HIV/STD Training

What type of HIV/STD training opportunities are available through DSHS?

A variety of courses are available for professionals involved in HIV/STD prevention and intervention in Texas. Go here for a listing and description of the courses offered.

When and where are these courses being taught?

The most popular courses are taught regularly throughout the state. Go here for a listing of the upcoming courses.

Are any online courses available?

Yes, several courses are available from both DSHS and other professional health education agencies. Go here for a listing of the currently available online courses.

What other trainings are available to agencies to build capacity to deliver HIV Prevention Services?

There are a number of resources outside of DSHS that provide training and technical assistance. For detailed information about training and technical assistance opportunities and how to request assistance, go here.

What courses are required for DSHS contractors funded to conduct individual, group and/or community level interventions?

For staff new to one or more of the below interventions, the following are required trainings:

Individual Level Interventions:

PBC

• Requires completion of Prevention Groundwork Modules (on-line)
• Requires successful completion of PBC (4 ½ day training)
• If conducting Rapid HIV testing, requires completion of 1 day training (on use of the testing technology and the Rapid protocols)
• May benefit from attending Community Assessment (2-day training) to assist with locating the target population(s)

PBC Supervisors (in addition to the above)

• Supervisors will need to successfully complete Quality Assurance for PBC Supervisor training (1-day training) after completion of PBC training

CRCS

• Requires completion of Prevention Groundwork Modules (on-line)
• Requires successful completion of PBC (4 ½ day training)
• Requires successful completion of Conducting CRCS in Texas training (3 day training)
• May benefit from attending Community Assessment (2-day training) to assist with locating the target population(s)

Group Level Interventions:

• Requires successful completion of Bridging Theory and Practice (2 day training)
• Requires successful completion of Presentation and Facilitation Skills training (3 day training)
• Requires successful completion of training on the specific intervention (number of days will vary) [1]
• May benefit from attending Community Assessment (2-day training) to assist with locating the target population(s)
• May benefit from completion of Prevention Groundwork Modules (on-line)

Community Level Interventions:

• Requires successful completion of Bridging Theory and Practice (2 day training)
• Requires successful completion of Presentation and Facilitation Skills training (3 day training)
• Requires successful completion of Community Assessment training (3-4 day training)
• Requires successful completion of training on the specific intervention (number of days will vary)
• May benefit from completion of Prevention Groundwork Modules (on-line)

For all contractors:

• STD Facts and Fallacies required of all contractors within 2 years of employment
• Safety One is recommended for staff new to field work
• Presentation and Facilitation Skills required of all group and community level contractors within 1 year of employment

[1] There are a couple of group level interventions that do not have training on the specific intervention

DSHS has created Protocol Based Counseling Quality Assurance Standards. What are they and where can I find them?

Quality assurance (QA) is a way of ensuring that your program delivers prevention interventions as they are intended to be delivered. For prevention counseling, this means ensuring that your risk reduction specialists consistently follow models and protocols of counseling that have been demonstrated to increase the chances that clients will reduce risk behavior. QA activities include observation and feedback, case conferencing, and skill-building opportunities such as training and modeling. QA activities must be on-going and integrated into the functioning of the program. The Quality Assurance Standards were developed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a CDC-funded project. The main objectives of the project are as follows:

1. Develop and evaluate tools to support protocol-driven prevention counseling based on the Project RESPECT models
2. Develop and evaluate Quality Assurance Standards
3. Understand the barriers and facilitators of quality prevention counseling

Go here to access the Quality Assurance standards.

National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers - STD/HIV Prevention Training Center, Part III-Partner Services (Texas PTC III)

The National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers (PTCs) is a CDC-funded group of regional centers created in partnership with health departments and universities. The PTCs are dedicated to increasing the knowledge and skills of health professionals in the areas of sexual and reproductive health. The National Network provides health professionals with a spectrum of state-of-the-art educational opportunities, including experiential learning with an emphasis on prevention.

Within the National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers, 10 centers provide STD Clinical Training , four centers provide Behavioral Intervention Training , and four centers provide Partner Services and Program Support Training .

STD Clinical Training centers (Part I) provide up-to-date information to public and private clinicians who diagnose, treat, and manage patients with STDs.

