Public Health Services
Workforce Development and Training
Welcome to the Workforce Development website for the Public Health Services (PHS) department, in the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). On this website, we provide:
- Information about workforce development in PHS,
- The history of workforce development in PHS,
- Our strategic approach,
- Current trainings available,
- Workforce development and training resources, and
- Information about student internship opportunities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes public health workforce development as efforts that are meant to build, train, and sustain a strong public health workforce. Public health workforce development activities prepare staff with the tools and resources to meet emerging challenges in public health, so staff can be ready to meet the needs of the community.
Our numerous efforts align with the Public Health Services Act 2023, a major update aiming to modernize and strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure. This legislation introduces several key initiatives that enhance public health services and prepare the department for future health challenges. Our supporting initiatives include new employee orientation training, public health 101 series, outbreak and pandemic preparedness and response, emergency management training (e.g., incident command system), development of public health nurses, data literacy, communications, quality improvement, employee engagement, management and leadership development, core competencies, virtual, classroom, and practice-based training (e.g., internships, fellowships, preventive medicine residents) to improve the pipeline of new recruits. All these efforts, and more, are included in our Workforce Development Plan and Work Plan.
The 10 Essential Public Health Services
The CDC created the 10 Essential Public Health Services (Figure 1) to outline all public health activities that communities should assume. For the past 25 years, the 10 Essential Public Health Services has been the framework for carriying out the mission of public health among health departments across the United States. In 2020, the framework was updated. It reflects current and future public health practices. The eighth Essential Public Health Service is to "Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce ."
Figure 1. The 10 Essential Public Health Services
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public Health Accreditation
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) uses a standardized process to evaluate health departments across the country. Accreditation ensures that national standards are met or exceeded. The 10 Essential Public Health Services align with the 12 domains (Table 1). Domain 8 of the PHAB Standards requires accredited public health departments to "Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce."
Table 1. Essential Public Heatlh Services and 10 Accreditation Domains
Baldrige Excellence Framework
Our Public Health Services' Workforce Development Plan aligns with the Baldrige Excellence Framework (Figure 2). The plan incorporates the following Baldrige Excellence values for a robust workforce:
- Agility and resilience
- Assessment of workforce capability and capacity needs
- Benefits and needs of workforce
- Diversity
- Ethics and responsibility
- Fit
- Focus on core values and concepts, processes, results, linkages, and improvements
- Focus on success and innovation
- Health
- Integration
- Management of Growth
- Continuity/planning and preparation for change
- Customer-focused excellence
- Delivering value and results
- Managing by fact
- Managing for innovation
- Organizational learning
- Security
- Societal contributions
- Systems perspectrive
- Value for customers/stakeholders
- Valuing people and
- Visionary leadership
Figure 2. 2-Year Workforce Development Plan Goals
Aligned
to the Baldrige Components
Our Vision
A healthy, engaged, and highly skilled public health workforce, one that takes a people-first approach starting with its own workforce wellness.
Our Mission
To recruit, sustain, retain, and train a competent and diverse workforce capable of meeting the diverse public health needs of San Diego County residents and visitors.
Goals
From 2015-2025, every 2 years, PHS conducted a literature review, examing workforce demographic data, and analyzing a series of surveys, focus groups, and listening sessions to determine a set of goals for the next two fiscal years. These goals address workforce development and training gaps, interests, and needs (Figure 2). They are aligned to the County's General Management System, Public Health 3.0, the Baldridge Framework of Excellence, the Public Health Accreditation Board Standards and Measures, the 10 Essential Services of Public Health, the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, and County, Agency, and Departmental Strategic Plan and Strategic Initiatives. Starting in fiscal year 2025-26, PHS is moving to a 5-year cycle for workforce planning with annual operational work plans and training strategies.
Our workforce development efforts over the next five years (FY 25-26 and FY 30-31) are integrated with the PHS Strategic Plan, and align to the:
- County's Strategic Initiatives (i.e., invest in our workforce),
- County's General Magagement System (i.e., employee connection),
- Live Well San Diego vision of a region that is healthy, safe and thriving
- HHSA's Strategic Plan (i.e., engaged employees that feel valued, have a sense of belonging, and are motivated to work together toward one vision), and
- PHS Initiatives.
