Tuesday, June 6, 2023
6/6/2023
The New York State Disease Intervention Training Center (NYS DITC), in conjunction with CDC and other DITC funding recipients, will increase the capacity and performance of Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) and other partner services providers working in STD/HIV programs nationally, through provision of effective training, mentoring, and resource sharing. A baseline assessment of the nation’s DIS workforce capacity and training needs will be completed, and NYS DITC will help to create sampling designs and measurement tools based on previous experience in these areas. Through the development and implementation of an annual national training plan, built on ongoing needs and workforce assessments, the efficiency and effectiveness of disease intervention practice will be improved. Entry-level training for new DIS will be provided, initially using existing STD/HIV DIS partner services training , and later using the fundamental DIS training curriculum to be developed by the DITC Track B funding recipient. Additionally, the scope of DIS training will be expanded to address emerging needs around sexual networking applications, telehealth, intersecting epidemics, outbreak response, and more thorough development of new specialized trainings and additional cross-training opportunities. Finally, a supervisory training curriculum will be created and delivered to train new DIS supervisors who play a critical role in providing ongoing support to DIS and other partner services providers. All activities will emphasize the use of evaluation outcomes for continuous quality improvement and leveraging impact through a wide range of collaborations with training partners and subject matter experts. As a regional instructor-led training center, NYS DITC will develop and deliver fundamental, specialized, and supervisory DIS trainings to support the numerous roles and responsibilities of DIS, supervisors, and other related classifications of staff. These efforts will lead to significant short- and intermediate-term outcomes, including: 1) Increased CDC-approved trainings available in instructor-led learning formats; 2) Increased knowledge and skills of DIS staff and supervisors; and 3) Increased capacity of health departments to conduct effective STD/HIV intervention tasks performed by DIS. Throughout the five year project period, the NYS DITC will support overarching DITC goals and other national STD/HIV initiatives, resulting in several long-term outcomes, including: 1) Increased DIS field testing for STDs and HIV; 2) Increased capacity for local and state responses to STD and HIV transmission increases, outbreaks, and molecular cluster investigations; 3) Increased testing and treatment of STD/HIV cases and their partners; 4) Increased HIV testing, linkage to care for persons newly diagnosed with HIV, retention in care for those not virally suppressed, and PrEP for HIV-negative persons; 5) Increased use of STD and HIV prevention, and other supportive services by cases and partners; and 6) Reduced STD/HIV transmission and related adverse health outcomes. NYS DITC will align all activities, course curricula, and materials with DIS core competencies and job tasks to prepare the workforce for future DIS certification processes.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
