Building Public Health Workforce Resilience: Integrating research, theory and practice
1
Awen Consulting Services (Public Health Consultant), New York, United States
2
Option Unlimited JR Consulting (Public Health Consultant)), Fort Lauderdale, United States
3
Cadence Consulting (Public Health Consultant & Coaching), San Diego, United States
4
University of Texas, Austin, United States
5
Yuba Harm Reduction Collective, Nevada City, United States
6
PDA, Seattle, United States
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
We are seeing increasing workforce stressors on public health workers as they attempt to offer evidence-based services. Rejection of science and changes in government health policies create confusion and misinformation among communities they serve. They have experienced, at best, a reduction in engagement and, at worst, threats and attacks. This threatens the sustainability of public health-based programs and its workforce. Harm Reduction Workers in the field of HIV, HCV, and overdose prevention have worked under such conditions for decades. This presentation aims to 1) map multi-level occupational stressors, and 2) outline practical interventions at organizational, team, and individual levels to build staff resilience, increase retention and reduce burnout.
METHODS:
Drawing from recent research from the University of Texas regarding staff stressors and burnout for this sector of the workforce and from facilitated conversations at the 2025 International Harm Reduction Conference in Colombia, and 2025 & 2026 Florida/Southern Harm Reduction conferences, this session will provide a review of research and documentary evidence alongside practical interventions. This presentation uses diverse sources of data including from peer-reviewed scientific literature and coded included articles according to a multi-level model of occupational stress to identify stressors. We also facilitated workshops at national and international conferences with frontline workers and organizational leaders about resilience strategies.
RESULTS:
Using information outlined above, we will explore how organizations can use this evidence and resulting policy/practice guidance to increase intentionality in approaches to staff wellbeing. We will provide case studies of programs that have successfully addressed such needs alongside options and tools for organizations to use.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our goal is to share learning from the experiences of public health workers to inform how we can better support staff to build resilience, stay connected to their work, and continue to provide essential services their communities need and deserve.
We are seeing increasing workforce stressors on public health workers as they attempt to offer evidence-based services. Rejection of science and changes in government health policies create confusion and misinformation among communities they serve. They have experienced, at best, a reduction in engagement and, at worst, threats and attacks. This threatens the sustainability of public health-based programs and its workforce. Harm Reduction Workers in the field of HIV, HCV, and overdose prevention have worked under such conditions for decades. This presentation aims to 1) map multi-level occupational stressors, and 2) outline practical interventions at organizational, team, and individual levels to build staff resilience, increase retention and reduce burnout.
METHODS:
Drawing from recent research from the University of Texas regarding staff stressors and burnout for this sector of the workforce and from facilitated conversations at the 2025 International Harm Reduction Conference in Colombia, and 2025 & 2026 Florida/Southern Harm Reduction conferences, this session will provide a review of research and documentary evidence alongside practical interventions. This presentation uses diverse sources of data including from peer-reviewed scientific literature and coded included articles according to a multi-level model of occupational stress to identify stressors. We also facilitated workshops at national and international conferences with frontline workers and organizational leaders about resilience strategies.
RESULTS:
Using information outlined above, we will explore how organizations can use this evidence and resulting policy/practice guidance to increase intentionality in approaches to staff wellbeing. We will provide case studies of programs that have successfully addressed such needs alongside options and tools for organizations to use.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our goal is to share learning from the experiences of public health workers to inform how we can better support staff to build resilience, stay connected to their work, and continue to provide essential services their communities need and deserve.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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