Technical Assistance & Training

What is the program?

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network Circuit-Rider program partners with you and your tribal community to provide customized, on-site, healthy homes training (see examples on back side). We principally train tribes across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska, but with special arrangements, we also train tribes across the country. Since 2008, we have worked side-by-side with tribes and reached over 150 tribal professionals through this program, including:

• tribal housing, construction and resident-services staff
• maintenance crews
• tribal environmental, air quality and IGAP staff
• teachers and caregivers in tribal schools and early childhood learning facilities
• clinicians, nurses and community health workers in tribal health care
• custodial staff

How does it work?

Once you contact us to initiate a training request, we will work with you to design a curriculum that meets your training needs and arrange logistics. Your workshop lasts anywhere from a 4- hour to an 8-hour session, to two full days, depending on the number of different departments you would like trained. Prior to your training, we connect you with EPA, HUD and healthy home professionals to ensure we are bringing you the best available science and the most current resources.

Is there a cost?

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network covers up to 8 hours of on-site training time, at no cost to your tribe. Travel expenses for our trainers are typically paid for by the host tribe. However, tribes have also used HUD grants, EPA grants, and HUD technical assistance funding to cover all of the training cost

How do we get started?

To begin the process, please contact Aileen Gagney, THHN’s Circuit-Rider Trainer and Coordinator, at agagney@thhnw.org, or by phone: (206) 290-5548

THHN’S CIRCUIT-RIDER TRAINING TOPICS

Examples of Training Topics

Healthy Homes Introduction

Best Practices for Prevention of Mold & Water Damage

Building Sciences and Indoor Air Quality

Healthy Homes for Residents & Tenants (AIR MATTERS Program)

Integrated Pest Management

Green Cleaning, Household Products and Health Effects

Asthma Home Visit Programs: Environmental Checklists and the Assessment Process

Key Elements Covered

Covers the full range of indoor air quality contaminants, from sources to health effects to best practices for prevention and remediation of hazards

Covers the specific materials, construction practices and maintenance issues that contribute to water damage and subsequent mold contamination. Covers use of flashing, insulation, ventilation, air sealing, microbial assessment, and containment.

Covers principles of building science including air movement, ventilation, heating and cooling. Includes in-depth coverage of healthy home and green building practices.

Covers Air Matters resident education program and toolkits, which include green cleaning kit, mold removal kit, microfiber cloth, non-toxic pest trap, dust mite pillow cover, radon test kit, temperature and humidity gauge, chimney thermometer, moisture meter, carbon monoxide alarm, lead test kit and cue cards.

Covers environmentally friendly, common sense approaches to controlling pests. Focus is identifying, monitoring and preventing to achieve pesticide use as a last resort.

Covers the health effects of common cleaning and household products, including but not limited to cleansers, bleach, air fresheners, dryer sheets, perfumes, colognes, solvents, paints, etc. Includes training on effective and less expensive alternatives.

Covers the indoor air assessment component of asthma home visit programs. Includes developing customized indoor air quality (IAQ) checklists for health aides or air quality staff to utilize with home visit programs. Includes training on how to perform the IAQ assessment.

Target Audiences

· Construction crews
· Maintenance crews
· Inspectors/Assessors
· Air Quality, IGAP staff
· Nurses, Health Aides
· Educators

· Construction crews
· Maintenance crews
· Inspectors/Assessors
· Air Quality, IGAP staff

· Construction crews
· Procurement staff
· Maintenance crews
· Inspectors/Assessors

· Resident Services Staff
· Housing Maintenance
· Air Quality, IGAP staff
· Nurses, Health Aides
· Educators

· Custodial crews
· Maintenance crews
· Landscape crews
· Grounds maintenance

· Custodial crews
· Maintenance crews
· School nurses
· School custodians

· Air Quality, IGAP staff
· Nurses, Health Aides
· Educators