Addressing Key Workforce Development Training Issues
Our Department's Efforts
- Created a Public Health 101 Training Series
- Created training on our PHS Response to Outbreaks and Pandemics under ICS
- Coordinated training effort to ensure all staff are prepared for emergencies (e.g., Federal Emergency Management Agency training on National Incident Management System and Incident Command System)
- Created a first-ever departmental Training Champions Working Group with Charter, Work Plan, and Recognition
- Leveraged the expertise from outside Consultants (e.g., leadership training, DISC, Insights, Coaching) and the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) Technical Assistance expertise
- Examined turnover and retention with 2-years of Stay and Exit Interviews/Surveys
- Revamped and designed evaluation the New Employee Welcome Program (NEWP)
- Defined the PHS Departmental-Level Wellness Program and evaluating the wellness efforts (i.e. PHS Wellness Plan)
- Developed a Managers Resource Packet to address turnover, knowledge management, new employee training, and work planning
- Strengthened the pipeline of recruitment with collaborative efforts toward an Academic Health Department (e.g., Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership, Career Fairs, and student internship efforts)
- Collaborations with schools of public health and interdisciplinary schools of health and human services (e.g., San Diego State University, University of California San Diego, California State University San Marcos), including a series of renewed Memoranda of Understanding and/or Agreement, resulting in efforts such as Preventive Medicine Residency
- Created Framework for Public Health Training Standards and Evaluation to ensure training adheres to the highest standards and its effectiveness is measured, tracked, and reported
- Rolled out a series of surveys, polls, and focus groups (e.g., employee engagement, leadership, Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs)
- Coordinated the development and implementation of Branch-Level Impact Plans (e.g., for employee engagement)
- Reconvened the Strenghts-Based Management (SBM) Committee
- Disseminated strengths-based management and leadership books and coordinated on employee strenghts
- 3rd annual public health advocacy camp to strengthen recruitment pipeline
HHSA and County Efforts
- Employee Engagement Survey
- Focus Groups
- Leadership 360s
- The Knowledge Center
- Great Leaders Academy
- Wellness and Employee Assistance Program
- Recruitment Videos of Various Employees
Local Partner Efforts
- Hosting Career Fairs
- Collaborating with local universities for student internships and workforce pipeline
- Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership
Federal and State Grants/Partnerships
- CDC Workforce (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024)
- CDC Health Disparities (June 1, 2021 - May 31, 2026)
- CDC PHIG (December 1, 2022 - November 30, 2027)
- California Department of Public Health Career Ladder (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026)
- Leveraged Public Health Workforce Interest Needs Survey Data (2014, 2017, 2021, 2024)
The 4 Key Initiatives to Our Approach to Workforce Development
There are four key initiatives in our approach to workforce development. For more information, see Presentation on County of San Diego Approach to Workdorce Development and Training found in the PHS Workforce Development and Training Resources section below.
Milestones of the Strategic Initiatives
2007
- PHO introduced Gallup Strengths
2008
- Issued adapted Employee Engagement Survey (Annual)
- Used survey results to develop annual impact plans by each PHS branch
2008-2016
- Discussed leadership development books at PHS Senior Manager's Meetings
- Began distributing books to PHS employees, as they were identified
2009
- PHS developed Strengths Committee, with champions from
each branch
- This committee would drive the conversation at Senior Managers Meetings
- Staff encouraged to post strengths at their desks
2010
- HHSA developed "Great Leadership Academy" to
focus on Gallup training
- Training provided to all HHSA managers
2011
- Strength-Based Leadership introduced with review of the four domains structure
- PHS staff asked to generate team domains and post
2012
- HHSA Executive Leadership obtained 2-day training at Gallup Center in Irvine, CA
- Strengths included in Performance Evaluations
2022
- County issued first enterprise-wide employee engagement survey
- PHS conducts focus groups on results and implements an action plan
2023
- Refined process for all staff to receive Strength books after completing the PHS New Employee Orientation Program (NEWP)
- 17 years of strengths-based management
- 16 years of Employee Engagement Survey results (only 1 year missed due to COVID-19)
2024
- Restarted Strengths Committee
- County issues the 2nd employee engagement survey enterprise-wide
2025
- PHS prepares video on results of the employee engagement survey, conducts a poll and series of focus groups.
