Public Health Leader Orientation and Resource Guide

Use the document below as a guide through these links and resources on public health leadership, curated by MDH and LPHA.

Download: Public Health Leader Orientation and Resource Guide (DOC)

The Public Health Leader Orientation and Resource Guide is a joint effort of the Local Public Health Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health Center for Public Health Practice. The guide identifies a number of subject/topic areas that are critical for public health leaders to have a basic understanding of and includes a compendium of related resources. The orientation plan incorporates a variety of methodologies and experiences utilizing the expertise of resource people at both the local and state level as well as self-study. Originally published 2004; revised 2017, 2019, 2022.

If you have questions about this resource, please contact your public health system consultant.

Contents

I. Introduction to public health
II. Public health system
III. Legislative process
IV. Statutes and ordinances
V. Management and budgets
VI. Human resources
VII. Core functions of public health: Assessment, policy development, and assurance
VIII. Health equity
IX. Community engagement
X. Leadership skill development
XI. Organizational workforce development
XII. Visibility of public health
XIII. Environmental health
XIV. Health informatics and health information technology
XV. Transforming the public health system
XVI. Evolving and emerging issues

Public health core competencies in this section
Public health sciences
Leadership and systems thinking

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Leadership
Policy development

1. Public Health 101, Region V Public Health Training Center
2. Public Health 101 series, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
3. The Invisible Shield | Made Possible by Bloomberg Philanthropies: For screening links, the toolkit, and a discussion guide, contact your public health system consultant.

1. Public health ethics, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

1. Community/public health nursing competencies (PDF), Quad Council Coalition of Public Health Nursing Organizations
2. Public health interventions: Applications for nursing practice, 2nd ed. ("the wheel manual"), Minnesota Department of Health
3. Relevant challenges and considerations for public health nursing practice (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health & Minnesota Public Health Nursing Practice Council
4. Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance
5. Society for Public Health Education:
   • Minnesota chapter: MNSOPHE
   • National organization: SOPHE
6. Community health strategist: Public health 3.0, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
7. Infor-what-ics? Defining public health informatics, Public Health Informatics Institute
8. PHN residency for new graduates, College of St. Benedict / St. John's University, Minnesota Department of Health

Public health core competencies in this section
Leadership and systems thinking
Public health sciences

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Community partnerships
Leadership
Policy development

1. About HHS, US Department of Health and Human Services
2. Minnesota state government (PDF), Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State

1. Minnesota Indian Affairs Council
2. American Indian tribal governments, Minnesota Department of Health

1. About the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Minnesota Department of Health organizational chart (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health

1. Minnesota's public health system: History and context, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Public health system development in Minnesota: Report to the Legislature, Minnesota Department of Health
   To view the most recent version of this report, visit Publications from the Center for Public Health Practice and use Ctrl+F to search the page for "Public health system development"
3. Community health services administration handbook, Minnesota Department of Health
4. State Community Health Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC), State Community Health Services Advisory Committee
5. MDH communications tools (requires login via SharePoint), Minnesota Department of Health
   Please contact health.ophp@state.mn.us if you need access to this resource that describes Basecamp, GovDelivery, IMATS, MEDSS, Minnesota Responds, MN.TRAIN, PartnerLink, REDCap, SharePoint, SmartSheet, and Tableau.
6. Frequently Requested Local Public Health Resources, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Minn. Stat. § 145A. Community health boards, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
2. Local Public Health Act, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Minnesota Local Public Health Act: Summary of Minn. Stat. § 145A (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health
4. Minn. Stat. § 144.011. Department of health, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
5. Minn. Stat. § 402. County human services boards, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes

1. Areas of public health responsibility within the Local Public Health Act, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Government's responsibility for public health, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Healthy People 2030; US Department of Health and Human Services

