MEMBER UPDATE

REVIEW OF RECREATIONAL CAMP CODE

UPDATES FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

As of March 1, there is a revised recreational camp code in effect. Come learn what that means for your inspections this summer! DPH Community Sanitation Program Field Supervisor Kerry Wagner will lead us through the changes to 105 CMR 430 on Thursday April 4, 10 AM-12 PM online. Note that due to DPH rules, this webinar will NOT be recorded. You must attend on April 4th to participate.

2 CEUs will be provided to those who request them.

Pre-registration is required:

Follow this link https://bit.ly/3uG8wNc or take a photo with your smart phone of the QR code in the photo of the flyer below.



Click here to download the flyer

Important Training This Saturday!

Annual Mass Association of Health Boards Certificate Program at the Delaney House in Holyoke!

Featuring sessions for Health Directors, Agents, Inspectors, Board of Health Members and BOH Clerks on:

• The legal authority of a board of health -- including passing local regulations
• Synthetic THC
• PFAS
• Migrants and Public Health
• DPH PHE Shared Services Program
• How to hold a public hearing
• Open Meeting Law, Public Records Law
• and more!

Click here to download the agenda: March 16 Agenda

Register here: https://www.mahb.org/2024-certificate-program-3-2/

Massachusetts Municipal Opioid Abatement Conference: March 19-20 Online

Hosted by the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) and Care Massachusetts: Opioid Abatement Partnership, the BSAS-sponsored training and technical service provider for opioid abatement. 

This inaugural conference is intended to connect municipalities to the resources and tools needed to uphold the requirements of the State Subdivision Agreement. 

Panelists include people from across the Commonwealth with expertise in opioid prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. 

Visit the website to learn more about the presenters and topics or register online. Registration is free and open for both days. 

Visit the Care Massachusetts website to learn more about the kinds of help available to your community. 

Day One | March 19, 2024 | 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

Day Two | March 20, 2024 | 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear from state partners, learn what’s happening in other municipalities, and gain access to resources that will support the opioid abatement work taking place in your community. 

WMPHA JOB BOARD

Send your postings to walker@frcog.org for inclusion.

• Athol Health Agent
• Health Inspectors (two openings) for Central Pioneer Valley Health District (Chicopee, South Hadley, Holyoke) 
• Great Barrington Health Inspector
• Berkshire Regional Planning Commission Public Health Nurse Educator
• Berkshire Regional Planning Commission Public Health Community Social Worker



February Power Hour Workshop Materials



Over 150 people joined us for the Franklin/Hampshire Field Training Hub & WMPHA's "How to Write a Housing Order To Correct" training this week! If you missed the training, you can find the video and materials shared, along with materials from all of our workshops, at the WMPHA Seminars Page

MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR TRAINING (PHIT) UPDATE

The Office of Local and Regional Health is in the middle of the first round of the updated classroom-based MA PHIT Food and MA PHIT Housing Refresher trainings. More dates are slated to be announced soon. These trainings are required for all inspectors/agents/directors that are part of a PHE grant and conduct food or housing inspections.  Both MA PHIT Housing and MA PHIT Food require a set of pre-requisites to be started prior to enrollment. The pre-requisites for both food and housing can be found here. The pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to requesting field training from your Training Hub.

Additional state trainings for Camps, Pools, and Septic work will be developed in the coming year and follow a similar process.

Missed a previous WMPHA Training Event?

Click here to see recordings and materials from recent workshops.



Sincerely,

The WMPHA Executive Committee:

·       Sharon Hart/South Hadley, President

·       Gerri Swanson/Southampton, Vice President

·       Bri Dupras/Franklin/Hampshire Field Training Hub, Treasurer

·       Phoebe Walker/FRCOG

·       Tom FitzGerald/Retired, Secretary

·       Laura Kittross/BRPC

·       Ryan Paxton/Montague

·     Tom Hibert/Southwick

·       Rebecca Jurzcyk/Great Barrington

·      Tammy Spencer/East Longmeadow

·     Charlie Kaniecki, Hatfield

·     Randy White, Retired, Ex Officio