UW-Green Bay collaborates with Sheboygan area to offer pilot training program addressing community access & navigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2024

Green Bay, WI — UW-Green Bay is now offering a pilot program designed to educate health and human service professionals, agencies and other engaged individuals in Sheboygan County. The Community Access and Navigation Training Certificate program will educate local community members on breaking down barriers that might impede access to needed services. The goal of the program is to connect individuals with vital county resources to ensure they thrive.

Initiated by Healthy Sheboygan (HSC), UW-Green Bay developed the curriculum with funding provided by HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan. “Our greatest opportunity to improve patient access and improve health outcomes is by better understanding an individual’s drivers of health,” said Justin Selle, President and CEO, HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital. “The Community Access and Navigation Training program will equip providers with the skills needed to develop a patient-centered treatment plan and referrals based on the patient’s unique needs and abilities.”

United Way Sheboygan County is offering sponsorships, and Sheboygan County Public Health Department fully endorses the program, making it a county-wide collaboration.

This dynamic training will integrate online sessions and one required in-person session. Online coursework will be available September 1 through November 8. The required in-person session will take place at the UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus on Friday, November 8, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Participants will network, connect with other local resource providers and discuss how the online content can be put into practice in daily life and what impact it will make on the workplace, clients and community.

“Healthy Sheboygan County is excited to see years’ worth of collaboration and discussions take shape through the Community Access and Navigation Training Certificate program,” said Starrlene Grossman, Health Officer-Public Health Division Manager, Sheboygan County Health and Human Services. “This program will provide a way for Sheboygan County nonprofits and service providers to grow in their knowledge about system navigation and to network across systems to improve referrals and system access issues. This effort will ensure that our local systems of support have the tools they need to connect community members with the help and services they need, when they need them. This program is a direct result of community leaders acknowledging a gap in services and coming together to solve the problem through collective impact.”

The online coursework will include a mix of presentations, discussion boards, videos, quizzes and assessments and cover essential topics, such as:

• Crucial Conversations – Navigate challenging discussions effectively.
• Trauma-Informed Care – Understand trauma and its far-reaching impact.
• Equitable & Inclusive Services – Explore the complexities of working with individuals from underrepresented and diverse backgrounds.
• Customer Service & Wrap-Around Care – Enhance the support and services offered to clients.
• Social Determinants of Health – Identify and address safety concerns within communities.

Julie Preder, Executive Director, Mental Health America-Lakeshore, says, “Assisting individuals with health and social needs to reach their objectives hinges on the presence of community-based health and social resources. Unfortunately, limited access to these resources often results from insufficient awareness of their availability and societal barriers that obstruct an individual’s access. A comprehensive understanding of the navigation process is essential to steer individuals toward the correct resources.”

Completion of the training will earn an exclusive UW-Green Bay digital badge, signaling mastery of the training, shareable on resumes or social media.

To learn more about the Community Access and Navigation Training in Sheboygan County, visit the web site. If you have questions or would like to initiate a similar training program in your county, please contact Program Specialist Melissa Betke at betkem@uwgb.edu.

About UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a school of resilient problem solvers who dare to reach higher with the power of education that ignites growth and answers the biggest challenges. Serving 10,300 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 67,500 continuing education learners annually, UW-Green Bay offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates. With four campus locations in Northeast Wisconsin, the University’s access mission welcomes all students who want to learn, from every corner of the world. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is a university on the rise – Wisconsin’s fastest growing UW. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.

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