Course Aim
To help public health professionals who may be called to action in times of crisis by providing training in the unique leadership skills necessary to effectively deal with crisis events.

Course Overview
The existing Incident Command System (ICS) model provides an organized framework for command and direction of personnel in response to and recovery from a crisis. While this ICS process is vital to successful crisis response and recovery, equally critical is the effective leadership of the individuals involved in implementing the ICS. Leadership of a crisis situation includes general leadership principles, but requires application of those principles within the possible unique and extreme circumstances associated with a crisis situation, such as:
•limited information
•possible chaos and confusion
•condensed timeframes
•higher level risks and consequences
•rapidly changing circumstances

This training program focuses on high level crises that require the implementation of the ICS. However, this training will also provide skills, knowledge and awareness to assist leaders in dealing with the wide range of levels of crisis, from every day issues to those of much larger magnitude and scope. It is based on an understanding of the importance of self awareness in identifying and addressing crisis leadership strengths and challenges. Participants will leave with new and improved knowledge, awareness and skills, and extensive resources.

Training includes:
•Cultivating awareness and observation of self and others
•Developing a vision for the resolution of the crisis and motivating others to follow
•Effective communication and listening
•Risk communication and media effectiveness
•Building and maintaining effective teams
•Conflict management and negotiation
•Consequence management
•Employing critical decision making skills
•Effectively dealing with stress, and coping mechanisms

Target Audience
This course is limited to 30 Florida public health participants in primary and secondary leadership or other professional roles who may be called upon in times of crisis. Advanced registration is required. Participants must agree to attend the entire 4-day course.

Registration Fee: There is no registration fee.

Course Delivery: On-site course with required online pre-test. Pre-course readings will be mailed to you.

Online Pre-work: After registering for this course, please complete and submit the pre-test.

On-site Course Agenda

Day 1 (8am-3:15pm): Task
•Registration check-in
•Opening activity
•Overview of elements of Leadership Mastery Training model
•Introduction and definitions of crisis leadership
•A crisis in review: In Memoriam
•Rudy Giuliani intensive case study/discussion
•2 channels of communication: task and people
•Summary/Evaluation
(Continental breakfast and lunch provided)

Day 2 (8:30am-4:45pm): Self Awareness
•Importance of self awareness/self management
•Group decision making
•Effective problem solving and crisis management
•Personality type
•Personality type and leadership
•Summary/Evaluation
(Continental breakfast and lunch provided)

Day 3 (8:30am-4:15pm): Maintaining Perspective
•Overview and review of Days 1 and 2
•Introduction to crisis communication
•Risk communication
•Perspective taking/systems thinking
•Public health emergency operations assessment
•Managing conflict
•Summary/Evaluation
(Continental breakfast and lunch provided)

Day 4 (8:30am-4:15pm): People
•Maintaining calm/building resilience
•Having a compass in the unknown
•Crisis event interactive scenario
•Scenario debriefing
•Summary/Evaluation
(Continental breakfast and lunch provided)

Advanced Crisis Leadership Training includes the following Relevant Competencies for Public Health Professionals:
Core Competency Domains
•Analytic/Assessment Skills
•Policy Development/Program Planning Skills
•Communication Skills
•Cultural Competency Skills
•Basic Public Health Science Skills
•Management Skills
•Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills

Relevant Bioterrorism and Emergency Readiness Competencies
•Describe the public health role in emergency response in a range of emergencies that might arise
•Describe his/her functional role in emergency response and demonstrate during regular drills
•Describe communication roles in emergency response
•Identify limits to own knowledge/skill/authority and identify key system resources for referring matters that exceed these limits
•Recognize unusual events that might indicate an emergency and describe appropriate action
•Apply creative problem solving and flexible thinking to unusual challenges within his/her functional responsibilities and evaluate effectiveness of all actions taken.

Instructional Methods
•Didactic lecture format: 30%
•Interactive seminar format: 40%
•Experiential learning exercises: 30%

Continuing Education Credit
Completion of the entire 4-day Advanced Crisis Leadership training has been approved for 29 contact hours. Continuing education credits are available for the following professions: physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists and certified health education specialists.

Course Developers and Sponsors
This course was developed by the Florida Center for Public Health Preparedness at the University of South Florida College of Public Health (a public, non-profit, academic center for public health preparedness). The development and delivery of this course are supported by funding from a cooperative agreement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of Schools of Public Health. This course has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the University of South Florida College of Medicine and the Florida Center for Public Health Preparedness. Course content is solely the responsibility of the Florida Center for Public Health Preparedness and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Association of Schools of Public Health and the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

Events of the University of South Florida are available without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status as provided by law and in accordance with the University’s respect for personal dignity.

• 2008-2009 Training Calendar now in development. Want a course to come to your region? Contact us at fcphpinfo@health.usf.edu.

• Have a safe summer!