Academic and Community MCH Partnerships: Academic Perspective Karen A McDonnell, PhD

1. Academic and Community MCH Partnerships: Academic Perspective Karen A McDonnell, PhD

2. Academic and Community MCH Partnerships • What is an Academic and Community MCH partnership? • What does this partnership look like? • What assets do each party bring to the partnership? • What are the expectations for the partnership?

3. Academic Perspective • Academic programs need productive and mutually beneficial relationships with the MCH community. • Our students need ‘real world’ training– role playing for future career as MCH professionals

4. What an academic program brings to the partnership • Future MCH public health professionals • Eager • Fresh perspective • Want to do ground work; learn the ropes • Productive • On top of latest research and methods • Skill development

5. What an academic program brings to the partnership • Academic mentors • Institutional Review Board • Testing a future employee • Sense of fulfillment in shaping future of MCH

6. Public Health Students • Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) • Accreditation Criteria of Schools of Public Health 2.4 Practicum: All professional degree students must develop skills in basic public health concepts and demonstrate the application of these concepts through a field experience that is relevant to the students’ area of specialization.

8. What is a practicum? A planned, supervised, and evaluated experience is an essential component of a public health professional degree program. Goal: provide an opportunity for students to apply practical skills and to gain professional experience

9. Community Partners • Has a public health mission or department with such a mission • Addresses significant public health problems • Offers students the opportunity to engage with experienced public health professionals (site preceptor)

10. Types of Activities • Program evaluation • Program implementation • Program planning • Risk assessment • Study design • Design of study instrument • Surveillance • Data analysis • Grant application preparation • Health education • Health promotion • Needs assessment • Policy analysis

11. How to develop academic community MCH partnership: GW Experience • Initial contact: Practicum Director (or MCH director) • Complete Program needs assessment form • Maintain communication about needs • MCH educational program changes to fit the needs of our MCH populations and programs

12. GWU Example of an MCH Academic Community Partnership • MCH Program: Schools, hospital based program • Activity: Evaluation of a county wide school based program to increase children’s activity levels, healthy food consumption and knowledge • During internship: building skills in data collection, survey development, interviewing

13. GWU Example of an MCH Academic Community Partnership • After internship: building skills in data analysis, presentation, synthesis • Final chapter: Saving the program, saving jobs.

14. Final thoughts • Academic programs / community programs: WE NEED YOU! • Academic programs have a lot to offer MCH programs • Partnerships will serve to enhance the future of MCH public health

15. Questions?