The Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Division (MCAH) of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) provides training and professional development opportunities for state and local staff to enhance knowledge and skills at all levels of the MCAH workforce.

Workforce Development Activities for CDPH/MCAH Staff

CDPH/MCAH supports division staff in seeking training to enhance their subject matter expertise, build knowledge in new/emerging areas, and learn public health best practices. Training topics include how to effectively convene a stakeholder coalition, new methods in epidemiological analysis, and how to incorporate a health equity lens across MCAH programs. CDPH/MCAH staff participate in conferences and meetings on diverse topics, required trainings, and educational webinars to help build and maintain public health skills and knowledge.

One of CDPH/MCAH’s workforce development priorities is to provide training on Results-Based Accountability (RBA). RBA is a data-driven decision-making framework that supports organizations to identify and prioritize measures and track accountability to improve the well-being of children, families, and communities.

Another workforce development priority for CDPH/MCAH is Lean Six Sigma training for all staff. Lean is a practice that develops staff skills in efficient problem solving and fosters continuous process improvements.

Additionally, CDPH/MCAH provides staff with an opportunity for professional development using 34 Strong’s StrengthsFinder training, administered by the Gallup Organization. StrengthsFinder is an individual assessment tool that staff can use to gain insight into their top five “strengths,” ultimately learning how to leverage this information to work more effectively within their teams and become more successful in their careers. In addition, managers/supervisors learn to recognize and reinforce the talents of their staff and to optimize the functioning of teams.

Furthermore, the CDPH Human Resources Division provides training to CDPH employees on various subjects such as job functions, personal growth, performance management, quality improvement, leadership development, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Workforce Development Activities for Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)/Integrated Systems of Care (ISCD) Division Staff

DHCS/ISCD provides workforce development training for medical and administrative staff employed throughout 58 partnering counties. In collaboration with the Medi-Cal fiscal intermediary, DHCS/ISCD participates in monthly statewide provider trainings to disseminate information on the California Children’s Services (CCS) Program and to identify key contact information throughout ISCD, CCS, DHCS, and the fiscal intermediary. Other trainings offered across the state teach new CCS program staff how to review, adjudicate, and monitor service authorization requests.

As part of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal CCS Monitoring and Oversight Initiative, DHCS/ISCD will roll out a plan in 2024 to provide training courses on the DHCS website for CCS Program County staff, clinicians, and administrators.

Workforce Development for Local MCAH Programs

CDPH/MCAH conducts a variety of workforce development activities for Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) to support their MCAH activities. These activities include Monthly Director’s Calls, two Directors Meetings per year, and topic-based webinars and technical assistance calls with LHJs.

During this reporting period, Monthly Director’s Calls included presentations on the following topics: Federal Financial Participation, Center of Excellence in MCAH & Opportunities to Partner, Local MCAH Annual Reporting, Using Data Dashboards, Revising the California Prenatal Screening Program, California Prenatal Screening, MCAH Directors, and the Perinatal Services Coordinator Role.

In addition, CDPH/MCAH holds two meetings per year with all MCAH Directors that include specific topics for professional development, emerging issues, and provide an orientation for new directors.

CDPH/MCAH, hosted topic-based webinars and technical assistance calls for LHJs on subjects that align with our Title V Action Plan as well as emerging issues. These webinars included the following topics:

Breastfeeding Support:

• Model Hospital Policies

Maternal Health Issues:

• From Data to Action
• COVID Impacts on Neurodevelopment
• Data Quality and Data Capacity
• Building Resilience in Infants and Toddlers with Promise
• Service System for CYSHCN
• Adolescent Mental Health

Navigating an Unprecedented Reform Landscape:

• Understanding the Youth Behavioral Initiative and CalAIM, Grief, Trauma, and Resilience.

Workforce Development for State MCAH Programs

The following are detailed examples of workforce development from state MCAH programs, listed alphabetically:

Adolescent Family Life Program (AFLP) – AFLP holds monthly calls with local agencies to share updates and progress on program implementation, solutions to challenges, statewide data, and to promote peer learning. CDPH/MCAH regularly tracks the hiring of new staff at each AFLP site and plans program model trainings accordingly to ensure that sites are fully prepared to implement the program effectively. AFLP conducts additional trainings to meet emerging needs and build capacity. In FY 2021-22, AFLP conducted several trainings for directors, supervisors, coordinators, and case managers, including:

• Youth Mental Health First Aid Training (September 2021)
• AFLP Basic Training (January 2022)
• AFLP PYD Online Introductory Course Overview (February 2022)
• AFLP Healthy Relationships Live Virtual Training (April 2022)
• AFLP Spring Training (May – June 2022).

Adolescent Sexual Health Education (ASH Ed) Program – The ASH Ed Program holds monthly calls with all local implementing agencies (LIAs) to share updates, discuss implementation progress and/or challenges, and promote peer learning through networking sessions. ASH Ed partners with ETR and the University of California, San Francisco to provide evidence-based and evidence-informed program model trainings, specialized technical assistance, and live virtual trainings. In FY 2021-22, ASH Ed conducted several trainings for LIA directors, supervisors, coordinators, and health educators, including:

• Youth Mental Health First Aid Training (September 2021)
• Healthy Masculinity (June 2022)
• Healthy Relationships (May 2022).

