Needs Assessment for Developing a Network of LEHPs

ATTACHMENT D

Needs Assessment for Developing a National Network of Local Environmental Health Professionals

EHCA Word Instrument

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-0879

Expiration Date 03/31/2018

Introduction to the Assessment

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this assessment on collaboration of Environmental Health Officials. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the CDC are exploring opportunities to develop a national network for Environmental Health Officials. To do so, we would first like to get a better understanding of how Environmental Health Officials may be connecting currently. We, then, would like to identify how a national network would complement these efforts and how to organize it in such a way that will best benefit and represent you.

Completing the assessment is voluntary and should take no longer than 15 minutes. If you are unable to complete the assessment during one session, you may stop and complete it at a later time. However, you must continue on the same computer or device. Please complete this questionnaire by [date]. Responses will be anonymous. The data will be shared in aggregate format and will not contain any personal identifying information. NACCHO and CDC will develop a final report which will be shared CDC senior leadership to make final decisions about forming the network.

If you have any technical issues or questions regarding the assessment, please contact Lindsay Beattie at [email protected], or call (202) 595-1122 between 8:30am – 5:00pm EST Monday through Friday.

Section 1 - Demographic Information

1. Within what state do you work? (State and territory pick list)

2. What type of jurisdiction does your organization serve?

   1. City

   2. County

   3. City/County

   4. Regional

   5. State

   6. Other (please specify):____________

3. What type of environmental health organization do you work for?

   1. Environmental health department within the local health department

   2. Separate environmental health department

   3. Other (please specify):_____________

CDC estimates the average public reporting burden for this collection of information as 15 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data/information sources, gathering and maintaining the data/information needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing burden to CDC/ATSDR Information Collection Review Office, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-0879)

4. What is your job title?

   1. Emergency Response Coordinator

   2. Engineer

   3. Environmental Health Coordinator

   4. Environmental Health Director

   5. Environmental Health Manager

   6. Environmental Health Planner

   7. Environmental Health Specialist

   8. Environmental Health Supervisor

   9. Health Officer

   10. Specialist Supervisor

   11. Other (please specify): _____________

5. What is your job function? (Select all that apply)

   1. Supervise all environmental health services

   2. Supervise a certain division within environmental health

   3. Ensure your organization is in compliance with federal and internal health and safety rules

   4. Assess potential environmental health and safety impacts and assess the extent of damage and impact of environmental health accidents and emergencies

   5. Conduct environmental health inspections and related activities for settings not limited to food establishments, hotels, swimming pools, hospitals, etc.

   6. Other (please specify):______________

6. What is the size of the population you serve?

   1. Less than 50,000 (Small)

   2. 50,000-499,999 (Medium)

   3. 500,000+ (Large)

   4. I don’t know

Section 2 – Current connectivity among local environmental health officials

7. Are you currently connecting with other Environmental Health Officials?

   1. Yes [If yes, skip to 9]

   2. No

8. Would you like to connect with other Environmental Health Officials? [skip to 15]

   1. Yes

   2. No

9. In what ways are you connecting with other EH Officials? (Select all that apply) [If g. Social Media is selected, go to Q10. If not, skip to Q11]

   1. In-person Meetings

   2. Teleconference

   3. Through email

   4. Individual phone calls

   5. Webinars

   6. Site visits

   7. Social media

   8. State Environmental Health Director Association

   9. State Association of County and City Health Officials (SACCHO)

   10. NEHA Affiliates

   11. Established groups and forums (Specify group or forum):______________

   12. Other (please specify):___________________

10. You indicated currently connecting via social media. What forms of social media do you use to connect with other Environmental Health Officials?

