(P187) A NATIONAL APPROACH TO TRAINING THE DISEASE INTERVENTION WORKFORCE: THE NATIONAL NETWORK OF DISEASE INTERVENTION TRAINING CENTERS (NNDITC)

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

4:15 PM - 5:15 PM EST

Primary Author(s)

Kathleen P. Pfohl, BA, MPH (she/her/hers)

Manager, Training Coordination
National Coalition of STD Directors
Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Co-Author(s)(s)

AR

Atticus Ranck, MA (he/him/his)

Program Manager
New York State Department of Health
Duanesburg, New York, United States
MO

Mariska Osborne-Wells, BS, DrPH, MPH

Public Health Institute at Denver Health
Monique M. Hensley, AS (she/her/hers)

Senior Project Manager
Health Care Education and Training
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
WJ

Wanda Jackson, BA (she/her/hers)

DITC Program Manager
California Prevention Training Center (CAPTC) - University of California San Francisco (UCSF) National Skills-Based Curriculum Development Center
Long Beach, California, United States

Background:
The NNDITC is a network of adult education and sexual health experts comprised of one eLearning curricula development and training coordination center, one instructor-led curricula development center, and four regional instructor-led training centers. The NNDITC is tasked with the implementation of standardized national training to strengthen competency-based skills for disease intervention (DI) professionals.

Methods:
The NNDITC collected and reviewed information from state, tribal, local, or territorial (STLT) stakeholders on DI skills, knowledge, and tasks to inform the development of eLearning and instructor-led curricula. NNDITC created a learning management system (LMS) to track course registration and completion data, and course evaluation responses to assess training impact.

Results:
Stakeholder interviews represented training needs of 4,029 disease intervention staff across the nation and achieved a 97% (56/58) response rate. Interviews highlighted training needs such as motivating clients, interview techniques, cultural competency, and preparation for case and field work.

Since 2021, NNDITC has developed 11 unique courses, facilitated 634 virtual skill-building sessions, supported 3,272 new learner profiles, and registered 13,389 learners, with 6,223 learners completing training. NNDITC courses include diverse topics such as STI/HIV interviewing, motivational interviewing, cultural humility when working with men who have sex with men and maintaining personal safety in the field.

Post-course evaluations indicated that 93% (4331/4642) of learners agree or strongly agree that they feel confident they will be able to transfer the knowledge and skills acquired from these courses to their work in case investigation. Results were further analyzed by learner demographics, geographic distribution, and course uptake.

Conclusion:
Through collaborative efforts, the NNDITC has successfully filled a gap in national training and development for DI professionals by implementing interactive courses that respond to the needs identified by STLT stakeholders.