Leadership for Public Health Crises Specialization

This course will introduce you to basic concepts of emergency management, planning, and crisis risk communication. You will understand the definitions of and operational challenges associated with disasters and public health emergencies. You will identify important components of risk communication, and you will identify and evaluate the ways social characteristics shape vulnerabilities to crises and health outcomes. In completing this course, you will begin to learn about the nature of different kinds of extreme events and the disruptions they can cause for communities affected by them. You will learn about how to approach the planning process. You will also explore the ways extreme events can be felt differently by different members within our communities. Finally, you will go over important considerations in crafting messages about risks. As you go through the course, you will apply your knowledge of these principles in assignments which ask you to consider how you would approach the crisis risk communication planning process for your organization or community.

Public health communicators have a duty to communicate health information with integrity, accuracy, and clarity. For messaging to be most effective, public health communicators must help their audiences draw meaningful connections with the information being shared, and connect with them in ways that foster trust and credibility.

This course emphasizes how public health communicators can segment their audiences into smaller groups, thereby allowing them to tailor messages to each group's unique needs. You will explore how public health communicators recognize and overcome underlying biases, assumptions, and stereotypes to create messaging that is rooted in empathy, as well as leverage persuasive communication strategies to frame and deliver messages in ways that appeal to audiences’ core values. You will learn to approach media interviews with confidence, adjust your communication strategy in the moment, and center your focus on your audiences and their needs.