The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) has launched The Policy Academy to teach public employees —especially those working in the fields of STDs, HIV, and sexual health — and their partners how to safely engage in policy and educate policymakers. The program helps participants gain the skills to use policy to address public health problems.
Through five online modules, health department STD and HIV programs and their partners can:
- Learn how to safely engage in policy work and policymaker education.
- Gain skills to address public health programs through policy change
- Develop messages that resonate with department and government officials
- Understand how to build coalitions for policy education
In addition to provision of one-on-one technical assistance throughout the Policy Academy, NCSD is available to assist participants with activities such as, in-state briefings, factsheet creation, and messaging development. All Policy Academy activities are designed to give public employees the tools to safely engage in state policy activities.
The Policy Academy begins January 2018. Visit NCSD’s site for the full schedule and more details. If you are interested in participating, please contact NCSD’s Manager of State Policy, Taryn Couture, by December 15.
