DPH Volunteer Training Day 2025

Registration and a light breakfast.

Opening remarks, explanation of MA public health volunteer programs.

Join Chris Gloninger as he explores the critical role of risk communication in building resilience during climate-related emergencies. Drawing on real-world examples, Chris will discuss effective strategies for clear and transparent messaging amid uncertainty and skepticism, emphasizing the importance of tailoring communication to diverse audiences. This session will provide valuable insights into navigating the intersection of climate change, public health, and emergency preparedness, equipping volunteers with tools to support their communities in times of crisis.

In this breakout session, Chris Gloninger will expand on the themes introduced in his plenary, taking a closer look at the impacts of climate change on public health and emergency preparedness. Drawing on his expertise as a meteorologist, Chris will discuss how shifting weather patterns and extreme climate events affect communities, volunteers, and response efforts. Participants will gain deeper insights into the science of climate change, strategies for building climate resilience, and practical approaches to addressing these challenges in their volunteer roles. This interactive session offers a unique opportunity to explore how climate science informs preparedness and response efforts.

Psychological First Aid (PFA), the gold standard of disaster responses, is a process for helping people cope after experiencing a traumatic event or natural disaster. Endorsed by the World Health Organization and the U.S. government, the goal of PFA is to provide safety, stability, and resources to those affected by offering them hope and helping them reconnect with their support systems.

Presented by Riverside Trauma Center experts, this comprehensive and highly interactive program prepares attendees to deliver PFA to affected individuals and communities.

In this shortened version, attendees will learn:

1. Trauma and the Human Stress Response, and how it affects the choice of interventions with distressed individuals;
2. Understanding Grief and Loss, including models of, cultural variations in, and age-based patterns of grief; and
3.  The evolution of and introduction to disaster response, as well as the 8 core functions of Psychological First Aid

There will be a break from 12:30 to 1:30 for lunch and networking.

Opening remarks, explanation of MA public health volunteer programs.