DPH Volunteer Training Day 2024

Registration and a light breakfast.

Opening remarks, explanation of MA public health volunteer programs.

The Art of Perception: See What Matters is a keynote presentation that engages professionals working in emergency response and disaster preparedness and uses works of art as tools to enhance their assessment, communication, and critical response skills. In a highly participatory, fast moving, and visual presentation, participants will assess their own perception and communication skills when exchanging critical information in a demanding environment. Specifically designed to address the abilities necessary to communicate concisely and effectively, enhance visual acuity, and shift situational awareness, the presentation uses paintings, sculptures, and photographs to dismantle biases and long-held assumptions that impede collective decision making and diminish effective response. The overarching objective of The Art of Perception is to provide attendees—individually and collectively—with a renewed sense of critical inquiry and self-perception that will be instrumental in developing their problem-solving strategies, crisis management skills, and, most importantly, more effective, and successful communication.


About Amy: 
Amy Herman, a lawyer and art historian, uses works of art to sharpen observation, analysis, and communication skills. By showing people how to look closely at painting, sculpture, and photography, she helps them hone their visual intelligence to recognize the most pertinent and useful information as well as recognize biases that impede decision making. She developed her Art of Perception seminar in 2000 to improve medical students’ observation and communication skills with their patients when she was the Head of Education at The Frick Collection in New York City. She subsequently adapted the program for a wide range of professionals and leads sessions internationally for the New York City Police Department, the FBI, the French National Police, the Department of Defense, Interpol, the State Department, Fortune 500 companies, first responders, retailers, and the military. In her highly participatory presentation, she demonstrates the necessity for astute visual literacy and how the analysis of works of art affords participants an innovative way to refresh their sense of critical inquiry and skills necessary for sharper performance and effective leadership. The program has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The CBS Evening News, and Smithsonian Magazine, among others. Her TED talk, A Lesson on Looking, went live in December 2018. Ms. Herman holds an A.B., a J.D., and an M.A. in art history. Her book, Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life, was published in May 2016 and was on both the New York Times and Washington Post best sellers’ lists. Her second book, Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem- Solving was published in December 2021. Her third book, smART: Use Your Eyes to Boost Your Brain, was published in October 2022.

This session will provide an overview of the ShowMe tool—a versatile communication aid designed to facilitate clearer interaction during emergencies. Participants will learn how ShowMe supports volunteers in delivering or gathering critical information effectively with individuals who may experience communication barriers such as difficulty hearing, speaking, or understanding information or instructions in various crisis settings. Discover how to integrate this tool into your emergency preparedness strategy to ensure no one is left behind during a disaster. Show Me | Mass.gov

This presentation provides an overview of how MEMA accomplishes its mission to ensure the state is prepared to withstand, respond to and recover from all types of emergencies and disasters.  It will look at MEMA’s operations during “blue sky” days as well as disasters.  Participants gain an understanding of MEMA’s operations and where public health volunteers are part of the emergency response operation at the local level.”

About Bonnie: Bonnie Roy joined the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) in 2003. She is currently the Regional Manager for MEMA Region West. She is a graduate of UMASS-Amherst and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Geology and a Master’s in GeoSciences with a specialty in Natural Hazards. Prior to working for MEMA, she served eight years in the U.S. Coast Guard.

This 1-hour session includes:

• Effective Communication Strategies: Explore ways that Alzheimer’s and other dementias affect an individual’s ability to communicate across different stages, and get tips to better communicate with people living with the disease.
• Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia: Learn basic information on the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, stages, risk factors, research and FDA-approved treatments.

This presentation explores the psychological phenomena of implicit and explicit bias and the impact of bias on decision making and behavior. The presentation will focus on how bias can lead to discriminatory treatment of others and methods for mitigating its harmful impacts.

