733: Substance Use Recovery Incentives, Career Website Gets New Features

SUMMER JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, August 21, 2024. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

ANGIE SMITH-BUTTERWICK: 

So, if they have a negative urine sample that doesn't include any amphetamines, doesn't include opioids, then they get a small incentive.

JOHNSON: 

Michigan public health officials are waiting for federal approval of a pilot program offering small incentives to people if they stay on approved substance use treatment plans. Angie Smith-Butterwick is with the state health department.

SMITH-BUTTERWICK: 

If you are doing the things that you're supposed to do within your treatment plan that your provider, agency and the individual has established, then at those certain milestones, they'll get a reward.

JOHNSON: 

The rewards will depend on a person's needs and their treatment plan.

SMITH-BUTTERWICK: 

And the incentive is usually in the form of a gift card, which can be a gas card, a grocery store card, you know, depending on what their needs are and what their goals are and their treatment plan, that'll help guide us on what those rewards will be.

JOHNSON: 

Officials would like to start work on the project sometime in the fall.

SMITH-BUTTERWICK: 

We hope that by offering these small incentives for positive behaviors, and in this case, it's primarily negative urinalysis screens that people will stay on the path of recovery.

JOHNSON: 

You can read more about Michigan's proposed recovery incentives pilot by clicking the link in the show notes.

Job seekers are making good use of ASTHO's Public Health Workforce web page, publichealthcareers.org. This is Ashley Nanthavongsa-Mosley with ASTHO. Since the beginning

ASHLEY NANTHAVONGSA-MOSLEY: 

Since the beginning of this year, January 2024 we have had over 100,000 users to the site and over 10,000 clicks to the Apply button.

JOHNSON: 

The site's been online since October, 2022 but asto continues to make improvements to help those considering a public health career.

NANTHAVONGSA-MOSLEY: 

The pathway page features ways to enter the field through internships, fellowships, or service experiences. Currently, we're highlighting the impactful work and opportunities within Public Health AmeriCorps.

JOHNSON: 

The site also includes advice from working public health professionals and a blog page,  Nanthavongra-Mosley especially likes the career assessment feature.

NANTHAVONGSA-MOSLEY: 

And this assessment not only helps individuals discover potential career paths within public health, but also provides insight to their personal interests and how they can apply them in meaningful ways within the public health sector.

JOHNSON: 

You can visit the site by clicking the link in the show notes.

Also today, if your agency is looking to assign someone to manage your healthy people framework, ASTHO has a position description template to help you find the right person. O'Keyla Cooper has more.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

The Healthy People Framework guides national public health priorities every 10 years and is supported by the Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. This template offers a flexible description for the Healthy People Coordinator role helping health departments identify candidates for often unfunded positions within existing roles. It outlines essential skills and qualifications needed to support Healthy People 2030 goals. Download the template by clicking the link in the show notes.

JOHNSON: 

Finally, this morning, we've been on the air three years, delivering on the promise each day to give you the latest ASTHO news and information. So how are we doing? Here's listener feedback from Indiana state commissioner and ASTHO member, Dr. Lindsay Weaver.

LINDSAY WEAVER: 

I listen because it gets me thinking for the day, we shouldn't be reinventing the wheel, and I often hear from my colleagues across the state or other people working in the public health space with really great ideas or just different ways to think about things. So, I often find myself forwarding the podcast to my team here at the Department of Health and say, Hey, listen to this. Let's reach out to the state and see what they're doing. So it is, it's inspiring and just I feel like it keeps me updated.

JOHNSON: 

Before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Summer Johnson, you're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.