    1. Twitter

    2. Facebook

    3. LinkedIn

    4. Google Groups

    5. Other (please specify):____________________

11. How often are you connecting with other Environmental Health Officials?

    1. Weekly

    2. Every other week

    3. Monthly

    4. Every other month

    5. Quarterly

    6. Twice per year

    7. Annually

    8. Other (please specify): ____________

12. Please select the response(s) that best completes this sentence. When I connect with EH Officials, I connect most with EH Officials… (Select all that apply)

    1. In my own state

    2. In my region

    3. Across the nation

    4. In jurisdictions that serve populations that are similar in size to mine

    5. Around a specific topic (please specify):______________

    6. Other (please specify): _____________

13. Why are you connecting with other EH Officials? (Select all that apply)

    1. Share tools/resources

    2. Share best practices

    3. Discuss challenges/barriers

    4. Mentorship

    5. Discuss emerging issues

    6. Cross-jurisdictional sharing of personnel/equipment

    7. Programmatic collaboration (co-funding programs or personnel)

    8. Other (please specify): _____________

14. What types of information do you share? (Select all that apply)

    1. Tools/resources

    2. Technical Assistance

    3. Research

    4. Data

    5. Programmatic Methods/Strategies

    6. Best practices

    7. Sample Language/Templates

    8. Partnership Building Strategies

    9. Situational Awareness

    10. Other (please specify): _____________

15. What barriers have you encountered when trying to connect with other Environmental Health Officials? [open text]

16. What would help you to connect with other Environmental Health Officials? [open text]

Section 3 - Purpose of a potential national network of local environmental health officials

17. Please select the activities that best complete the following statement. I could see myself participating in a national network of local EH Officials in the following ways: (Select all that apply)

    1. In-person conferences, meetings and trainings

    2. Virtual meetings and trainings

    3. Workgroups

    4. Joint Projects/Collaboration

    5. Opportunities to educate and provide information to decision makers

    6. Mentorship opportunities

    7. Newsletter as a mechanism for information sharing

    8. Listserv/distribution list as a mechanism for information sharing

    9. Resource inventories as a mechanism for information sharing

    10. Online collaboration space as a mechanism for information sharing

    11. I would not participate in a network like this

    12. Other (please specify):_________________

18. Considering your responses to the previous question, please rank the activities in the order you believe are the top priorities for a national network of local Environmental Health Officials, from 1 (top priority) to 11 (lowest priority).

    1. In-person conferences, meetings and trainings

    2. Virtual meetings and trainings

    3. Workgroups

    4. Joint Projects/Collaboration

    5. Opportunities to educate and provide information to decision makers

    6. Mentorship opportunities

    7. Newsletter as a mechanism for information sharing

    8. Listserv/distribution list as a mechanism for information sharing

    9. Resource inventories as a mechanism for information sharing

    10. Online collaboration space as a mechanism for information sharing

    11. I would not participate in a network like this

    12. Other (please specify):_________________

Section 4 – Structure of a potential national network of local environmental health officials

19. How often would you like to connect with other Environmental Health Officials?

    1. Weekly

    2. Every other week

    3. Monthly

    4. Every other month

    5. Quarterly

    6. Twice per year

    7. Annually

    8. Other (please specify): ___________

20. Which Environmental Health Officials would be most valuable for you to connect with? (Select all that apply)

    1. Those in your state

    2. Those in your HHS region

    3. EH Officials across the nation

    4. Those with jurisdictions of similar size

    5. Those with similar geographic jurisdictions

    6. Those with similar demographic jurisdictions

    7. Those interested in specific topical issues

    8. Leaders at a similar stage in their career

    9. Leaders late in their career connecting with leaders early in their career

    10. Leaders with similar governance of local environmental health (e.g. EH within health department vs separate agency)

    11. Other (please specify):_____________

Section 5 - Perceived impact of a potential national network of local environmental health officials

21. Which of the following areas do you perceive a national network of Environmental Health Officials would support in your jurisdiction?

    1. Workforce development

    2. Data

    3. Surveillance

    4. Communications

    5. EH subject matter expertise

    6. Implementation of Evidence Based Interventions

    7. Other (please specify):___________________

22. Looking ahead, having access to a national network of local Environmental Health Officials would be beneficial in working on which environmental health programs? (Select all that apply)

    1. Asthma Control Program

    2. Biomonitoring

    3. Built Environment and Health Initiative

    4. Climate Change

    5. EH Lab Services

    6. Emergency Response Events

    7. Environmental Health Tracking

    8. Food Safety/Inspections

    9. Healthy Homes (Childhood Lead Poisoning)

    10. Safe Water

    11. Other (please specify):___________________