About the Presenters:
Tom Robbins, J.D.
Tom retired after a 27-year career with the Massachusetts State Police and served ten years as Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police for the Boston University Police Department. Prior to joining the state police, he served three years active duty in the United States Marine Corps. Tom held many positions within the State Police, the largest police force in New England, culminating in being named Colonel/Superintendent of the State Police by Governor Mitt Romney. Tom served as the Commandant of the Massachusetts State Police Academy for two years where he oversaw the development of the state police’s first racial profiling and biased policing training program that served as a model for the entire law enforcement community of the state.

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Tom was asked by the Governor of Massachusetts to take over as the Director of Aviation Security for Logan International Airport. During his tenure as Director of Security he developed many security firsts for Logan Airport leading to the airport being recognized as a national leader in aviation security. Many of these security initiatives were adopted by airports across the country. Among the security initiatives developed under Tom’s leadership was the Behavioral Assessment Screening System (BASS) designed to detect persons about to engage in terrorist attacks. This program was the first of its kind in the country and was adopted by the TSA for use at all nations commercial airports.

Tom holds a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School and has been admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an attorney for over three decades.

Peter DiDomenica, J.D. 
Peter served as a Massachusetts State Police officer for twenty-three years, retiring as a lieutenant in August 2010. He worked for Boston University Police Department for nine years as a lieutenant where he commanded the detective division and served as accreditation manager and policy advisor to the chief of police. His previous State Police assignments included serving as a supervisory investigator in the State Police Major Crime Unit and as Director of Legal Training at the Massachusetts State Police Academy. In his last assignment with the State Police he served as a lieutenant and staff member in the Office of the Superintendent where he was a subject matter expert and trainer on racial profiling and biased policing.

After the 9/11 attacks Peter served as the Director of Security Policy at Boston Logan International airport where he developed innovative anti-terrorism programs including creation of the behavior based screening program adopted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) known as Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques or “SPOT”. He developed the Behavior Assessment Screening System (BASS) and Hostile Intent Detection and Evaluation (HIDE) as terrorist interdiction programs based on behavior and statement analysis that he has delivered to over 4,000 police and security officers in over 100 agencies on the federal, state, and local level in the U.S., Singapore, Canada, and U.K.

He has served as a subject matter expert on behavior analysis for the U.S. Army, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and National Science Foundation. He has been a lecturer on terrorism related issues for the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, DHS, and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigations Task Force. Peter has served on the adjunct faculty of Anna Maria College, Western New England University and Boston University Metropolitan College in their criminal justice programs. He holds a Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law and has been admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth for nearly three decades.

The session on risk communication and emergency management begins by defining the importance of effective communication during crises. It explores the challenges during times of emergency, and the need for clear, transparent messaging amidst uncertainty and skepticism. Best practices in risk communication are emphasized, including leveraging diverse communication channels, tailoring messages to different audiences, and engaging with local stakeholders. It is not a “one size fits all approach.” An example stemming from climate change illustrates these concepts, showcasing successful strategies used in a climate-related emergency. The session concludes with a Q&A, encouraging participants to share their experiences and emphasizing the critical role of proactive risk communication in building community resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.
 
About Chris:
Christopher Gloninger has worked as a broadcast meteorologist since 2006, having earned his BS in meteorology from Plymouth State University; he also was awarded his Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) accreditation from The American Meteorological Society. Chris has worked at Rochester and Albany, New York; Saginaw, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Boston, Massachusetts, and Des Moines, Iowa. During his career, Chris has forecast and covered all types of weather: hurricanes, blizzards, flooding, historic ice floes. Over his career, he has been awarded three EMMYs, two NBC GEM awards and Wisconsin Broadcaster awards.

During his time in Boston, Chris earned his MS in Emergency Management and Risk Communication from Millersville University in Pennsylvania. He also began the nation’s first weekly Climate Change broadcast. He hosted a weekly online Q&A with some of Boston’s top scientists; all to bring attention to climate change.

