Region IV Public Health Training Center

 Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on August 28, 2025 Training Overview The Learning Agenda for Systems Change (LASC) offers a practical framework for reimagining workforce development, providing an action-oriented, iterative process to use transformative learning as a driver for lasting change. This is important because it's not just about making changes in how we think, but in how we think together. To really change systems, we need to learn and share ideas in a way that connects us socially. The LASC supports teams in collaboratively identifying the root causes of complex challenges and developing a multi-level, multi-pronged learning approach to address the conditions needed for systems change. Whether you’re just learning about systems change or are an experienced systems change leader, the LASC Toolkit 2.0 provides a process, tools, and resources to help guide your thinking. If you’re ready to learn more about how the Learning Agenda for Systems Change can be used in your workforce development planning efforts, we hope you’ll join us! To download your copy of the Learning Agenda Toolkit 2.0, please visit www.publichealthlearningagenda.org. This recording is approximately 60 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact [email protected]. CERTIFICATE:  The course contains two modules: a module to access the webinar and an evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. Ideal for: Workforce development professionals, community health and strategic planners, and other public health leaders and their partners. Cost: FREE. What to Expect: This one-hour webinar offers a deep dive into the Learning Agenda for Systems Change (LASC) framework. Attendees will gain a comprehensive overview of the framework’s phases and components, and learn how it can be applied to support workforce development planning and systems change efforts. Development Partner This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government. Read more

Leveraging Emotional Intelligence and Diversity in Public Health Note: This is a recording of a live webinar offered on February 9, 2024 from 12:00 pm-1:30 pm ET.  Training Overview: During this 90-minute webinar we will explore what it means to develop your emotional intelligence across lines of difference. In addition to reviewing the foundational EQ (Emotional Quotient) framework developed by Goleman (1995), we will explore the emotional intelligence and diversity model developed by Gardenswartz, Cherbosque, and Rowe (2010). Public health professionals attending this webinar will understand how EQ influences their own worldview, gain insights into others’ perceptions and the importance of managing emotions and building relationships with people from diverse backgrounds, intellects, and cultural perspectives. The webinar will conclude with strategies to create environments where public health efforts can succeed, and diversity can thrive. About the Presenter: Emily Saunders has been supporting various leadership and professional development initiatives at the University of Georgia for over 17 years. As part of the Community Leadership Program team, she specializes in creating and delivering programs to support individual and group learning, with a particular interest in women’s leadership development, organization development, creativity, and innovation. Emily is a certified FourSight® mindset facilitator and holds a Foundations of Design Thinking certificate. She also coaches clients using the Hogan Assessment and Global Leadership Profile. Before joining the Fanning Institute, she co-created and taught professional development and internship courses, worked with numerous student leadership groups, launched two mentoring programs and a university-wide onboarding series, managed multiple alumni boards, and oversaw a successful annual giving program. She is also a 2017 graduate of the inaugural class of the University of Georgia’s Women’s Staff Leadership Institute.   CERTIFICATE:  The course contains two modules: a module to access the webinar and an evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Leveraging Motivational Interviewing to Foster Positive Behavioral Change in Injury Prevention With Teens  Note: This is a recording of a live webinar on November 15, 2024.  Training Overview: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative communication technique that aims to strengthen a person’s commitment and motivation to change. This webinar will review the basic concepts and skills needed to promote behavior change, especially when there is limited time with individuals. In this webinar, MI skills will be demonstrated through case scenarios related to injury prevention topics relevant to teens such as helmet use and teen driving behaviors. You will see these MI strategies applied to real life scenarios with engagement opportunities to practice applying these skills. About the Presenters: Amanda Batlle, MSN,RN, CPNP-PC, NPD-BC, is the Manager of Injury and Illness Prevention for Child Advocacy at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She leads a team that focuses on reducing preventable injuries in Georgia’s children.  