2008-2016
- PHS distributed and discussed the following leadership book: Good to Great, Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Speed of Trust, and others
2014
- PHS issued 1st Leadership Development Survey using County Leadership Model
2018
- Held focus groups with Public Health Leadership to identify training needs to interact with city municipalities (Kresge Grant)
- Identified topic (e.g. organizational and political acumen, communication/interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, boundary spanning).
- Developed Training Plan
2019
- Trainers were identified to include County Knowledge Center and Regional Training Center
- Consultant met monthly for up to 3 hours with PH Leaders to deliver tailored trainings
2020
- Conducted DiSC® Assessments completed by PH leaders
- PHS Branches were encouraged to collaborate with consultant to address conflict resolution issues identified within branches
- Issued 2nd Leadership Development Survey
2022
- PHS expanded contract with Regional Training Center to work with multiple FIVE consultants to develop leadership skills and resilience in the PHS workforce
- Conducted Insight Discovery® Leadership Development Assessment
2023
- Each branch to complete Gallup, DISC, and Insights Assessments, with consultations
2024-2025
- HHSA Agency HR coordinated 360s for Executives
- Leadership support from Regional Training Center Consultants
- 3rd Leadership Development Survey
- Presentation by NACCHO subject matter experts on Succession Planning
H = Helpfulness
E = Expertise
A = Attentiveness
R = Respectfulness
T = Timeliness
2013-2014
- The County launched a Customer Service H.E.A.R.T. effort
- PHS began hosting quarterly meetings of a working group, and developed and annual work plan including survey, training, and the development of customer service skills
2016-2017
- Through this effort PHS developed a set of Knowledge, Skills, Abillities, and Behaviors (KSABs) of excellent customer service and trauma-informed services
- Customer service efforts focused on both internal and external
- Branches developed impact plans
2017-2018
- Admin clerical staff recevied training on skills including customer service, trauma-informed services, diversity and inclusion, and health equity
- All PHS staff were required to take 4 hours of each customer service and cultural competency training
2022-2024
- Customer service journey presentation (reset)
- Coordination of Customer Service Survey
- Branch Impact Plans
- New staff required to take 4 hours of customer service and cultural responsiveness training
2014
- HHSA issued a trauma-informed services policy
2015
- All HHSA departments, including PHS, hosted focus groups on how to integrate a trauma-informed approach into policies, facilities, etc.
2015-2017
- PHS developed annual action plan advance trauma-informed services integration
2016
- The PHS H.E.A.R.T. Team added the Trauma-Informed effort to its charter and its annual work plan included both Customer Service and Trauma-Informed
- Branches began developing impact plans for trauma-informed services
- PHS required all staff to complete the 8-hour Mental Health First Aid
- A consultant did a walk-through review of common areas of our main building, clinics, and medical therapy units and made recommendations for how to make the facilities optimally trauma-informed
2017-2018
- TISI team collaborated on a mandatory training for all HHSA staff called Growing Resiliency within a Trauma Informed Lens
2018-2019
- 100% of HHSA staff, including PHS, were required to complete 8 hours of Mental Health First Aid Training
2022
- Compassionate Leadership through a Trauma-Informed Lens issued, and HR presented at a senior staff meeting to launch
- PHS created a self-care program for staff (6 psychologists to provide services to staff)
2022-2025
- Self-Care Workforce Seminar Series
- Trauma-Informed Leadership training
- U.S. Surgeon General Report on Health Care and Public Health Worker Mental Health Promoted
- Developed the PHS Wellness Plan to align to the U.S. Surgeon General's Model of the Workplace as an Engine of Well-Being
We annually assess and deliver public health training to staff following a simple 4-step process: Plan, do, study, act. We assess training needs through a variety of means including communication with Training Champions,. regular literature reviews, listening sessions, polls, focus groups, and surveys, including assessing our staff members on their Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals.
