The HIV/STD Training Team offers a variety of training courses and modules to improve the skills of persons involved in HIV/STD prevention and intervention in Texas.
Courses Available:
See the training schedule for upcoming courses in your area.
On-line Courses:
Course Descriptions
Anti-Retroviral Treatment and Access to Services (ARTAS) Training of Facilitators - This three-day workshop provides participants with the knowledge, skills, and practice to successfully facilitate the ARTAS intervention. ARTAS is an individual-level, multi-session, time-limited intervention to link individuals who have been recently diagnosed with HIV to medical care. ARTAS is based on the Strengths-based Case Management (SBCM) model, which is rooted in Social Cognitive Theory (particularly self-efficacy) and Humanistic Psychology. This class is provided by 3T-UTSW. No prerequisites.
CLEAR: Choosing Life! Empowerment! Action! Results! - This four-day course provides counselors with the knowledge, skills, and practice needed to successfully implement CLEAR, an individual level intervention with core and optional sessions, to fully address many areas of risk behavior in the client's life. CLEAR is intended for persons age 16 and above who are either living with HIV/AIDS or have behaviors that put them at high risk for HIV infection. This intervention can be a stand-alone program or it can be incorporated into an existing Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Services program as the risk reduction counseling portion.
Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Services (CRCS): An Intensive Individual-Level Intervention - This intensive three-day workshop provides trainees the knowledge, skills, and practice to successfully implement a Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Services (CRCS) program in their community. Using interactive group exercises, role plays, games, and case studies, trainees will explore the relationship between Ryan White Case Management and CRCS, conduct risk assessments, practice applying core counseling skills, and use implementation tools to develop risk reduction plans. This course is not intended to teach counseling skills, but to provide a framework for implementing CRCS. This class is provided by the Technology Transfer Team (3T) at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Foundations of HIV Counseling and Testing (FCT) - This three day course will be the new required standard for all new DSHS HIV Prevention counseling/testing staff and new testing and linkage supervisors unfamiliar with PBC/FCT. The goal of FCT is to improve the ability of HIV prevention staff to provide HIV testing, counseling, and linkage to care. The course covers DSHS standards for giving test results and linkage to care for the HIV+ client. It was developed to help participants understand the range of counseling encounters and to determine how to best serve each individual client. This course focuses extensively on communication and counseling skills to help risk the reduction specialist (RRS) apply behavior change theory and techniques that can support individual clients in reducing their risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV/STD/HCV. The PBC protocol is used as a tool to guide the discussion with the client about his/her risk(s) as well as the testing process, delivering results and linkage to care for the HIV+ client. Participants will have time to role-play using the protocol to ensure a reasonable comfort level before counseling with clients when counseling is required. Participants will need to have the technical information (immune system, epidemiology, etc) prior to attending this course. The on-line Risk Reduction Groundwork and the Foundations Pre-course provide this information. Prerequisites: Completion of Risk Reduction Groundwork and Foundations Pre-course. Registration for this course is available through the TRAIN Texas system. Course ID: 1032883 Registration Code: 99999
Fundamentals of Sexually Transmitted Disease Intervention (Fund of ISTDI) - This 5-day course is designed for counselors, managers of staff who conduct partner services, public health nurses, or other prevention workers who need comprehensive partner service skills. Focusing on gonorrhea and chlamydia, this class will cover interview periods, communication, assertiveness, problem solving, the STD interview format, field investigations, partner notification and referral, and a brief overview of case management. This course does not provide in-depth syphilis case management or visual case analysis. Prerequisite: successful completion of selected portions of the CDC "2006 Employee Development Guide."
Mastering Visual Case Analysis (VCA) - This half-day workshop is designed for Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) and associated staff that supervise and/or manage Partner Services activities related to syphilis. Participants will review the basic concepts and the epidemiological basis for Visual Case Analysis (VCA). Participants will have the opportunity to practice plotting multiple case studies to build skills and understanding of how this tool helps them focus disease intervention efforts.
Motivational Interviewing 101 - By the end of this course, participants will be able to define Motivational Interviewing, describe the stages of change and how they relate to Motivational Interviewing, list and describe the principles underlying MI, and list and implement the five early strategies of Motivational Interviewing while demonstrating reflective listening techniques. Credit Hours: 8 Alcohol & Drug Specific. Maximum participants: 35.
