Advisorship-Program

 

STD Control Branch Advisorship Program​

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Branch (STDCB) has created a new Advisorship Program designed for both new Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) and those who want a refresher training.

The Advisorship Program is a virtual 8-week standardized training course lead by trained and experienced STDCB DIS Program Advisors. Advisors will engage enrolled peers in cohort-style learning to observe and build skills in DIS subject matter. Upon program completion, peers will receive a certificate of completion.

To enroll into the Advisorship Program or for general program related questions, please e-mail stdcb.advisorship@cdph.ca.gov.

Advisorship Program Learning Outcomes

• Enhance general knowledge in syphilis case investigations, such as identifying priority cases for follow up and conducting record searching using state provided databases. 
• Standardization of disease investigation and best practices, regardless of local health jurisdiction population density and/or region.
• Incorporate the use of technology when conducting partner notification(s) at the local level.
• Improve communication skills by focusing on DI health literacy and expanding on emotional intelligence when working with diverse populations. 
• Develop interpersonal connections with fellow peers and CDPH STDCB Advisor through Chalk Talk Discussions and group activities.
  

​Frequently Asked Questions

What are the criteria for enrolling into the Advisorship Program? Are there any pre-requisites?

All peers must be disease investigators at a local health department and have completed the necessary trainings to ensure CalREDIE access before starting the Advisorship. Pre-requisite trainings (located below) are required for all those successfully enrolled into the Advisorship Program.

What topics will be covered in the program?

Peers will be able to build skills and develop confidence in the following subject matter:

Syphilis Reactor Process, CalREDIE (record searches and documentation process), conducting syphilis summary reports, contacting medical providers, patient level communication, interviewing skills (pre-interview analysis, cluster interviews, phone interviews, motivational interviewing, practice interviews), HIV PrEP and PEP, doxy-PEP, Partner Services, field preparation (safety, problem solving, best practices), CalCONNECT, mpox basics, concepts behind quality assurance and quality improvement, and more.

What are the steps for enrollment?

Once an Advisorship enrollment request has been sent to the stdcb.advisorship@cdph.ca.gov inbox, a follow up e-mail will be sent to notify you of successful enrollment into the program and provide next steps for Advisorship scheduling.

Is this a self-paced program?

The Advisorship Program is not self-paced. Those enrolled into the Advisorship will be assigned an Advisor and placed into cohorts that will meet weekly for 8 consecutive weeks (synchronous).

When are the start and end dates for the program cohorts? How does scheduling work?

Cohorts will meet for 4 hours per week, broken down into 2 days a week. Start and end dates for the program will vary, cohorts will generally occur twice (or three times) a year beginning in the fall and spring. Once an Advisorship enrollment request has been sent to the stdcb.advisorship@cdph.ca.gov inbox, a follow up e-mail will be sent to notify you of successful enrollment into the program and provide next steps for Advisorship scheduling.

Is this Advisorship Program free?

The Advisorship Program is provided by CDPH STD CB Disease Intervention Section at no cost to all enrolled peers.

Will a certificate of completion be provided at the end of the Advisorship?

A certificate of achievement for motivational interviewing and a certification of completion for the 8-week Advisorship will be awarded to all peers who meet Advisorship completion requirements.

Informational Material

• Advisorship Program Informational Flyer (PDF)​
  

Pre-Requisite Trainings

Once enrolled into the Advisorship Program, peers will be required to complete the following pre-requisite training modules:

Passport to Partner Services Trainings (Required)

A CDC Train account must be created to access the following pre-requisite trainings:

1. Unit 1-Infectious Disease and Human Anatomy (4 hours)
2. Unit 2-Syphilis (4 hours)
3. Unit 4-Gonorrhea (4 hours)
4. Unit 6-HIV Infection and AIDS (4 hours)
5. Communication Skills (6 hours)
6. Referrals and Linkage to Care (1 hour)
7. Introduction to Partner Services for Partner Services Providers (4 hours)
8. Field Investigation and Notification (12 hours)
   

CalREDIE (Required)

E-mail STDCB.advisorship@cdph.ca.gov to access the STI Disease Intervention SharePoint to complete the following required CalREDIE trainings:

1. Module One: Protocols, Recommendations, and Investigations Resources
2. Module Two: STD User Define Forms
3. Module Three: CS Syphilis Case Documentation [Part 1] [Part 2]
   

Optional Trainings

A CDC Train account must be created to access the following optional pre-requisite Passport to Partner Services trainings:

1. Unit 3-Chlamydial Infection (4 hours)
2. Unit 5-Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (4 hours)
   
3. Syphilis Case Management and VCA (16 hours) 
   
4. Introduction to Field Safety for DIS​
   

Contact Us

For general program related questions or enrollment, please e-mail stdcb.advisorship@cdph.ca.gov.​​​​​