Strengthening Health Surveillance through the Development of Interagency Relationships

Objective- To discuss the development of a set of tools for interagency collaborations on health surveillance- To determine the core contents of the tools based on known gaps in health surveillance- To determine collaborators in development and timelines for completionIntroductionIn 2010, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) identified data collected by poison centers (PCs) as an important tool for all-hazards exposure and illness surveillance. In response to this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CSTE, and the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) members created the Poison Center Public Health Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP acts as a platform, to facilitate sharing experiences, identify best practices, and develop relationships among federal agencies, state and local health departments (HD), and PCs. Since its inception, the CoP garnered over 250 members, hosted more than 25 webinars regarding PC-HD collaborations, and produced five newsletters highlighting subjects pertinent to PC and HD personnel.DescriptionFindings and lessons learned from activities outlined in the introduction include the need for: 1) standardized inter-agency communication, 2) increased knowledge and utilization of state reporting and monitoring systems, and 3) inter-agency collaborations to prevent the duplication of efforts. In this roundtable, we will: 1) discuss how to develop information and tools for inter-agency public health communication and messaging, 2) identify key stakeholders including potential national, state, and local agencies who can help bolster communication messaging, and 3) develop appropriate points of contact within these agencies. Potential components of the guidance may include: 1) a comprehensive list of state resources available to PC and PH personnel, 2) recommended inter-agency points of contact, 3) lessons learned from collaborative projects, and 4) PC abilities to share and analyze data for public health practice and health surveillance.How the Moderator Intends to Engage the Audience in Discussions on the TopicThis roundtable session will consider the following questions:- Which agencies--local, state, national, or otherwise-- would benefit from inter-agency collaborations health surveillance efforts?- What should the proposed tools include? Who should be involved in developing the proposed materials?Following this roundtable, the CoP hopes to have tangible next steps in creating inter-agency collaborations health surveillance guidance and establish a timeline for completion.

Building Research Capacity in a Mobile Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program: Service Learning in a University-Agency Collaboration

Social service agencies face increasing demands for accountability, emphasizing the necessity of preparing professionals to effectively evaluate practice. University-agency collaborations incorporating service learning can build community research capacity while providing opportunities for application of student research skills. We describe a partnership model between a Master of Social Work program evaluation course and a mobile psychiatric rehabilitation program to design a formative evaluation. Course structure and tasks central to the management of the partnership are described. Agency staff benefited from access to peer-reviewed literature, introduction to standardized assessment instruments, and stimulation of staff discussion and critical thinking around service provision. Students valued the applied research experience including exposure to the agency context and a real-world impact of their work. Lessons learned and implications for university-agency collaborations are discussed.