Motivational Interviewing 201 - By the end of this course, participants will be able to engage with clients to receive information about their personal lives, including dilemmas and values related to behavior change. MI 201 will give participants tools to focus clients on changes they are willing to explore. They will develop skills on how to elicit client motivation through the exploration of ambivalence. Participants will learn how to help clients make a plan to determine goals and carry out any beneficial enhancement of change talk. Participants by the end of MI 201 will be able to demonstrate the four processes of Motivational Interviewing. Credit Hours: 8 Alcohol & Drug Specific. Prerequisite: successful completion of the course Motivational Interviewing 101.
Presentation and Facilitation Skills - This three-day course focuses on developing the skills necessary to present information and/or to facilitate a group or class. If you are facilitating evidence-based intervention groups, leading workshops, or presenting educational sessions to the community, this course is for you. You will receive tips and techniques on how to be more effective when you speak or facilitate a group. You will learn:
How to select an instructional strategy
The basics of presentation skills
How to use and design visual aids
How to develop a simple lesson plan
Key elements from adult learning theory
The basics of group facilitation skills
Tips for effectively conducting a guided group discussion
Classroom/group management techniques
You will practice using the new skills by delivering a short presentation. This class will also provide the opportunity for you to take home a recorded copy of your presentation for your personal review. Registration for this course is available through the TRAIN Texas system. Course ID: 1017761 Registration Code: 99999
Using Social Networks: A Recruitment Strategy for Counseling, Testing and Referral Services (SNS) - Using Social Networks provides a comprehensive understanding of how to utilize social networks as a recruitment strategy for counseling, testing and referral services in order to reach people with undiagnosed HIV infection in high-risk persons and hard-to-reach communities. The target audience for this course are key decision makers of an organization. We strongly encourage a group of 2-3 people from a single agency come together to participate in this training. This will support an agency’s ability to begin developing a plan for implementing this strategy.
Online Courses
Bridging Theory and Practice - This on-line course covers basic behavioral science theories and how the theories can be translated and adapted into interventions. Interventions at all levels of the Socio-ecological model to address the needs of the community will be discussed. This course is currently being revised and is unavailable. Watch for announcements when the course is complete.
Expedited Partner Services: The New Standard of Care for Treating Sexually Transmitted Diseases - This course covers the rationale, background and mechanics of Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT). The course covers Texas Medical board changes, Pharmacy Board opinion as well as extensive research illustrating that EPT is a useful tool in the fight against chlamydia and gonorrhea in heterosexual sex partners. The course takes approximately 1 hour to complete.
CMEs, CNEs and continuing education credits for Social Workers and Certified Health Education Specialists are offered for this course. In order to earn Continuing Education credits, learners must:
complete the online course
successfully pass the post test
complete the course evaluation
The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system.
Foundations of HIV Counseling and Testing Update - This 75-minute webinar is an update for managers and staff who are familiar with PBC but need to become acquainted with the changes that the new FCT course has implemented. The webinar provides a brief overview of the course without having to attend FCT training. This recorded webinar is an opportunity to get questions answered about the changes in the course and in counseling and testing requirements. The following topics are covered:
Differences between FCT and PBC
The FCT continuum of care
Linkage to care - policy for follow-up procedure
Q&A from July 25, 2012
The webinar can be found on the Cardea website.
Foundations Pre-Course - This course, in addition to the Risk Reduction Groundwork, is a required pre-requisite to attend the Foundations of HIV Counseling and Testing Course (FCT). This online course is self-paced and focuses on key skills and topics that will provide necessary background knowledge before attending the face-to-face course. Topics include:
History of the Intervention (coming soon)
Stages of Change
SMART Steps
Ethics and Confidentiality
Assertive Communication
The Protocol (coming soon)
Delivering Positive HCV Results (optional, availability TBD)
This course is designed for participants attending the Foundations of HIV Counseling and Testing (FCT) course. Completion of the Foundations Pre-Course is required at least 3 business days prior to the start of the FCT course. Completion of the course requires completion of all available units and the final survey. Persons who do not finish the available units of the Pre-Course risk not getting a certificate of completion for FCT. Participants completing the Pre-Course as a job requirement should print a certificate for their employee file. The course may take up to 4.5 hours to complete. When all units of this course are available on-line, there will be five required units and one optional unit (Hep C Results). Participants should plan to spend up to 1.5 hours per unit.