Amanda also serves as the State Leader for Safe Kids Georgia which supports a network of local coalitions across the state in injury prevention efforts. Additionally, Amanda is the Atlanta Chapter Program Coordinator for Injury Free Coalition for Kids. Her work focuses on the top causes of preventable deaths in children including motor vehicle safety, firearm safety, drowning prevention, and safe sleep practices through program development, implementation, and evaluation. Amanda is a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner and board-certified nursing professional development specialist. Her passion for keeping Georgia’s children healthy and safe through prevention education led Amanda to manage Children’s injury prevention programming after managing education, quality and accreditation for Children’s ambulatory clinics. Prior to joining Children’s, Amanda supported children in a number of ways, including teaching, nursing and working as a provider in both a private pediatric practice and a Federally Qualified Health Center serving the under- and uninsured. Seeing the various disparities in health outcomes, access to health services, and access to resources, Amanda became committed to ensuring all children have equitable access to the best care. Amanda earned her Bachelor of Education in kinesiology from the University of Georgia and her Master of Science in nursing from Vanderbilt University. Amanda is pursuing a Doctorate of Nursing Practice and Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, which she will complete in 2025.    CERTIFICATE:  The course contains two modules: a module to access the webinar and an evaluation module. After accessing the two modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a certificate button on their dashboard. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Making Connections: Enhancing Collaboration through Effective Communication and Person-Centered Engagement Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on August 20, 2024.  Training Overview This webinar will focus on effective communication, increasing awareness, and the importance of active listening when engaging with colleagues, clients, and others. We will use interactive activities and discussions to teach techniques such as; active listening, positive reinforcement, and clear feedback. There will also be an emphasis on cultural humility. The goal is to improve communication with others in the workplace and in their community. About the Trainer Lamarr Lewis, MA, LAPC, CPRP Lamarr Lewis, is a dedicated advocate, author, and agent of change. He is an alumnus of Wittenberg University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Africana Studies and Religion. He later received his master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University. His career spans over twenty years with experience as a therapist, consultant, public speaker, facilitator, trainer, and human service professional. He has been a featured expert for such organizations as; Boeing, Region IV Public Health Training Center, Fulton County Probate Court, Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and many more. His lifelong mission is to leave the world better than how he found it.   CERTIFICATE:  The course contains two modules: a module to access the webinar and an evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on July 15, 2021. Training Overview Recent research says that executives average 23 hours per week in meetings and 49% of participants considered unfocused meetings and projects as the biggest workplace time waster and the primary reason for unproductive work days.In this session you’ll learn tactics to reduce meeting attendance and make the meetings you are going to more efficient and (dare we say) more fun. From pre-meeting planning, to structured meeting styles, to post-meeting follow up, participants will do hands-on training that will improve any meeting they are running. Stop steamrollers before they start, draw out the quiet experts in the room, be strategic with your slide deck and keep your agenda on track. By energizing and activating meetings, hopefully we can get out of meetings a little faster and a little happier. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact [email protected]. About the Trainer Shana Merlin The Founder of Merlin Works, Shana Merlin is one of the most experienced and effective improv-based trainers in Texas. Shana is a lecturer in the College of Medicine Texas A&M University and an associate at the Center for Health Communication at the University of Texas.Presenting and performing nationwide, some of her clients have included Dell, T-Mobile, Silicon Labs, The University of Texas and Deloitte. Winner of “Best Improv Teacher” in Austin from the Austin Improv Collective, Shana founded Merlin Works, in 2003 to provide custom training, interactive presentations, and comedy shows to businesses and organizations using improvisation.  Some of her most requested fun, interactive programs are on the topics of team building, communication, sales, persuasion, leadership, making meetings matter, medical communications, and creativity. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on September 30, 2020. Training Overview Public health data are often imperfect, which means we have to rely on multiple data streams to get a clearer picture of the present situation. Proper understanding of data with context is the antidote to disinformation. In this webinar, we’ll go through how to find and evaluate data, identifying the merits and challenges of different data sets, to make sure we have the right data to answer our questions. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact [email protected]. About the Trainer Amber Schmidtke, PhD At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Amber Schmidtke recognized there was a large gap between the way that scientists communicate and how non-scientists receive information. She has combined her roles as a public health microbiologist and college educator to provide meaningful analysis and explanation of disease trends to the public through a popular newsletter and podcast. As a result of these communication efforts she was invited to serve as a member of the Georgia COVID-19 Data State Task Force, advising government agencies on how to package their complex data to meet the needs of the public. In addition, she is a trusted resource for multiple local governments and news media outlets. Dr. Schmidtke holds a Ph.D. in medical microbiology and immunology from Creighton University. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. Read more