1. Who is my public health system consultant?, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Family Home Visiting program, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Map of field services epidemiologists, Minnesota Department of Health
4. Program contacts: Environmental Health Division, Minnesota Department of Health
5. Minnesota state and local food, pools, and lodging contacts (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health
6. Minnesota Health Equity Network coordinators: Find your region, Minnesota Department of Health
7. Public health preparedness consultants, Minnesota Department of Health
8. State staff directory - WIC/CSFP (Women, Infants, and Children / Commodity Supplemental Food Program) (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health
9. Regional health care preparedness coordinators, Minnesota Department of Health
10. Regional behavioral health coordinators, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Regional Local Public Health Association (LPHA) groups: Map of LPHA regions (LPHA)
   Contact your public health system consultant to connect with your group.
2. Local Public Health Association of Minnesota (LPHA)
3. Minnesota Public Health Association (MPHA)
4. American Public Health Association (APHA)

Public health core competencies in this section
Policy development and program planning
Communication
Leadership and systems thinking

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Communications
Leadership
Policy development
Organizational management

1. How a bill becomes law in Minnesota, Minnesota State Legislature
2. Legislative process 101 (PDF), Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC)

1. Legislative advocacy, Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC)
2. Advocacy toolkit, Association of Public Health Nurses
3. Advocacy, Local Public Health Association of Minnesota (LPHA)

1. Legislators, Minnesota State Legislature
2. Who represents me?, Minnesota Legislative Coordinating Commission

1. Building your advocacy toolbox: Advocacy vs. lobbying (PDF), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

1. Minnesota Open Meeting Law (PDF), Minnesota House Research

Public health core competencies in this section
Leadership and systems thinking
Policy development and program planning
Public health sciences

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Leadership
Organizational management
Policy development

1. Minn. Stat. § 145A. Community health boards, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
2. Local Public Health Act, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Minnesota Local Public Health Act: Summary of Minn. Stat. § 145A (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health

1. Reportable Disease Rule (Communicable Disease Reporting Rule), Minnesota Department of Health
2. About the Minnesota Infectious Disease Operations Guide (MIDOG), State Community Health Services Advisory Committee

1. Health information privacy, US Department of Health and Human Services
2. HIPAA basics for providers: Privacy, security, and breach notification rules (PDF), US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

1. General records retention schedules available online, Minnesota Historical Society
2. Records retention webinar series, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Government records and retention, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Minnesota Board of Nursing

1. US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
2. State plans: Minnesota, US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

1. Minnesota public health nuisance handbook, Local Public Health Association of Minnesota (LPHA)

1. Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act (MCIAA), Minnesota Department of Health

1. Meth Lab Program, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Minn. Stat. § 152.0275. Certain controlled substance offenses; restitution; prohibitions on property use; notice provisions, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes

1. Minn. Stat. § 604A.04 Good Samaritan overdose prevention, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
2. Minnesota's response to the opioid epidemic, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Ordinances, Minnesota State Law Library

1. Duties of a county commissioner (PDF), Association of Minnesota Counties
2. Contact your local county attorney for additional information

1. Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
2. The Network for Public Health Law

Public health core competencies in this section
Management and finance

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Organizational management

1. Who does what? A guide to Minnesota's property tax system (PDF), Association of Minnesota Counties
2. County budget overview (PDF), Association of Minnesota Counties
3. County fund balances (PDF), Association of Minnesota Counties
4. Public Health Leader Cohort Meeting (YouTube.com), Financial Management & Budgets in Public Health; December 7, 2023 New Public Health Leader Cohort Session featuring Greta Siegel, Horizon Public Health, Assistant Administrator, Finance and Grants

1. Planning for success: Managing business and finance in public health, Region V Public Health Training Center
   This five-part program covers basic financial management and business skills, and is designed for public health
2. Public health financial management, Region VI South Central Public Health Training Center
3. Feasibility planning for public health business plans, Northwest Center for Public Health Practice
4. Financial management in local government: Frequently used terms (PDF), University of Wisconsin Extension - Local Government Center
5. Public health finance, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
   1. eLearning courses and programs to build financial knowledge and skills to support public health (PDF), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
6. Local public health finance community of practice virtual community, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
   This resource requires a NACCHO membership.