The Behavioral Intervention Training centers (Part II) provide courses that teach the use of evidence-based STD/HIV prevention interventions at the individual, group, and community level. Training is also provided in areas of program support needed to implement and maintain such interventions. The intended target audience is prevention providers in public, private, and community sectors who are responsible for the implementation or supervision of STD/HIV prevention programs in community, clinic-based, or criminal justice settings. These courses teach skills and strategies to influence changes in behaviors that place people at risk for STD or HIV infection. The four Part II centers provide training on several evidence-based behavioral interventions from the CDC's Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) Project, as well as courses that seek to develop skills to support their successful implementation.

Partner Services and Program Support Training centers (Part III) provide courses that are designed for federal, state, and local public health professionals, especially those working in STD/HIV prevention programs. Several courses focus on training to help develop the skills of Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) and prevention counselors, public health nurses, and family planning providers; other courses are designed to support STD and HIV prevention programs at state, local, and community levels. Courses range from 1 day to 2 weeks, and the inclusion of experiential learning under the guidance of qualified preceptors is integral to all the course offerings.

DSHS serves as one of the four centers funded as a Partner Services and Program Support Training center (Texas PTC III). The Texas PTC III serve a 13-state area encompassing the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. DSHS sub-contracts with the Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) to conduct the PTC III courses.

The trainings currently conducted by the Texas PTC III include: Introduction to STD Intervention (ISTDI), Fundamentals of STD Intervention, HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services (PCRS), and customized courses based on a needs assessment. These courses are available in all thirteen states. There are additional courses offered only in Texas at this time. Those include: STD Facts and Fallacies and Safety One.

To register for a Texas PTC III course, complete the application located here and fax it to Carolyn Washington, Administrative Assistant at (214) 819-1979. Carolyn Washington can also be reached by or by calling (214) 819-1993.

What is the Texas Risk Reduction Specialist Registry (Texas Registry)?

The Texas Risk Reduction Specialist Registry (formerly the Texas PCPE registry) includes persons who have successfully completed the Protocol Based Counseling (PBC) training. This training is provided by DSHS training team, the Workers Assistance Program (WAP)/HIV Connection, and the City of Houston training team to comply with legislation. For more information on the Texas Registry, Registry Coordinator Cindi Blair or call (512) 533-3026.

DSHS created a Hepatitis C curriculum. Where can I find that?

The Hepatitis C Prevention Counseling Training course was created in response to legislation in 2001. Go here to review and download the complete course.

What if my training needs are not met by any of the courses available through DSHS?

You can contact a training specialist to discuss your training need. He or she will assist you with completing a training needs assessment and developing a plan to meet an identified training need.

Training Specialists:

Jeff Wagers	(512) 533-3022
Ann Dills	(512) 533-3018
LaQueisa Wilson	(512) 533-3138
Mary McIntosh	(512) 533-3017
Zandt Bryan	(512) 533-3016

Curriculum Designer:

Mary Banski

(512) 533-3019

Training Team Manager:

Tammy Foskey

(512) 533-3020

Texas PTC III Contacts:

Marianne Killgo	Texas PTC III Training Manager	(214) 819-1992
Alma Armendarez	Texas PTC III Training Specialist	(214) 819-1994
Carolyn Washington	Texas PTC III Administrative Assistant	(214) 819-1993

Training Team

The mission of the Training Team is to develop and provide accurate, specialized HIV/STD training to diverse audiences using effective and appropriate methods of communication and education. Traininig Team staff plan, develop, conduct, and evaluate HIV/STD training for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), other State agencies, local health departments, and community based organizations involved in HIV and STD prevention activities.

Training Team activities are designed to add value to existing levels of prevention, intervention, and service delivery through the ongoing development of its customers. This is accomplished by means of:

• Targeted assessment of needs and resources;
• Emphasis on public health core competencies;
• Linking agencies to appropriate resources; and
• Competency-based training activities.

Training Team Functions

• Developing and providing HIV/STD training courses;
• Developing and providing customized training to individual programs to address specific needs; and
• Maintaining the Texas Registry of all persons who have successfully completed the Protocol Based Counseling (PBC) training required by DSHS for programs funded to conduct HIV counseling, testing, referral, and partner elicitation services for persons at increased risk for HIV/STD/HCV infection(s).

Last Updated September 6, 2007