Black Infant Health (BIH) – The BIH Program conducts annual trainings for family health advocates, group facilitators, mental health professionals, public health nurses, community outreach liaisons, and program coordinators. Topics range from vicarious trauma to virtual recruitment and BIH designs trainings to meet the needs of each role. The program also holds biannual events, statewide meetings, and conferences for BIH staff to provide BIH statewide program data, staff/participant feedback, BIH program successes, and emerging issues surrounding maternal and infant health disparities. The Program also conducts monthly and/or quarterly role specific technical assistance calls with LHJ staff. In FY 2021-22, BIH conducted several meetings and trainings for BIH Coordinators, Mental Health Professionals, Public Health Nurses, Family Health Advocates/Group Facilitators, Community Outreach Liaisons and Data Entry staff. These trainings include the following:

• September 2021 – Newborn Screening Process, including Sickle Cell Disease, Sickle Cell Trait and other Conditions; Turning Data into Information; Developing an Effective Engagement and Referral Strategy; COVID 19 Updates and Discussion; BIH Group Session Curriculum Updates.
• December 2021 – Workplace wellness, self-care; supporting participants experiencing IPV/DV; Zoom tips and tools.
• March 2022 – How to support those experiencing vicarious trauma and prenatal/postpartum depression; COVID concerns for Black moms, birthing people, and babies related to vaccine conflicts/misinformation/hesitancy; Increased rates of Syphilis in the Black Community; Potential complications during the perinatal period effecting Black pregnant birthing people; Utilization of peer support via text messages to support Black families experiencing, mental health challenges/concerns.
• May 2022 – Black Patient Hospital Experience Survey Results.
• June 2022 – COVID 19 in Black Communities; Black Infant Health 2021 – Let's Get Free; Culturally Responsive Evaluation: A Health Equity Approach.

The California Diabetes and Pregnancy Program (CDAPP) – CDAPP’s Sweet Success Resource and Training Center offered eight new training modules in FY 2021-22 contributing to a total of 24 training module offerings carried over from prior years. Both affiliates and non-affiliates representing 40 of the 50 states utilized these free training modules. All training modules are based on the fundamentals of diabetes during pregnancy and correlate to the CDAPP Sweet Success Guidelines for Care. The eight new training modules offered included the following content:

• Information for Pregnant Individuals with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
• After Pregnancy: Lifestyle Choices and Diabetes
• Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: You and Your Baby Can Stay Healthy, Sample Snacks,
• My Meal Plan
• Eating Out Wisely
• 2022 Guidelines for Care (still in the revision process),
• Gestational Diabetes: All You Need to Know About You and Your Baby

Over 3,000 attendees completed the online training modules 60% of which were affiliates and 40% were non-affiliates.

California Innovations in Services and Partnerships for Inclusion, Resilience and Empowerment (Cal-InSPIRE) – Cal-InSPIRE hosts monthly TA calls for the five Innovation Grantees. These calls provide opportunities for guidance, peer support, and expertise for successful implementation. In FY 2022-23, TA Call topics included:

• Data collection and Results-Based Accountability Framework
• Resources for Needs Assessment
• Environmental Scans, and Resource Guide Development
• Presentations from Community and National Connections such as Family Resource Centers Network of California, Lucile Packard for Children’s Health, and National MCH Workforce Development Center.

Future TA call presentations will include developmental screening, trauma-informed practices, and an opportunity to collaborate with the California Home Visiting Program.

Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP) – CDPH/MCAH hosted the Perinatal Services Coordinators (PSCs) annual professional development meeting that focused on improving Perinatal Systems of Care and Orientation of PSCs to the CPSP Program. This two-day virtual meeting had a total of 84 attendees consisting of PSCs, MCAH Directors, and State staff. CDPH/MCAH also provided 10 monthly informal roundtable discussions in which speakers gave presentations on key topic areas to improve performance and education of the PSCs. Additionally, CDPH/MCAH provides online trainings for CPSP providers, their staff, and PSCs.

The Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) – PEI currently hosts eight learning collaborative calls specific to each intervention that funded counties are implementing. These calls allow counties to discuss best practices, successes, and challenges implementing each intervention. Subject matter experts are invited to the learning collaborative calls to provide an informative lens and offer suggestions on implementation. PEI also co-hosts a biannual perinatal equity conference that focuses on emerging issues surrounding maternal and infant health disparities.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – In the spring, the SIDS Program provides an annual training via a virtual platform specifically designed for SIDS Coordinators and public health professionals involved with SIDS/SUID. In the fall, the SIDS Program holds its annual SIDS Conference, for public health professionals involved with SIDS/SUID. The annual conference also hosts a parent panel, offering parents who have lost an infant the opportunity to share personal stories. The panel also discusses which support systems work best and identifies areas of improvement when working with parents and caregivers immediately after the loss of an infant.