1. Clinic services, Minnesota Department of Human Services
2. Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) provider manual, Minnesota Department of Human Services

1. Writing a successful grant proposal, Minnesota Council on Foundations
2. HHS grants and contracts, US Department of Health and Human Services
3. Organization registration, Grants.gov
4. Major community health board funding sources in Minnesota (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health

1. Finance and staffing, LPH Act annual reporting, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Poverty guidelines, US Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Public health core competencies in this section
Leadership and systems thinking
Health equity

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Leadership
Organizational management
Health equity

1. How to find and recruit the best job candidates, Free Management Library
2. How to retain your best employees, Free Management Library
3. Public health supervisor meetings
   These meetings occur virtually every other month in the north and south regions of the state; contact your public health system consultant to discuss joining a meeting

1. Affirmative action, US Department of Labor

1. Employee Assistance Program, Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust

1. Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services

1. Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust
2. An employer's guide to employment law issues in Minnesota (PDF), Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Ballard Spahr LLP

1. Minnesota Safety Council
2. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

1. Capability 15: Volunteer management, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
2. Volunteer management for emergency response, Region V Public Health Training Center

Public health core competencies in this section
Data analytics and assessment
Community partnership
Policy development and program planning
Public health sciences

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Assessment and planning
Community partnerships
Data and epidemiology
Organizational management
Policy development

1. 10 essential public health services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
2. The 10 essential public health services (PDF), Public Health National Center for Innovations (PHNCI)
3. The Futures Initiative: the 10 Essential Public Health Services (PDF), Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)

1. Assessment and planning for local public health, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Community health assessment, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Community health improvement plan, Minnesota Department of Health
4. CHA-CHIP community of practice, Minnesota Department of Health
5. Health impact assessment, Minnesota Department of Health
6. Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

1. Minnesota Center for Health Statistics, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Health equity, Minnesota Department of Health
3. MN Public Health Data Access Portal, Minnesota Department of Health
4. Data resources 101, Minnesota Department of Health
5. Regional data groups, Minnesota Department of Health
   This resource requires an invitation; contact your public health system consultant to request a Basecamp invitation.

1. Strategic plan, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Developing strategic and action plans, University of Kansas
3. Technical assistance and resources for facilitated strategic planning, mission, vision and values: Contact your public health system consultant.

1. Performance Management Toolkit, Public Health Foundation
2. Quality improvement and performance management, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Objectives and goals: Writing meaningful goals and SMART objectives, Minnesota Department of Health
4. Logic model, Minnesota Department of Health
5. Fiscal Policy Studies Institute
   This organization oversees activities around results-based accountability (RBA).
6. Local Public Health Act annual reporting, Minnesota Department of Health
7. Quality improvement plans: A how-to guide, Minnesota Department of Health

1. The community guide, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
2. Cochrane Library
3. Current initiatives, Stratis Health
4. Prevention Institute

1. National public health accreditation for local and tribal public health, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)
3. Minnesota accreditation learning community; contact your public health system consultant to request a Basecamp invitation.

1. Minnesota statewide health assessment, Healthy Minnesota Partnership

1. Healthy Minnesota 2022 Statewide health improvement framework, Healthy Minnesota Partnership

Public health core competencies in this section
Health equity

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Health equity

1. Health equity, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Advancing health equity in Minnesota: Report to the Legislature (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health
3. Conducting a health equity data analysis (HEDA): A guide for local health departments in Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health
4. Health equity resource library, Minnesota Department of Health
5. Narratives and health equity: Expanding the conversation, Healthy Minnesota Partnership, Minnesota Department of Health
6. Promoting health equity by uniting sectors around shared data, Region V Public Health Training Center
7. Minnesota Health Equity Networks, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Cultural competence, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Understanding culture and diversity in building communities, University of Kansas Community Tool Box
3. Cultural competence checklist: Personal reflection (PDF), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
4. Culture Care Connection
5. Cultural humility, BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota Center for Prevention

1. Unnatural causes, California Newsreel
2. Health equity and social justice, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
3. Social determinants of health, Healthy People 2030
4. The missing strategy in addressing language barriers, Velasquez, Beckman, and Rodriguez in the American Journal of Managed Care 27(3).

