Basic and Cross-Cutting Practice Competencies for Public Health Workforce Development

The Illinois Public Health Preparedness Center (IPHPC) is collaborating with other public health training programs in the development of a consensus approach for credentialing public health workers. Competency-based credentialing at as many as four levels is envisioned: (1) a basic introductory level for all public health workers who lack formal education and training in public health; (2) a general public health practice level that emphasizes crosscutting skills and competencies for key professional groupings within the public health workforce (such as managers, community health improvement specialists, environmental health practitioners, and nurses working in public health settings); (3) a highly specialized level for professionals who must be proficient in rapid responses to modern public health threats such as bioterrorism and emergent infectious diseases; and (4) an overall leadership level. Any new credentialing strategies must be considered in light of current training needs and existing credentialing programs. Realistically, a variety of complementary strategies and pathways will be necessary to enhance the performance of the public health workforce.