, equity, and inclusion into all that we do at. That goal has involved a collaborative effort with executive leadership, human resources, and the Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives team.

Cultivating Gen Z as Partners for Healthier Communities astho, association of state and territorial health officials, gen z, young adults, public health campaigns, stronger communities, public health, physically active, gen zers, adults ages, pew research center, members of gen, united states, young adulthood, young people, baby boomers, diverse generation, local communities, digital natives, age 18, people born, entered the workforce, previous generations, birth years, social media, health care, older generations Brandi Hight Bank, Emily Bonaparte, Nick O’Toole ASTHO | The importance of engaging and recruiting Gen Z in public health workforce. As seen in the midterm election results, young adults in Gen Z are a powerful, growing force in electoral politics and our communities. One in every eight voters in this past mid-term election was under age 30. Public health leaders are wise to communicate with this group, as a constituency whose interests—be it climate, economic security, or racial and ethnic equity—often align and intersect with public health. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many young people to public health for the first time as they witnessed and participated in local response. Interest in public health careers has grown over the past decade, but the desire to contribute spiked during the pandemic. In fact, applications to public health graduate programs applications rose more than 40% in 2021 compared to 2020. Taking stock during pandemic recovery and preparing for the challenges ahead, it is a unique moment to build and strengthen trust in public health with young adults. Why Connect with Young Adults More than 40% of the U.S. population—140 million Americans—is either in the Millennial (born from 1981-1996) or Gen-Z (born 1997-2012) cohort. Not only do young adults have significant influence over our collective future, they also have an uncharacteristically large stake in shaping that future. Debt, the climate crisis, and rapid technology shifts are just a few of the pressing issues waiting for them as they enter the workforce. Young adults are at a nexus of being both digitally native and highly concerned with societal woes. Given their heavy online presence, young adults are a critical audience for public health messaging and a potential powerful amplifier of behavior change and key messaging. Concern over major issues (e.g., mental health care, economic inequality, and racism) primes young audiences to be more aligned with organizations that have a strong mission statement and are passionate about the global good. How To Reach Young Adults It’s not news that young adults spend much of their time online. Young audiences expect public health campaigns to mirror their experience as a consumer, and public health leaders should be familiar with how to develop digital-first approaches. Going digital shouldn’t preclude partnerships and in-person events, but a strong online presence amplifies community engagement. It’s important to define your audience and which platform best reaches them. Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram rank highest in usership for young audiences, while Baby Boomers (or, simply Boomers) mostly utilize Facebook and YouTube. It’s critical to know both which platforms to use and how to convey your message. A few rules include: Make content digestible, visually appealing, mobile friendly, and video-based. Engage young audiences in co-creating products and messages on issues that affect them. Ask engaging questions, use hashtags, and invite engagement with your organization. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Consumer brands often create a noisy online environment and best practices mandate a social media presence. It’s more important than ever to ensure audiences can hear your “voice” and find your content. Luckily, public health officials have two important tools: authenticity and a social mission that naturally connects with many Millennials and Gen Z. These are strong competitive advantages that allow public health messaging to resonate with young audiences and cultivate their trust and engagement in building healthier communities. website yes

ASTHO blog post from Mike Fraser thanking the tireless public health workforce.

Susan Tharpe, the ASTHO disability and preparedness specialist placed in the Georgia Department of Public Health, discusses the importance of partnering with the Autism community on emergency preparedness.

While COVID-19 has shown some of the best attributes of the U.S. public health system, it has exposed the weaknesses of our data systems—wrought by chronic underfunding and further exacerbated by siloed, categorical funding and planning. Yet, even with our pandemic weariness and persistent, systemic inequities, this historic event has revealed resiliency across the country. It has also yielded new innovations, along with promising practices and partnerships in how we leverage technology and data to better respond and mitigate public health threats. To build further momentum and support the ongoing modernization efforts of our partners, ASTHO is hosting its first-ever TechXpo.

An interview with Luci Longoria and Lt. Commander Traci Murray, members of the DELPH program's first cohort.

Though we’ve made progress on the number of HIV cases in the U.S, tens of thousands of Americans are diagnosed with HIV each year—a disproportionate number being people of color. In 2019, the federal government launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) with a goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. EHE leverages four strategies to reduce the prevalence of HIV: diagnosis, treat, prevent, and respond. State efforts to reduce the incidence of HIV align with the federal plan, with many states passing legislation to enhance prevention and harm-risk reduction efforts.

The ASTHO State Health Policy team provides brief updates on 5 of the ten state health policy issues to watch in 2022: public health authority, immunization, data privacy and modernization, public health workforce, and health equity.

Examining state and federal policies to increase access to tele behavioral health services.

As the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, ASTHO is committed to the T in our name. The health officials from the territories and freely-associated states are valued members and we are committed to advocating for the unique policy needs and priorities of the Pacific and Atlantic jurisdictions. The insular areas face unique challenges locally but also require a specific strategy here in Washington, D.C. Funding approaches and requirements set for states do not always translate to the unique context of the insular areas.

ASTHO Legislative Prospectus | Previewing 2024 state legislative actions on opioid overdose prevention.

A letter from ASTHO CEO, Michael Fraser, PhD, about the organization's annual legislative prospectus series.

ASTHO Legislative Prospectus | Prevention 2024 state legislative action on mental health.

Education & Events Association of state and territorial health officials, Washington week, techexpo, health equity summit, insight and inspiration series, public health thought leaders, public health professionals, state and territorial public health, public health practice, public health policy, microlearnings, astho microlearnings, learning communities, public health innovations, professional development, elearning center, astho elearning center, public health improvement ASTHO offers tools, resources, and events designed to help leaders respond to challenges and guide public health into the future. Explore our offerings now! ASTHO offers a robust library of educational tools, resources, and events. These resources help leaders respond effectively to daily challenges and guide public health improvements for the future. Explore our offerings to see what best suits your learning style and needs. Related topic: Leadership Development Events Events Page Intro Webinars ASTHO, in collaboration with various public health thought leaders and subject-matter experts, present an interactive virtual learning series for public health professionals. Our ASTHOConnects webinar series provides the latest and most relevant information on a broad range of emerging trends and issues affecting state and territorial public health. These free, zoom-based events are designed to provide the skills, knowledge, tools, and collaborations needed to formulate sound public health policy and ensure excellence in state-based public health practice. e-Learning Center The ASTHO e-Learning Center houses on-demand professional development offerings, including event and meeting recordings, and microlearnings. Microlearnings are bite-sized teaching sprints with just the right amount of information to help a learner achieve a specific goal. These web-based, self-paced bursts of content are designed for engagement and fast learning while still supporting long-term retention. They are the perfect way to communicate complex information—from onboarding staff, to introducing new concepts, and more. Learning Communities Learning communities are cohort-based communities that seek to advance an area of public health practice. These communities create unique opportunities to shed light on job-specific challenges and work towards actionable improvements. We collaborate with experts to create purposeful groupings across state health agencies, territorial health agencies, and multi-sectoral partners to drive public health innovation. website