Public health core competencies in this section
Community partnership
Leadership and systems thinking
Health equity

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Community partnerships
Leadership
Health equity

1. Community engagement as a public health practice, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Creating and maintaining coalitions and partnerships, University of Kansas

1. The habits of highly successful facilitators, University of Minnesota Extension

1. Parliamentary procedure for meetings (PDF), University of Louisiana Monroe

Public health core competencies in this section
Leadership and systems thinking

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Leadership
Organizational management

1. CliftonStrengths, Gallup

1. Collaborative leadership, University of Kansas

1. Leadership and governance resources, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
2. Resources, Local Public Health Association of Minnesota (LPHA)
3. Adaptive leadership and public health (5:25), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
4. Appendix I: Adaptive leadership questionnaire, Peter Guy in Leadership: Theory and Practice
   This 30-item questionnaire provides feedback on a person's adaptive leadership style.
5. Leadership and whole-systems change, Region V Public Health Training Center
6. Managing change: The essential leadership skill, Region V Public Health Training Center
7. Cooperative communication, Region V Public Health Training Center
   This training discusses adaptive tools for communicating through change.
8. Succession planning and mentoring staff:
   1. Organizational sustainability in changing times series, part 1 - succession planning, Region V Public Health Training Center
   2. Organizational sustainability in changing times series, part 2 - mentoring staff, Region V Public Health Training Center
9. Incident command system (ICS) resource center, US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
10. Local elected and appointed officials guide: Roles and resources in emergency management (PDF), US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
11. Public Health Leader Cohort Meeting 02/01/24 (YouTube.com), Adaptive Leadership; February 1, 2024 New Public Health Leader Cohort Session featuring Eric Martin, Founder and Managing Director of Adaptive Change Advisors

1. Public health workforce resilience resource library, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
2. Trauma-informed care workshop series #2 - self-care and promoting post-traumatic growth during active crisis management, Region V Public Health Training Center
3. WellnessMN

1. NALBOH's six functions of public health governance, National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH)
2. Maintaining a board of directors, University of Kansas
3. Governance in action for public health, Region V Public Health Training Center

Public health core competencies in this section
Leadership and systems thinking
Health equity
Data analytics and assessment
Communication

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Leadership
Communications
Data and epidemiology
Health equity
Organizational management

1. Core competencies for public health professionals, Public Health Foundation (PHF)
2. Competency assessments for public health professionals, Public Health Foundation (PHF)
3. Developing a plan for building leadership, University of Kansas
4. Review and ratings of selected online courses for public health professionals (PDF), Western Region Public Health Training Center
   This list organizes trainings by core competency, and includes a short description and ranking. Sign up for the Western Region Public Health Training Center newsletter at: Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly announcements from WRPHTC!
5. CDC learning connection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
6. Plan to plan: Workforce development plan three-part series, Region V Public Health Training Center
   1. Workforce development plan: What is it and how to get ready?
   2. Evaluating your workforce: Assessing your organizational environment, selecting your competencies, and assessing your training needs
   3. Writing your workforce development plan: Developing a workforce development plan and assuring PHAB alignment
7. Technical assistance on facilitated workforce development planning and resources: Contact your public health system consultant.

1. Promoting internal communication, University of Kansas

1. Broadening the base for leadership, University of Kansas
2. Video review for First break all the rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman (9:20), Callibrain
3. The five dysfunctions of a team, Patrick Lencioni

1. Reflective practice and program development, Zero to Three
2. Reflective practice (RP) in home visiting, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Effective management strategies 1: Tips for the new manager, Region V Public Health Training Center
4. Effective management strategies 2: Mentorship and more, Region V Public Health Training Center
5. Trauma-informed resilience-oriented supervision for public health professionals, Region V Public Health Training Center
6. Public health supervisor meetings
   These meetings occur virtually every other month in the north and south regions of the state; contact your public health system consultant to discuss joining a meeting

1. Building a sustainable governmental public health workforce: A look at the millennial generation, Locke, Gambatese, Sellers, Corcoran, and Castrucci in Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 28(1)

Public health core competencies in this section
Communication
Leadership and systems thinking
Community partnership

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Communications
Community partnerships
Leadership
Organizational management

