Ten Essential Services
The operating philosophy of the Division of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) Program is based on the Ten Essential Public Health Services first articulated in 1994 by a partnership of local, state, and national public health leaders. These services were used by the National Center for Environmental Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a basis for its six goals for the revitalization of environmental health in the 21st century. IHS has taken a proactive approach and adapted the Ten Essential Public Health Services as the Ten Essential Environmental Health Services and has incorporated this set of strategies into the methods in which it delivers services to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities across the country.
Resources appear below grouped by phase (assessment, policy development, assurance) and by the Ten Essential Environmental Health Services. Collection of these resources was initially supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through a grant provided to the University of New Mexico (grant no. U48/CCU610818-05).
Assessment:
1. Monitor health status to identify community environmental health problems.
- Census Bureau
- Community Environmental Information Maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this site provides access to databases to retrieve environmental information about your community. Links to state and local environmental agencies.
- Envirofacts Warehouse Retrieve environmental information and maps from EPA databases to compile your own report.
- National Center for Health Statistics
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2. Diagnose and investigate environmental health problems and health hazards in the community.
- Home-A-Syst and Farm-A-Syst healthy home sites
- National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) EPA's national resource center for environmental (human health and ecological) risk assessment. Includes risk management and risk assessment overviews, tools, guidance and databases for use by professionals. In particular, Tribes with established programs may benefit from this website.
- Office of Tribal Affairs, Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) The ATSDR recently established the Office of Tribal Affairs (OTA) in response to tribal requests. The Office of Tribal Affairs will assist with tribal-specific environmental health needs resulting from exposure to hazardous waste sites and pollution.
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Policy Development:
3. Inform, educate, and empower people about environmental health issues.
- EPA Hotlines Site of EPA Hotlines for assistance with your questions about various environmental issues.
- EPA's Libraries A searchable library made up of twenty-eight EPA libraries around the United States. Easy access to books, reports and journals that are available for public view.
- EPA's Tribal Links Links to EPA and non-EPA tribal environmental programs or entities with an interest in tribal environmental activities. Includes links to EPA Regional Tribal programs that may have information specific to tribal environmental activities and successes.
- General Emergency Information Provides emergency preparedness links for natural disasters, bioterrorism, chemical emergencies, recent outbreaks and incidents, mass casualties, chemical exposures, and radiological emergencies.
- National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), CDC A searchable index of NCEH health topics with access to fact sheets, brochures, and other publications.
- Office of Tribal Affairs, ATSDR The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recently established the Office of Tribal Affairs (OTA) in response to tribal requests. The Office of Tribal Affairs will assist with tribal-specific environmental health needs and/or general environmental information.
- Tribal Environmental Resource Center Maintained by Northern Arizona University's (NAU) Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals(ITEP), this site is a clearinghouse and point of contact for information that might be of use to tribal environmental staff. This information retrieval site contains a searchable list of electronic and hard copy resources pertaining to tribal or environmental issues. This includes technical documents, educational lesson plans, catalogs, videos, brochures, fact sheets, and other types of resources.
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4. Mobilize partnerships to identify and solve environmental health problems.
- Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) IEN is an alliance of Indigenous Peoples protecting the sacredness of Mother Earth and building sustainable communities. An entity known for mobilizing community efforts.
- Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) MAPP is a community-wide strategic planning tool for improving community health. Facilitated by public health leadership, this tool helps communities prioritize public health issues and identify resources for addressing them. Developed by National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)and CDC.
- Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health (PACE EH) PACE EH offers local heath officials guidance in conducting a community-based environmental health assessment and creating an accurate and verifiable profile of the community's environmental health status. Developed by NACCHO.
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5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community environmental health efforts.
- American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO), EPA The AIEO coordinates an effort throughout the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen public health and environmental protection in Indian Country with an emphasis on building Tribal capacity to administer their own environmental programs. Site may serve as a starting point for Tribes interested in regulatory development.
- EPA's Main Environmental Regulation and Guidance Site Access to major laws, proposed changes, Code of Federal Regulations, and non-binding guidance documents that influence tribal policies and protection efforts.
- Laws and Regulations, AIEO, EPA The American Indian Environmental Office's (AIEO) website of Law, Regulation and Guidance for tribal communities. Site may provide model language for code development of interest to tribes building enforcement capabilities.
- National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC) NTEC was formed in 1991 as a membership organization dedicated to working with and assisting Tribes in the protection and preservation of the reservation environment.
- Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Easy to use site for current OSHA standards and compliance-related information, which may assist Tribes in code development.
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Assurance:
6. Support laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) FDA is responsible for ensuring the compliance of the regulated community with Federal statutes,which may include environment-related matters.
- Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) OSHA is responsible for ensuring the compliance of the regulated community with Federal environmental statutes on tribal lands in the absence of a tribal occupational safety and health program.
- Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance (OECA), EPA OECA is responsible for ensuring the compliance of the regulated community with Federal environmental statutes on tribal lands in the absence of a tribal environmental enforcement program.
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7. Link people to needed environmental health services and assure the provision of environmental health services when otherwise unavailable.
- American Indian Environmental Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The AIEO coordinates various activities within the EPA and Tribes to strengthen public health and environmental protection in Indian Country with an emphasis on building Tribal capacity so Tribes may administer their own environmental programs. Site may serve as a starting point for Tribes interested in networking.
- Regional Tribal Contacts, AIEO, EPA This listing, maintained by EPA's American Indian Environmental Office, includes mailing addresses, telephone/fax and email contact information, and links to regional tribal program websites.
- Environmental Protection Departments by Tribe
- National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC) NTEC was formed in 1991 as a membership organization dedicated to working with and assisting Tribes in the protection and preservation of the reservation environment. Site may serve as an avenue for Tribes to network and assure provisions of environmental health are met.
- Office of Tribal Affairs, ATSDR The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recently established the Office of Tribal Affairs (OTA) in response to tribal requests. The OTA will assist with tribal-specific environmental health needs resulting from exposure to hazardous waste sites and pollution, when such services are otherwise not available.
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8. Assure a competent environmental health workforce.
- National Public Health Training Centers Network Distance Learning for the Public Health Workforce - In addition to distance learning programs at schools of public health, there are a number of state and regional leadership programs. These programs, funded by the CDC, Public Health Practice Program Office, were formed through academic and practice collaborations among schools of public health and state public health departments. Many of these programs utilize distance learning technologies.
- Center for Health Leadership A global network and learning community of reflective health leaders committed to improving and sustaining the health of their communities, nations and the planet; to the transformation of organizations and the development of health systems that are community and culturally relevant in achieving this goal; and to the identification and nurturing of the next generation of health leaders.
- Competency Framework Maintained by the Public Health Foundation and sponsored by numerous agencies, this site provides information to assess and meet the development needs of the public health workforce, while further advancing state-of-the-art distance learning and strengthening of public health competencies.
- Environmental health non-technical competencies for the workforce. Provides broadly accepted guidelines and recommendations to local public health leaders on the core non-technical competencies needed by local environmental health practitioners working in local health departments, to strengthen their capacities to anticipate, recognize, and respond to environmental health challenges.
- Environmental Health Support Center (EHSC) The Environmental Health Support Center (EHSC) of the IHS provides training and technical support to the Indian Health Service's Office of Environmental Engineering programs. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, EHSC provides services on a national basis to all twelve Indian Health Service Areas and to Tribal and Alaska Native groups.
- IHS Training List Excellent list of courses offered to IHS personnel and Tribes.
- National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Site provides access to the association's seven national credentialing programs (the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS), the Certified Environmental Health Technician (CEHT), the Registered Hazardous Substances Professional (RHSP), the Registered Hazardous Substances Specialist (RHSS), the Registered Environmental Technician (RET), the Certified Food Safety Professional (CFSP), the NEHA Radon Proficiency Program).NEHA also offers web-based training courses.
- CDC Learning Connection Site provides a national learning network to access public health learning products.
- Supercourse - Epidemiology, the internet, and global health Supercourse is a global repository of lectures on public health and prevention targeting educators across the world. Supercourse has a network of over 56000 scientists in 174 countries who are sharing for free a library of over 5100 lectures.
- The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) ITEP is an organization that provides assistance to Indian tribes through education, training, information services, intergovernmental relations, and environmental program development. Established in 1992 with a vision to assist Indian Tribes in the management of their environmental resources through effective training and education programs.
- Training Finder Maintained by the Public Health Foundation and sponsored by numerous agencies, this site provides information to assess and meet the development needs of the public health workforce, while further advancing state-of-the-art distance learning and strengthening of public health competencies.
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9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based environmental health services.
- CDC National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP) A surveillance instrument and a rapid assessment tool to provide local, state, and federal public health officials with a snapshot of local public health capacity and performance. Standards are also relevant to environmental health capacity and instruments can be adapted for tribal use.
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10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to environmental health and protection problems.
- EPA's Innovations Project Site provides update of EPA's integrative regulatory approaches, which emphasize voluntary actions that encourage environmental stewardship, plus links to innovative programs managed by EPA Regional offices.
- EPA's Research and Development Updates pertaining to latest research activities and information of available grants in this area.
- National Network of Public Health Institutes The National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) is a national membership network with the mission of promoting multisector activities resulting in measurable improvements of public health structures, systems, and outcomes. NNPHI is dedicated to the vision of improving public health through innovation and serves over 30 public health institutes around the nation, as well as a growing number of emerging institutes
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