Chris was recruited to become Chief Meteorologist in Des Moines, Iowa because of this ability to tie weather patterns to climate change with facts and statistics. However, climate deniers did not approve of his coverage, and Chris received death threats and decided it was time for a career change. Chris had been working for Arcadis in climate mitigation and resilience taking on many different roles as needed. More recently he earned his CCM (Certified Consulting Meteorologist) accreditation from the American Meteorological Society. With his diverse background, Chris returned to Massachusetts to work with Woods Hole Group on climate solutions and climate risk communication.

Psychological First Aid has long been established as the gold standard of disaster responses. Created by a global team of experts, it is the only intervention endorsed by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. government (FEMA/MEMA) for use in the aftermath of traumatic events.

The goal of this training is to present participants with basic behavioral health disaster response skills following large-scale disasters or critical incidents, such as homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, and similarly distressing events.
Participants will be presented with the evolution of efforts to assist survivors following trauma and provided with an overview of the human stress response and how it affects the choice of interventions used with distressed individuals.

This session will provide an overview of the ShowMe tool—a versatile communication aid designed to facilitate clearer interaction during emergencies. Participants will learn how ShowMe supports volunteers in delivering or gathering critical information effectively with individuals who may experience communication barriers such as difficulty hearing, speaking, or understanding information or instructions in various crisis settings. Discover how to integrate this tool into your emergency preparedness strategy to ensure no one is left behind during a disaster. Show Me | Mass.gov

Dive into the essential principles and protocols that form the backbone of effective incident management. This unified session provides an overview of the Incident Command System (ICS 100) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS 700), highlighting their synergies and their distinct roles in crafting a coordinated response to emergencies and disasters. Participants will gain insight into the fundamentals of NIMS, resource management, and the structure and roles within ICS. By understanding how the overall incident is managed, DPH/OPEM volunteers will be better equipped to operate cohesively and effectively in their role. Join us for an engaging training session that will solidify your understanding and preparedness to act when it matters most.

This one hour interactive course provides a high-level introduction to basic shelter operations. This course was developed in collaboration with MEMA, MA Department of Public Health, DelValle Institute, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and the Western Region Homeland Security Council to provide a common vision and guiding principles to improve shelter coordination, support, and information sharing across the Commonwealth.

Main Topics Covered in this Course Include:

• Defining a Shelter
• Types of Shelters
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Operational Guidelines

Initially funded through a National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) 2013 grant, Emergency Pet Sheltering for Volunteers was developed for Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Volunteers. The original collaborators included David J. Schwartz, D.V.M. from the State of Massachusetts Animal Resource Team (SMART), Lisa C. Kaufman, ATR-BC, LADC1 a Behavioral Health, Emergency Planning Consultant who was then employed as a Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Region 5 Planner, a MDPH Region 5 MRC Unit, and a local Animal Control Officer. The 2-part trainings, Level 1 and Level 2, were developed to:

• Fill a training gap for volunteers responding to emergency/disaster shelter events.
• Provide a standardized set of skills for the safety of the volunteers and the pets in an emergency/disaster shelter situation.
• Create a cache of volunteers who are trained with standardized, identifiable emergency/disaster pet sheltering skill sets.
• David and Lisa recently collaborated again. Focusing on current best practices, they brought the trainings up to date, and have made them available to all volunteers who may find themselves deployed during an emergency/disaster sheltering event. The overview addresses the history of Emergency/Disaster Pet Sheltering, key training objectives of the 2-part series, where Volunteers fit into planning and response, and some fundamental elements of both the Level 1 and Level 2 trainings.

Presented by Lisa C. Kaufman, LADC1, ATR-BC
Behavioral Health, Emergency Planning Consultant
Assistant Coordinator, Duxbury Bay Area Regional Medical Reserve Corps

**this session is being offered to MRC Unit Leaders Only.

Artful Perception: New Lenses for Leadership is an interactive breakout session that teaches leaders to use works of art to sharpen their communication and problem-solving skills. Designed to support those who create and implement emergency response and protocols, the workshop focuses on articulating ideas that promote innovation, efficiency, and diversity of perspectives. Works of art are engaged to address breakdowns in communication of critical information, navigate new landscapes, and remove assumptions to promote best practices and more effective problem-solving in myriad areas of critical response. The session will challenge participants’ biases --- individually and as part of a leadership team -- and refresh critical inquiry skills by incorporating diverse perspectives into their thinking and decision making. In light of the pandemic’s shift in situational awareness, the program’s exercises are designed to meet leaders’ challenges of shifting priorities and reconsider their ability to communicate effectively in the face of change.