1. Public health logo, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

1. Message Toolkit: Inspiring Partners to Strengthen Public Health in Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Communication and marketing: A foundational capability for local health departments (PDF), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
3. The CDC Clear Communication Index, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
4. Health literacy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

1. National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH)
2. Appendix: Local elected official orientation, Minnesota Department of Health
3. Explaining Minnesota's public health system to policymakers, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Health department communications, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
2. Watch now: 2019 public health communications webinar series, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

1. Social media at CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
2. Social media support for public health professionals, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
3. Social media tips (PDF), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
4. Social media toolkit (PDF), National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

1. Peter M. Sandman risk communication website
2. Risk communication, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

1. Storytelling template (DOC), Communities for Public Health
2. Strategic storytelling for public health messengers (PDF), Public Health Reaching Across Sectors (PHRASES)
3. Storytelling for public health, New England Public Health Training Center

Public health core competencies in this section
Policy development and program planning
Management and finance
Community partnership

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Organizational management
Policy development
Community partnerships

1. Delegated programs, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Environmental health delegation agreements, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Water and health, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Licensing jurisdiction: Food, pools, and lodging services (FPLS), Minnesota Department of Health

1. Licensing: Food, pools, and lodging services (FPLS), Minnesota Department of Health

1. Food Safety Partnership of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Local partner resources, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board
3. Topic index, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Manufactured home parks and recreational camping areas, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Program contacts, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Partnership and Workforce Development Unit (PWDU), Minnesota Department of Health

1. Climate and health, Minnesota Department of Health

Public health core competencies in this section
Data analytics and assessment
Communication

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Data and epidemiology
Organizational management
Communication

1. Health informatics and information technology, American Public Health Association (APHA)

1. Minnesota e-Health, Minnesota Department of Health
2. Health information exchange (HIE), Minnesota Department of Health

1. The Omaha System
2. Learning to use the Omaha System, Omaha System Guidelines

Public health core competencies in this section
Leadership and systems thinking

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Assessment and planning
Communications
Community partnerships
Data and epidemiology
Health equity
Leadership
Organizational management
Policy development
Preparedness and response

1. Transforming the public health system in Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
2. Updating Minnesota's blueprint for public health (PDF), State Community Health Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC)
   1. Discussion questions: Updating Minnesota's blueprint for public health (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health
3. Minnesota Infectious Disease Operations Guide (MIDOG), MDH and SCHSAC
   The MIDOG, formerly the Disease Prevention and Control (DP&C) Common Activities Framework, provides a structure for detecting acute and communicable diseases, developing and implementing prevention of disease transmission, and implementing control measures during outbreaks. It sets out the minimum roles and expectations for both local public health agencies and the Minnesota Department of Health to meet the mandate found in Minn. Stat. § 145A, the Local Public Health Act.

1. Health in all policies: A guide for state and local governments, Public Health Institute (PHI)

1. Public Health 3.0: A call to action to create a 21st century public health infrastructure, DeSalvo, Wang, Harris, Auerbach, Koo, and O'Carroll in Preventing Chronic Disease(14).
2. The high achieving health department in 2020, RESOLVE
3. Public health 3.0 / accreditation, Region V Public Health Training Center
   1. PH 3.0/accreditation #1: Introduction to public health 3.0 and national accreditation
   2. PH 3.0/accreditation #2: Community engagement
   3. PH 3.0/accreditation #3: Data visualization

1. Considerations for shared governance structures (PDF), Minnesota Department of Health
2. Center for Sharing Public Health Services

Public health core competencies in this section
Policy development and program planning
Health equity

Foundational public health capabilities in this section
Policy development
Preparedness and response
Organizational management
Health equity
Communications

1. Topics and issues, American Public Health Association (APHA)

1. Mental health, American Public Health Association (APHA)
2. Mental health promotion, Minnesota Department of Health

1. Suicide, American Public Health Association (APHA)

1. Substance misuse, American Public Health Association (APHA)

1. The secret weapon against pandemics (32:33), Georges C. Benjamin

1. The missing strategy in addressing language barriers, Velasquez, Beckman, and Rodriguez in American Journal of Managed Care 27(3)