Education and Training to Build Capacity in Total Worker Health®: Proposed Competencies for an Emerging Field

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000001906

. 2020 Aug;62(8):e384-e391.

doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001906.

Education and Training to Build Capacity in Total Worker Health®: Proposed Competencies for an Emerging Field

Lee S Newman¹, Joshua G Scott, Adele Childress, Laura Linnan, Wilbert J Newhall, Deborah L McLellan, Shelly Campo, Sabrina Freewynn, Leslie B Hammer, Maija Leff, Gretchen Macy, Elizabeth H Maples, Bonnie Rogers, Diane S Rohlman, Liliana Tenney, Cecilia Watkins

Affiliations

Affiliation

¹ Center for Health, Work & Environment (Dr Newman); Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (Dr Newman, Dr Scott, Ms Tenney); Department of Epidemiology (Dr Newman), Colorado School of Public Health; Department of Medicine (Dr Newman), Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; 2U, Inc, Lanham, Maryland (Dr Scott); Office of the Director, Office for Total Worker Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Childress, Dr Newhall); University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Linnan, Dr Rogers); Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr McLellan); Center for Work, Health, and Well-Being, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr McLellan); Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa (Dr Campo, Dr Rohlman); Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa (Dr Campo); Safe and Healthy Workplace Center, SAIF, Salem, Oregon (Ms Freewynn); Oregon Healthy Workplace Center, Oregon Health & Science University (Dr Hammer), Portland, Oregon; Carolina Collaborative for Research on Work and Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Ms Leff); Center for Environmental and Workplace Health, Department of Public Health, College of Health & Human Services, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky (Dr Macy, Dr Watkins); Office of the Director, Office of Extramural Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Maples); North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health and Education and Research Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Rogers); Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Rogers), Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health (Dr Rohlman), College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

PMID: 32404840
PMCID: PMC7409771
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001906

Education and Training to Build Capacity in Total Worker Health®: Proposed Competencies for an Emerging Field

Lee S Newman et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2020 Aug.

. 2020 Aug;62(8):e384-e391.

doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001906.

Authors

Affiliation

¹ Center for Health, Work & Environment (Dr Newman); Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (Dr Newman, Dr Scott, Ms Tenney); Department of Epidemiology (Dr Newman), Colorado School of Public Health; Department of Medicine (Dr Newman), Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; 2U, Inc, Lanham, Maryland (Dr Scott); Office of the Director, Office for Total Worker Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Childress, Dr Newhall); University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Linnan, Dr Rogers); Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr McLellan); Center for Work, Health, and Well-Being, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr McLellan); Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa (Dr Campo, Dr Rohlman); Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa (Dr Campo); Safe and Healthy Workplace Center, SAIF, Salem, Oregon (Ms Freewynn); Oregon Healthy Workplace Center, Oregon Health & Science University (Dr Hammer), Portland, Oregon; Carolina Collaborative for Research on Work and Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Ms Leff); Center for Environmental and Workplace Health, Department of Public Health, College of Health & Human Services, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky (Dr Macy, Dr Watkins); Office of the Director, Office of Extramural Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Maples); North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health and Education and Research Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Rogers); Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Rogers), Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health (Dr Rohlman), College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

PMID: 32404840
PMCID: PMC7409771
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001906

Abstract

Objective: Establishment of core competencies for education and training of professionals entering the emerging field of Total Worker Health®.

Methods: Compilation and distillation of information obtained over a 5-year period from Total Worker Health symposia, workshops, and academic offerings, plus contributions from key stakeholders regarding education and training needs.

Results: A proposed set of Total Worker Health competencies aligns under six broad domains: Subject Matter Expertize; Advocacy and Engagement; Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation; Communications and Dissemination; Leadership and Management; and Partnership Building and Coordination.

Conclusions: Proposed set of core competencies will help standardize education and training for professionals being trained in Total Worker Health. It serves as an invitation for further input from stakeholders in academia, business, labor, and government.

