Integrating Policies, Systems, and Environments (PSE) Work into FCS Extension Programming: Lessons Learned from A Multi-State Training

Public health efforts have emphasized changes to policies, systems, and environments (PSEs) to improve health behaviors for individuals and communities. Extension has increasingly emphasized these approaches, particularly for the work of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agents. In part, this emphasis on PSEs in Extension has been driven by SNAP-Ed and other federally-funded initiatives, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) High Obesity Programs (HOPs). However, broader adoption and implementation of PSEs at the local level has lagged in some states for various reasons. These include limited understanding about PSE interventions and how this work fits with a traditional Extension emphasis on direct education. To address these issues, faculty and specialists from two states receiving funding from the first round of CDC HOPs planned, designed, and implemented a face-to-face, multi-state, multi-institution PSE training for FCS agents. This paper describes the multi-state training effort and barriers to PSE work in Extension, offers considerations based on lessons learned, and presents recommendations for others seeking to provide similar training.