Marshfield Clinic Recovery Corps present on AmeriCorps service during National Public Health Week webinar

April 4, 2024

As part of the celebration of National Public Health Week during the first week of April, Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Recovery Corps helped lead a nationwide webinar organized by the American Public Health Association. MCHS Recovery Corps AmeriCorps member Jennifer Podeweltz and program director Meagan Barnett were featured speakers one the session entitled Innovative Workforce Solutions: Lessons Learned from Public Health AmeriCorps. 

They discussed how the program’s AmeriCorps members serve as recovery coaches assisting individuals with substance abuse disorders, often drawing upon their own personal experiences. Megan Barnett reflected on this, explaining that “having someone from the community who understands those unique features and barriers is really important. Lived experience is really valuable because you are helping other people go along that journey."

Jennifer and Meagan shared about their experience in the webinar, which focused on best practices in recruiting, training and nurturing early-career public health professionals from Public Health AmeriCorps. With public health facing a workforce crisis, the webinar discussed ways to help grow local talent and build pathways for community members to join the field of public health and become critical, trusted messengers for their community.

Jennifer explained that “when I came into my position, I didn't have any experience in public health. If you have a passion for helping people, they (Public Health AmeriCorps). can get you there.” She reflected on her overall experience, saying “on top of the experiences of working with peers, it's working with other coaches and learning from them. It's amazing to see the transformation in myself in the past two years.”

Webinar Recording: Innovative Workforce Solutions: Lessons learned from Public Health AmeriCorps.