COVID-19 Contact Tracing Training and Resources
Training Modules
These trainings are for public health professionals who are interested in becoming a COVID-19 contact tracer or case investigator, as well as for public health professionals who already serve in these roles and are seeking to improve their knowledge.
Learn about CDC-funded trainings for the COVID-19 contact tracing workforce.
Making Contact: A Training for COVID-19 Contact Tracers
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- Target Audience: General public
- Source: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
- Description: Introductory online course for entry-level COVID-19 contact tracers, for use by health agencies in rapid training of new contact tracers. The training will be augmented by state/local specific training required to orient individuals to jurisdiction-specific protocols. This training focuses on building knowledge for remote contact tracing; a subsequent release will include a module on field services.
National COVID-19 Virtual Skills-Based Training for Case Investigation & Contact Tracing
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- Target Audience: All participants must complete either the ASTHO or Johns Hopkins online knowledge-based course prior to being approved for this course.
- Source: National Network of Disease Intervention Training Centers (NNDITC)
- Description: In the Case Investigation (CI) Virtual Skills-Based Training, participants will learn how to conduct a case investigation interview including determining the contact elicitation window, eliciting close contact information, providing recommendations and guidelines for isolation, and addressing common concerns persons with COVID-19 may experience during isolation. Foundational and enhanced interviewing skills will be reinforced and applied throughout the CI practice sessions. In the Contact Tracing (CT) Virtual Skills-Based Training, participants will learn how to conduct a contact tracing interview including notifying contacts of exposure, determining the quarantine period, providing information and recommendations for quarantine, and addressing common concerns exposed persons may experience during this time. Foundational and enhanced interviewing skills will be reinforced and applied throughout the CT practice sessions.
The sample training plan includes training topics that may be helpful for state and local public health jurisdictions to consider when designing their own training plans for COVID-19 team leads pdf icon[PDF – 35 pages]. Suggested training modalities and formats are provided, as well as information about sample existing trainings and resources
These scenarios can be used by trainers and team leads to build skills for contact tracers and case investigators:
Disclaimer: All names and events included in these scenarios are fictitious and intended for training purposes only. These scenarios are not based on real people or events.
- COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Training PowerPoint Template (located in the STLT Collaboration Spaceexternal icon: if you do not already have an account you will have to register. Then navigate to COVID-19 Resources > COVID-19 Communication > Templates > COVID19 Case Investigation Contact Tracing Training Template).
- Ensuring High Quality and Continuous Improvement of COVID-19 Case Investigators’ Interviewing Skills pdf icon[PDF – 24 pages]
- Interim Guidance on Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation & Contact Tracing Plan
- Training, Evaluation, and Monitoring Guidance for Health Departments pdf icon[PDF – 16 pages]
- Notification of Exposure – A Contact Tracer’s Guide for COVID-19
- Talking with the Patient – A Case Investigator’s Guide to COVID-19
- Communicable Disease Investigator COVID-19 Response Job Description Template pdf icon[PDF – 4 pages]
- Contact Tracer COVID-19 Response Job Description Template pdf icon[PDF – 3 pages]
- Supervisor or Team Lead for Case Investigation and Contact Tracing COVID-19 Response Job Description Template pdf icon[PDF – 4 pages]
- 3 Key Steps to Take While Waiting for Your COVID-19 Test Results pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
- Daily Temperature/Symptom Log for Close Contacts pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 includes general information about symptoms, testing, prevention, and COVID-19 data
Visit the Contact Tracing Resources for Health Departments webpage for more resources.