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Conflict of interest statement

The core competency related to leadership and management refers to the ability to provide direction and vision according to TWH principles and core values of organizations, business leaders, workers, and their communities. This involves understanding the importance of social systems at work, for example, employee engagement, interdependencies among team members, interpersonal conflicts, and how these impact safety, health, and well-being. Additionally, this competency includes understanding the role leaders and managers play in organizational development and organizational culture specific to TWH programs, policies, and practices. TWH professionals should understand how organizational structures and systems impact workers and possess skills related to TWH strategic planning and implementation, whether they are the organization's TWH leader or they are advising leaders. The ability to build relationships and to motivate, guide, and achieve the TWH goals of the organization is critical. This includes developing good listening skills, showing respect to workers at all levels of income or education, and ability to utilize participatory methods as programs are developed. TWH professionals also should have an understanding of laws, standards, policies, and regulations related to occupational safety and health, as well as the capacity to facilitate multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams. They should have the ability to guide business leaders to effectively mobilize resources related to people, expertize and funding in support of TWH. They need to help leaders prioritize their own well-being and be role models to those they lead. Lastly, TWH professionals should have the ability to help leaders recognize their role in the TWH hierarchy of controls related to primary prevention and the elimination of psychosocial and physical workplace hazards. Thus, leadership and management skills make up an important competency for TWH professionals.

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

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References

1. Anger WK, Elliot DL, Bodner T, et al. Effectiveness of total worker health interventions. J Occup Health Psychol 2015; 20:226–247. - PubMed
1. Tenney L, Fan W, Dally M, et al. Health LinksTM assessment of Total Worker Health® practices as indicators of organizational behavior in small business. J Occup Environ Med 2019; 61:623–634. - PMC - PubMed
1. Anger WK, Rameshbabu A, Olson R. Hudson H, Nigam J, Sauter S, Chosewood LC, Schill AL, Howard J, et al. Effectiveness of Total Worker Health® interventions. Total Worker Health. Washington, D.C.:American Psychological Association; 2019. 61–90.
1. Kitt M, Howard J. The face of occupational safety and health: 2020 and beyond. Public Health Rep 2013; 128:138–139. - PMC - PubMed
1. Peckham TK, Baker MG, Camp JE, Kaufman JD, Sexias NS. Creating a future for occupational health. Ann Work Expo Health 2017; 61:3–15. - PubMed

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[1] Anger WK, Elliot DL, Bodner T, et al. Effectiveness of total worker health interventions. J Occup Health Psychol 2015; 20:226–247. - PubMed

[2] Anger WK, Elliot DL, Bodner T, et al. Effectiveness of total worker health interventions. J Occup Health Psychol 2015; 20:226–247. - PubMed

[3] Tenney L, Fan W, Dally M, et al. Health LinksTM assessment of Total Worker Health® practices as indicators of organizational behavior in small business. J Occup Environ Med 2019; 61:623–634. - PMC - PubMed

[4] Tenney L, Fan W, Dally M, et al. Health LinksTM assessment of Total Worker Health® practices as indicators of organizational behavior in small business. J Occup Environ Med 2019; 61:623–634. - PMC - PubMed

[5] Anger WK, Rameshbabu A, Olson R. Hudson H, Nigam J, Sauter S, Chosewood LC, Schill AL, Howard J, et al. Effectiveness of Total Worker Health® interventions. Total Worker Health. Washington, D.C.:American Psychological Association; 2019. 61–90.

[6] Anger WK, Rameshbabu A, Olson R. Hudson H, Nigam J, Sauter S, Chosewood LC, Schill AL, Howard J, et al. Effectiveness of Total Worker Health® interventions. Total Worker Health. Washington, D.C.:American Psychological Association; 2019. 61–90.

[7] Kitt M, Howard J. The face of occupational safety and health: 2020 and beyond. Public Health Rep 2013; 128:138–139. - PMC - PubMed

[8] Kitt M, Howard J. The face of occupational safety and health: 2020 and beyond. Public Health Rep 2013; 128:138–139. - PMC - PubMed

[9] Peckham TK, Baker MG, Camp JE, Kaufman JD, Sexias NS. Creating a future for occupational health. Ann Work Expo Health 2017; 61:3–15. - PubMed

[10] Peckham TK, Baker MG, Camp JE, Kaufman JD, Sexias NS. Creating a future for occupational health. Ann Work Expo Health 2017; 61:3–15. - PubMed

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Education and Training to Build Capacity in Total Worker Health®: Proposed Competencies for an Emerging Field

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Education and Training to Build Capacity in Total Worker Health®: Proposed Competencies for an Emerging Field

Authors

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Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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