Monterey County, located on California’s central coast, is home to the one of the nation’s largest agricultural producers, amounting to nearly $5 billion in annual crop and livestock gross value. The county is also a tourist destination that attracts nearly 4.5 million visitors annually to its dramatic coastline and marine sanctuary. These and other activities compete within an environmentally sensitive region populated by 435,000 residents who are relatively young (46% of residents are under age 30); 15% of the population lives under the Federal Poverty Level.
The Environmental Health Bureau’s specialists and team members seek to improve land and water environmental quality through education methods, rather than through punitive methods. The MEPHLI provides our staff with leadership skills and competencies to enlist the cooperation of county residents, thereby making them a part of our network of environmental health practices.
Environmental health practices are constantly evolving to address the emerging issues that can threaten the health and safety of our county’s residents and environments. The MEPHLI program strengthens the leadership skills of Monterey County’s environmental health specialists and support staff with hands-on, project based learning in planning, collaboration, systems thinking, personality and emotional quotient assessments, project management, and analysis for effectiveness and quality improvement.
The goal of MEPHLI is to expand upon staff leadership abilities and competencies to better respond to ever-changing environmental health challenges. Objectives include:
- Provide 100% of environmental health staff in leadership training through MEPHLI, to enhancing individual strategic visioning and direction-setting skills, critical thinking and analysis abilities, political awareness, program effectiveness, and organizational and team relationship development.
- Create proactive environmental public health leaders at all levels within the organization to facilitate working in tandem, especially in response to unexpected events.
- Use the core functions of public health (10 Essential Services of Public Health) as a foundation for achieving environmental public health goals.
- Review performance outcomes and using participant feedback to inform further improvements.
Modeled after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute (EPHLI), Monterey County’s Environmental Health Bureau customized the MEPHLI and graduated its first cohort in October 2015. Four cohorts have graduated to date. Each cohort of approximately 10-12 individuals meet about 14 times over the course of one year, and cohort members additionally meet with a personal coach a minimum of six times during the year. Leadership training topics include:
- Recognizing personality styles and emotional quotients in self and others
- Creating a Professional Development Plan
- Identifying the Ten Essential Services of Public Health, the Health Department's primary initiatives, and the value of Public Health Accreditation
- Understanding the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
- Project Management
- Systems Thinking
- Logic Modeling and basic program evaluation
- Conducting SWOT analyses and rapid quality improvement techniques
Each cohort member is responsible for completing an individual project that demonstrates their learned skills and relates to one of ten Essential Services of Public Health. Projects are created with the intention that they will evolve over time and do not end with graduation. Project examples include:
- Bedbug Control for Shelters
- Implementation of a Food Scraps Collection Program to Increase Monterey County’s Land Fill Diversion
- Enhancing Public/Private Partnerships to Increase Efficiencies and Promote Public Health and Safety
- Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety & Security-Strengthening Community Planning & Preparedness
- Foodborne Illness Public Education and Prevention
- Disaster Planning for Animal Services
- Agricultural Field Toilet Inspection Program
- Onsite Inspection Program for Mobile Food Facilities
- Reverse 911 Public Alert System for Ammonia Releases
- Medical Waste Management Plan
To date, more than 75% of staff have attended and graduated from the program, and another cohort will start in January 2019.Importantly, several projects have come to full fruition and have been adopted as standard practice or protocol, including:
- Mold: Public Outreach and Education
- Wilderness Public Health and Safety (Leave No Trace)
- Housing Complaints Guidelines
Other projects are in varying stages of development and refinement. Of particular note are the Wilderness Public Health and Safety project, which included the cooperation of the U.S. Forest Service, and the Environmental Health Specialist Training Program for Consumer Health Protection Trainees, which recently assisted with ten EHS Trainees passing their REHS certification.
Other than reaching our goals of having 100% of staff graduate from MEPHLI and having positive anecdotal feedback from cohort members on training content and delivery, MEPHLI had no other performance measures per se. The results of a cohort survey regarding the value of and accessibility to MEPHLI coaches were as follows:
- Did you meet with your coach?
