Building a Resilient Public Health Workforce

Session Overview

Local public health professionals face compounding demands: emergency response, workforce shortages, burnout, and shifting expectations. Research is clear that individual coping programs alone won’t close the gap. The organizational conditions shaping a department’s capacity have to change too.

In this Plenary Session from NACCHO360 2026, local health officials share practical, evidence-informed approaches to workforce wellbeing, resilience, and culture, plus how scalable digital self-care extends support beyond employee assistance programs. Attendees leave with replicable models they can adapt.

What You’ll Learn

• New national data on mental health across the public health workforce
• The primary drivers of strain and their effect on capacity, effectiveness, and mission delivery
• Evidence-informed strategies organizations are using to improve wellbeing at scale, with real examples
• Digital self-care tools and resilience techniques that extend support when EAP and clinical resources fall short
• Practical techniques for sustaining your own resilience and your team’s health over time

Speakers