The New York-New Jersey Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center (NY-NJ PERLC) at the University at Albany SUNY offers a combination of in-person and distance-based training to the public health workforce. Our distance-based programs afford us a national and international audience. Web-based products cover a wide range of contemporary and vital topics in the field of public health preparedness and include 21 interactive online courses, more than 50 broadcasts, and our top-ten trainings and toolkits. The self-paced, highly interactive web-based courses, such as the flagship Preparedness and Emergency Response to Pandemics course, the Terrorism, Preparedness and Public Health course and the Emergency Preparedness Training for Hospital Clinicians course, are frequently used in schools of medicine and public health and often required by state and local agencies as part of their workforce development.
A major focus of the NY-NJ PERLC has been development of training for public health (PH) workers to assist them in addressing the needs of vulnerable populations during a disaster. Recent accomplishments include the “Karen Refugee Emergency Preparedness Project” – a collaboration of the Refugee Community Health Partnership, the Albany County Departments of Health and Emergency Management, the NY-NJ PERLC and Karen Refugee leaders designed to increase the level of Emergency Preparedness (EP) of the Karen, the largest refugee community in Albany.
In recognition of National Preparedness Month the Center will participate in two other EP activities. The first, a Table Top Exercise (TTX) for the Capital District Regional Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition on September 22, involves center staff assisting with evaluation of the TTX. The second event, a webinar scheduled for September 23, is a collaboration with the New York State Office of People With Developmental Disabilities. The presentation will address the key elements of a residential facility’s emergency plan and how to provide culturally competent emergency preparedness for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. For more information about these events and trainings, please contact us at cphp@albany.eduor visit our websitehttp://www.albany.edu/sph/cphp.php.