This presentation explores the psychological phenomena of implicit and explicit bias and the impact of bias on decision making and behavior. The presentation will focus on how bias can lead to discriminatory treatment of others and methods for mitigating its harmful impacts.

About the Presenters:
Tom Robbins, J.D.
Tom retired after a 27-year career with the Massachusetts State Police and served ten years as Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police for the Boston University Police Department. Prior to joining the state police, he served three years active duty in the United States Marine Corps. Tom held many positions within the State Police, the largest police force in New England, culminating in being named Colonel/Superintendent of the State Police by Governor Mitt Romney. Tom served as the Commandant of the Massachusetts State Police Academy for two years where he oversaw the development of the state police’s first racial profiling and biased policing training program that served as a model for the entire law enforcement community of the state.

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Tom was asked by the Governor of Massachusetts to take over as the Director of Aviation Security for Logan International Airport. During his tenure as Director of Security he developed many security firsts for Logan Airport leading to the airport being recognized as a national leader in aviation security. Many of these security initiatives were adopted by airports across the country. Among the security initiatives developed under Tom’s leadership was the Behavioral Assessment Screening System (BASS) designed to detect persons about to engage in terrorist attacks. This program was the first of its kind in the country and was adopted by the TSA for use at all nations commercial airports.

Tom holds a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School and has been admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an attorney for over three decades.

Peter DiDomenica, J.D.
Peter served as a Massachusetts State Police officer for twenty-three years, retiring as a lieutenant in August 2010. He worked for Boston University Police Department for nine years as a lieutenant where he commanded the detective division and served as accreditation manager and policy advisor to the chief of police. His previous State Police assignments included serving as a supervisory investigator in the State Police Major Crime Unit and as Director of Legal Training at the Massachusetts State Police Academy. In his last assignment with the State Police, he served as a lieutenant and staff member in the Office of the Superintendent where he was a subject matter expert and trainer on racial profiling and biased policing.

After the 9/11 attacks Peter served as the Director of Security Policy at Boston Logan International airport where he developed innovative anti-terrorism programs including creation of the behavior-based screening program adopted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) known as Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques or “SPOT”. He developed the Behavior Assessment Screening System (BASS) and Hostile Intent Detection and Evaluation (HIDE) as terrorist interdiction programs based on behavior and statement analysis that he has delivered to over 4,000 police and security officers in over 100 agencies on the federal, state, and local level in the U.S., Singapore, Canada, and U.K.

He has served as a subject matter expert on behavior analysis for the U.S. Army, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and National Science Foundation. He has been a lecturer on terrorism related issues for the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, DHS, and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigations Task Force. Peter has served on the adjunct faculty of Anna Maria College, Western New England University and Boston University Metropolitan College in their criminal justice programs. He holds a Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law and has been admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth for nearly three decades.

This one hour interactive course provides a high-level introduction to basic shelter operations. This course was developed in collaboration with MEMA, MA Department of Public Health, DelValle Institute, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and the Western Region Homeland Security Council to provide a common vision and guiding principles to improve shelter coordination, support, and information sharing across the Commonwealth.

Main Topics Covered in this Course Include:

• Defining a Shelter
• Types of Shelters
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Operational Guidelines

Dive into the essential principles and protocols that form the backbone of effective incident management. This unified session provides an overview of the Incident Command System (ICS 100) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS 700), highlighting their synergies and their distinct roles in crafting a coordinated response to emergencies and disasters. Participants will gain insight into the fundamentals of NIMS, resource management, and the structure and roles within ICS. By understanding how the overall incident is managed, DPH/OPEM volunteers will be better equipped to operate cohesively and effectively in their role. Join us for an engaging training session that will solidify your understanding and preparedness to act when it matters most.