The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system.
HIV Case Management 101: A Foundation - This course provides an overview for case managers to serve their clients effectively. Case managers will gain practical knowledge about the HIV infection, learn how drugs treat the virus, and understand antiretroviral therapy guidelines. The course also covers funding and planning for client services as well as available support services. Case managers will learn about the variety of services available and what case managers are expected to do for clients. At the end of the training, case managers will understand the disease and have the critical thinking skills required to meet their clients' needs. The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system. Part B funded case managers are required to complete this training with a 70% score within six (6) months of hire.
Implementing Routine HIV Testing in Health Care Settings - Implementing Routine HIV Testing in Texas is a one hour course designed to facilitate the practice of routine HIV testing in Texas. The course contains timely data and resources for health care providers interested in implementing routine HIV testing in Texas. The course is designed for health care professionals implementing routine HIV testing as well as those with a general interest in the topic.
The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system. Course ID: 1033254
Perinatal HIV Prevention - This is a one-hour course covering the guidelines and rules for HIV testing in pregnant women in Texas. The course covers the reduction in transmission rates for HIV+ pregnant women who receive treatment at the first prenatal visit, during labor and delivery and women who do not receive treatment. The course also provides resources for health care professionals with questions about treatment or guidelines. The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system.
QA for Counseling and Testing - This course is for supervisors and staff providing quality assurance for agencies implementing counseling and testing in Texas. Areas explored in this training include performing staff observations and giving feedback, implementing protocol-based counseling, and conducting chart reviews. It is required for supervisors of DSHS-funded agencies implementing HIV counseling and testing; it is recommended for supervisors of any agency that is implementing HIV counseling and testing. Prerequisite: Foundations of Counseling and Testing training (3 days plus pre-requisites). This course is currently unavailable but will be available soon.
Risk Reduction Groundwork - This is the DSHS HIV/STD/TB Unit version of the Basics of Disease Transmission, Prevention, and Testing. This online course focuses specifically on risk reduction related to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). This serves as the requirement for the model protocol for HIV counseling and testing referenced in Health & Safety Code 85.081.
This course is designed for 3 specific audiences:
For participants attending Protocol Based Prevention Counseling (PBC). Completion of Groundwork is required prior to attendance at the training.
For new employees to DSHS HIV/STD prevention contractors, including evidence-based interventions.
For workers interested in basic information on disease transmission and testing as it relates to public health, Groundwork may be completed early in your job orientation as an introduction to prevention of HIV/STD/HCV.
For participants attending PBC:
Completion of Risk Reduction Groundwork is required a t least 3 business days prior to the start of the PBC course. Completion of the course requires a score of 75% on the final test. Persons who do not finish the Groundwork course risk not getting a certificate of completion for PBC.
Participants completing Groundwork as a job requirement (groups 1 & 2 above) should print a certificate for their employee file. Multiple certificates can be printed from the Texas TRAIN system. Instructions on how to print a certificate are included at the end of the course, as well as in the general information site below.
The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system.
STD Facts and Fallacies - Facts and Fallacies is an on-line modular course for health professionals who interact with client populations at risk for HIV, STDs. This course is designed primarily for public health professionals including, but not limited to Risk Reduction Specialists, Community Health Workers, Case Managers and Substance Abuse Counselors. Module I consists of Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease). Module 2 focuses on Syphilis. Module 3 (to be completed soon) focuses on HIV/AIDS. The modules center on the transmission, course of infection, symptoms, complications and cures or treatments of each infection.
The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system. No prerequisites.
Chlamydia, Gonorrhea & Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - Course ID: 1030556
Syphilis - Course ID: 1033232
The registration code for each course is 8675309.
Texas HIV Medication Program 101 - This training teaches case managers how to serve clients effectively by referring HIV clients to appropriate resources, decreasing errors and omissions on THMP application forms, and helping HIV clients with the recertification process. The online course is available through the TRAIN Texas system.