Examples of surveys PHS administers, or participates in:
- Employee Engagement: PHS and County
- Customer Service
- County Leadership Model
- Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
- PH WINS
- QI NACCHO SAT Survey - QI Culture
Public Health 101: Developing Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Because only 14% of our staff have a degree in public health, typical of the national average for health departments, we set out to develop a Public Health 101 Series. The training level-sets for all staff on the history and key concepts of public health. We developed the series in 2015, and revised it in 2024 and again in 2025. For copies of the training presentations, see the Public Health Services Workforce Development and Training Resources section below. In fiscal year 2025-26, we plan to create micro-learnings out of the Public Health 101 series converting these from live virtual trainings to e-learning modules.
Click the image to download editable versions of the Public Health 101 Presentation Series:
Training and Workforce Development Resources
- American Public Health Association
https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/public-health-standards - Associate of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Learning Center
https://learn.astho.org/courses-page - CDC Quality Training Developer Checklist
https://www.cdc.gov/training/development/pdfs/standards/qts-checklist-508.pdf - CDC Quality Training Standards
https://www.cdc.gov/training/development/pdfs/standards/qts-508.pdf - CDC Ten Essential Public Health Services
https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/publichealthservices/essentialhealthservices.html - CDC Train
https://www.train.org/cdctrain/search?type=course - CDC's Recommended Training Effectivenes Questions for Post
Course Evaluations
https://www.cdc.gov/training/development/pdfs/evaluate/effectiveness-questions-508.pdf - CDC's Training Effectiveness Predictors
https://www.cdc.gov/training/development/pdfs/evaluate/predictors-508.pdf - CHEAC Training Center - Sessions - CHEAC
https://cheac.org/tc-home/ - Core Competencies of Public Health Professionals?
The Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals - Emory Centers Training Hub Emory
Centers Training Hub
https://emory-centers-training-portal.myshopify.com - Kirkpatrick Model Framework
https://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com/the-kirkpatrick-model/ - Maternal Child Health Navigator
https://www.mchnavigator.org - National Association of Chronic Disease Directors - Online
Learning Center National Association of Chronic Disease
Directors
https://chronicdisease.org/online-learning-center/ - National Association of County and City Health Officials
https://www.naccho.org/events-training/training/webinars - National Network of Public Health Institutes
https://nnphi.org/focus-areas-service/nccpht/ - Public Health Accreditation Board Course Catalog - 2022-23
https://phaboard.org/wp-content/uploads/PHAB-Course-Catalog.pdf - Public Health Foundation
http://www.phf.org/consulting/Pages/Quality_Improvement_Training_and_Technical_Assistance.aspx - Public Health Learning Navigator
https://www.phlearningnavigator.org/ - Public Health Training Center Network
https://phtcn.org - Regional
Public Health Training Centers
https://nnphi.org/regional-public-health-training-centers - Society for Public Health Education
https://www.sophe.org/professional-development/ - UNC Chapel Hill - NCIPH Course
Catalog - UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
https://sph.unc.edu/nciph/nciph-catalog/ - Western Region Public Health Training Center
https://wrphtc.arizona.edu/
Public Health Services
Workforce Development and Training Resources
Trainings We Developed:
- Public Health 101 Series:
- PHS Response to Outbreaks and Pandemics under ICS
- Health Literacy
Training Champions Working Group
Managers Resources (Knowledge Management and Work Planning)
- How to Use Manager's Packet
- Manager's Manual Toolkit
- Needs Identification Template
- Program Operations Manual Template Fillable
- (a) Program Index Template Guidance
- (b) Program Index Template Fillable
Presentations
Standards
Worksheet to Identify Training Priorities
- Worksheet for Workforce Development and Training
Surveys
- Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
- County Leadership Model Survey
- Customer Service
- Stay Interview Survey
- Exit Interview Survey
Workforce Development Plans
We have a series of Memoranda of Understanding and/or Agreement (MOU/MOA) with several schools of public health to bring on student interns, fellows, and residents. Ask your university or college of they have an MOU/MOA with PHS County of San Diego, as this is a requirement to be an intern, fellow, or resident in our department. If we have an MOU/MOA with your school, you can express your interest by sending your resume and detail your interests and program requirements including timelines and number of hours for your internship to determine if the department has interest and availability at that time. In addition to the MOU/MOAs, there are federal and state public health programs to facilitate hiring interns and fellows. For more information about student internships and fellowships, please contact Workforce Development in Public Health Services by email.
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