Trainings

As a part of our mission, the Center for Community Health Development provides training opportunities to faculty members, research staff, students, service providers, and community members. The trainings are designed to build capacity of individuals and organizations working to improve health in their communities. The Center has partnered with various organizations to deliver trainings including the Scripps Institute, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, and the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies.

CCHD has provided trainings in Logic Modeling,Evaluation, Leadership Development, Community-Based Participatory Research, Network Analysis, Resource Development/Grant Writing/Funding Diversity, and Community Health Worker Curriculum Development.

Logic Modeling

This training introduces participants to the different uses and basic components of logic models. Sample   logic models are offered as examples. The majority of this training is devoted to skill-building, with participants leaving with a drafted logic model in hand.

Evaluation

This training covers the process of creating an evaluation plan consistent with a funder’s expectations and desires, as well as identifying appropriate outcome measures and determining the most practical and efficient measurement tools.

Leadership Development

In this training, participants are given the opportunity to learn, revisit, and share practical ways to create a positive, productive environment that facilitates leadership across their organization. Participants review and practice strategies to decrease anxiety, increase productivity, and reduce turnover.

Community-Based Participatory Research

This training targets three types of audiences:

  1. Academic researchers
  2. Community members
  3. Students

For academic researchers, the focus of is how to adapt existing methods to incorporate community engagement, emphasizing the value of community participation. For community members, the   training focuses on the research process and the typical roles of researchers throughout the research process.  For students, the training is entails a more basic introduction to CBPR principles and application to case study examples.

Network Analysis

This training provides individuals with the basics of network analysis methods and applications.  Participants plan a simple network study, analyze their data, interpret graphs and results, and learn to make informed decisions about their own network projects.

Resource Development/Grant Writing/Funding Diversity

This training discusses strategic resource development, with a focus on diversification of funding, as well as leveraging funds to manage activities more efficiently. The grant writing training emphasizes grant writing strategy and marketing from the perspective of the reviewer, focusing on maximizing competitiveness and likelihood of getting funded.

Community Health Worker Curriculum Development

CCHD provides curriculum development services in English and Spanish specifically designed for Community Health Workers/Promotores that cover a broad array of public health topics.  Module development incorporates evidence-based strategies with input from field experts as well as input from experienced CHWs/promotores.

Trainings on other topics can be provided upon request. For more information, or to request a training, please email cchd@sph.tamhsc.edu.

Student Opportunities

Since the Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) was founded in 2001, over 100 students have engaged in field-based training as graduate research assistants, project staff, interns, and practicum students.

The graduate assistantships and practicum opportunities provided through CCHD have allowed students to participate in the community development and organizational processes and to gain hands-on experience in conducting community-based participatory research.

The experience and skills gained through working with CCHD have led our students to professional positions in a variety of settings. Several of our students have chosen to further their education through medical or dental school and others have enrolled in public health doctoral programs, while others have gone on to work for physicians, hospitals, state and local health departments, and the military. Some of our students are leading non-profit organizations as executive directors and others are working for organizations like the Peace Corps, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have also been fortunate enough to have kept four of our students as full-time staff members.