Come hear a panel of parents of children with special healthcare needs discuss their preparedness activities and needs in emergencies and disasters. Facilitated by the Massachusetts Emergency Medical Services for Children program, this panel will touch on caring for these children during day-to-day emergencies, during evacuations, and in-shelters. This panel is intended for health care providers or those who may staff a shelter in a disaster, though all are welcome!

Initially funded through a National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) 2013 grant, Emergency Pet Sheltering for Volunteers was developed for Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Volunteers. The original collaborators included David J. Schwartz, D.V.M. from the State of Massachusetts Animal Resource Team (SMART), Lisa C. Kaufman, ATR-BC, LADC1 a Behavioral Health, Emergency Planning Consultant who was then employed as a Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Region 5 Planner, a MDPH Region 5 MRC Unit, and a local Animal Control Officer. The 2-part trainings, Level 1 and Level 2, were developed to:

• Fill a training gap for volunteers responding to emergency/disaster shelter events.
• Provide a standardized set of skills for the safety of the volunteers and the pets in an emergency/disaster shelter situation.
• Create a cache of volunteers who are trained with standardized, identifiable emergency/disaster pet sheltering skill sets.
• David and Lisa recently collaborated again. Focusing on current best practices, they brought the trainings up to date, and have made them available to all volunteers who may find themselves deployed during an emergency/disaster sheltering event. The overview addresses the history of Emergency/Disaster Pet Sheltering, key training objectives of the 2-part series, where Volunteers fit into planning and response, and some fundamental elements of both the Level 1 and Level 2 trainings.

About the Presenter: 
Lisa C. Kaufman, LADC1, ATR-BC
Behavioral Health, Emergency Planning Consultant
Assistant Coordinator, Duxbury Bay Area Regional Medical Reserve Corps

The session on risk communication and emergency management begins by defining the importance of effective communication during crises. It explores the challenges during times of emergency, and the need for clear, transparent messaging amidst uncertainty and skepticism. Best practices in risk communication are emphasized, including leveraging diverse communication channels, tailoring messages to different audiences, and engaging with local stakeholders. It is not a “one size fits all approach.” An example stemming from climate change illustrates these concepts, showcasing successful strategies used in a climate-related emergency. The session concludes with a Q&A, encouraging participants to share their experiences and emphasizing the critical role of proactive risk communication in building community resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.
 
About Chris:
Christopher Gloninger has worked as a broadcast meteorologist since 2006, having earned his BS in meteorology from Plymouth State University; he also was awarded his Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) accreditation from The American Meteorological Society. Chris has worked at Rochester and Albany, New York; Saginaw, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Boston, Massachusetts, and Des Moines, Iowa. During his career, Chris has forecast and covered all types of weather: hurricanes, blizzards, flooding, historic ice floes. Over his career, he has been awarded three EMMYs, two NBC GEM awards and Wisconsin Broadcaster awards.

During his time in Boston, Chris earned his MS in Emergency Management and Risk Communication from Millersville University in Pennsylvania. He also began the nation’s first weekly Climate Change broadcast. He hosted a weekly online Q&A with some of Boston’s top scientists; all to bring attention to climate change.

Chris was recruited to become Chief Meteorologist in Des Moines, Iowa because of this ability to tie weather patterns to climate change with facts and statistics. However, climate deniers did not approve of his coverage, and Chris received death threats and decided it was time for a career change. Chris had been working for Arcadis in climate mitigation and resilience taking on many different roles as needed. More recently he earned his CCM (Certified Consulting Meteorologist) accreditation from the American Meteorological Society. With his diverse background, Chris returned to Massachusetts to work with Woods Hole Group on climate solutions and climate risk communication.

Opening remarks, explanation of MA public health volunteer programs.