What training does ATSDR/OTA provide to the American Indian and Alaska Native community?
OTA continually assesses the training needs of tribal communities and develops appropriate training programs to meet identified needs. In 2002, ATSDR worked with Alaska Native tribes to develop an environmental public health training needs assessment to all 235 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes to determine the most needed and applicable training. In response to requests from tribal governments and communities in Alaska to conduct training on ATSDR’s public health assessment process, ATSDR designed and held a 5-day course in Anchorage in February 2003. This course taught the fundamental process used to evaluate exposures to contaminants released from hazardous waste sites. The course content was essentially the same as Basic Course for Health Assessment and Consultation taught each year in Atlanta, but with examples and case studies specific to Alaska. Topics included reviewing environmental sampling data, involving the community in the assessment process, identifying potential
