Get Ready, Be Safe, Stay Healthy: A Holistic Approach to Community Resilience
Abstract | Presenter Information | Presentation Materials
Abstract
Get Ready, Be Safe, Stay Healthy (RSH) is the community preparedness program developed in 2013 by the Boston Public Health Commission’s (BPHC) Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP). RSH builds on traditional emergency preparedness models and focuses on building public health and health resilience in our communities.
The program includes three main focus areas: 1) Get Ready, which teaches residents how to access the information, plans, practice, and supplies they need to prepare for all types of emergencies; 2) Be Safe, which aims to increase our resident’s knowledge about potential emergencies, and develop the skills to keep each other safe before and after emergencies to prevent injury and illness; and 3) Stay Healthy, which focuses on providing information and resources to help residents improve their health before, during, and after an emergency to create better health outcomes for themselves and their loved ones. Educational content previously developed for the program, includes an online training module, community workshop training materials, train-the-trainer workshop materials, as well as resources and handouts for community workshop attendees. The material is modular and can be taught as a full workshop or as separate, more focused modules.
During this session, attendees learned about the core concepts of the RSH program as well as the key messages that are shared throughout the content. Presenters walked through the development of the program, discussed best practices for implementing a similar program, and shared educational content and resources that have been developed.
Learning Objectives
- Describe emerging practices and theories that can be applied to improve community preparedness and community resilience at the local, state, tribal, and national levels.
- Describe the key concepts Boston Public Health Commission's Get Ready, Be Safe, Stay Healthy community preparedness program.
- Access resources and materials for building community preparedness models in their communities that focus on public health and health.
Presenters
Nancy Smith, BS
Program Manager
Stacey Kokaram, MPH
Director, Office of Public Health Preparedness