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100% “Yes” |
- Was it often enough, too often?
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88% “Yes,” 12% “More often would be better.” |
- Was your coach accessible to you?
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100% “Yes” |
- Did you receive resources from your coach?
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100% “Yes” |
- What else could your coach have provided?
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100% “No, coach was supportive, met my needs, helpful” |
- Any tips on what would have benefited you more?
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- Key problem was assigned coach was in another office, too far away. Difficult to get together and telephone meetings don't work well for me. Assign coaches who are at same physical location as the trainees.
- I would have liked to have more session guidance on the final project including poster and project layout, content and purpose.
- It would be helpful to clarify that the project could just be proposed - not actually finished within the year time period. That caused a lot of stress.
- Can't think of any.
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- Other comments or suggestions:
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- My coach was knowledgeable and helpful but meeting with another coach who works at my location was much more useful. I suggest that coaches and trainees work at the same location because short, frequent meetings are more effective than longer, infrequent meetings.
- Marni was great!
- There seemed to be a disconnect between the personal training, the professional training and the project. Had a difficult time meshing the 3 goals. Could use more help with the transition from the training and applying to the project. Overall - great experience. Very happy and grateful to be a part of the program. I learned a lot about myself which will be used personally and professionally. 7 habits is amazing. Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity.
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The goal and objectives of relating MEPHLI cohort member projects to the 10 Essential Services has been met: of the 10 Essential Public Health Services, examples of our cohort member projects can be specifically applied to these:
- Monitor Health Status
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Aligning FDA Standardization with the 10 Essential Services to Facilitate the Reduction in Food Borne Illness |
- Diagnose and Investigate
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AB 411 Ocean Water Monitoring-Sampling and Posting |
- Inform, Educate, and Empower
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Developing Informational Advisories that are Both Informative and Understandable by the General Public |
- Mobilize Community Partnerships
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Building and Enhancing Public/Private Partnerships to Increase Efficiencies and Promote Public Health and Safety |
- Develop Policies & Plans
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Housing Complaint Guidelines |
- Enforce Laws and Regulations
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Monterey County EHS Enforcement Field Guide |
- Link People to Needed Services
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One County – One License |
- Assure Competent Workforce
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The MEPHLI Program |
- Evaluate Effectiveness
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Coordination of Multi-program Environmental Health Inspections in Remote Areas |
- Research Innovative Solutions
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Agricultural Field Toilet Inspection Program |
These specific factors led to the success of MEPHLI:
- MEPHLI was introduced by our Bureau Director with assistance and support of the Assistant Director, and supported by our County Administrative Officer, who attends each graduation ceremony which helps the Bureau demonstrate the value and importance of MEPHLI to cohort members. The Bureau and MEPHLI was recognized by our County Board of Supervisors for contributing toward our goal to develop a learning organization that will benefit staff, our bureau, and the health department.
- Staff were extended formal invitations to attend MEPHLI as the program is not mandatory.
- The MEPHLI coursework is conversation-based vs. lecture-based to stimulate creativity in problem solving.
- The use of credible, relatable outside instructors lends to the concept that this is an opportunity for staff to learn from “the best.”
- Cohort members were allowed to select and develop projects of their own choice that were applicable to their work center.
- Personal coaching throughout the MELPHI learning stages provides credibility that MEPHLI is an investment in personal growth, an opportunity to be a change maker, and address problems that cohort members identify with in their daily work environment.
- Having specific time set aside during the work day to attend classes and develop projects helped participants feel that they were supported by their supervisors and managers.
- Conducting a formal project presentation, a graduation ceremony, and receiving diplomas from the County Chief Administrative Officer emphasizes that participants’ work and commitment to the program is recognized.
Websites applicable to MEPHLI are:
1. Monterey county Health Department, Environmental Health Bureau MEPHLI website: http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/health/environmental-health/about-us/mephli-program
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention EPHLI website: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/ephli/