Capacity Building Assistance for HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Public Health Professionals

The HIV Education, Access, and Testing Training (HEAT Training) is required certification for HIV testers who receive HIV tests from TDH and Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) in health departments in the state of Tennessee. This training is conducted in partnership with community-based organizations to ensure that the most updated, culturally appropriate content is provided. In this training, participants will learn how to:

1.       Conduct HIV prevention counseling with clients taking an HIV test

2.       Deliver positive, negative, and invalid test results to clients

3.       Work with testing clients of different ages, races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations

4.       Run up to three different types of rapid HIV test devices

5.       Link clients with a new HIV diagnosis to HIV care using the Rapid Testing Guidelines

6.       Report HIV testing information to local and state health departments

To learn more about when in-person and virtual HEAT training courses are scheduled, check the calendar above and click here to sign up for the HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis United Way Weekly Bulletin.

To register for an upcoming I Know training, click here. Seating priority is given to Tennessee health department staff, HIV Prevention Coalition staff, and participants attached to federally-funded HIV prevention projects.

Training for PrEP Navigators

To support access to PrEP across the state of Tennessee, TDH provides training and funding for PrEP navigators. This training provides a baseline of knowledge about PrEP, including how it works and how to identify good candidates for PrEP.  Some information about PEP and U=U is also provided.  Additionally, the training provides practice using case management and patient education skills, including the basics of motivational interviewing, how to take an affirming sexual history, and how to demonstrate proper condom use. Finally, this course trains navigators to connect PrEP clients to local medical and financial resources to facilitate PrEP access. 

For an updated list of PrEP navigators in Tennessee funded through TDH, click here.

The 3-day PrEP navigation certification course is offered quarterly. Seating priority is given to Tennessee health department staff, HIV Prevention Coalition staff, and participants attached to federally-funded PrEP navigation projects. For more information about the PrEP navigation certification course, please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

PrEP Access Training for Health Department Staff

To increase PrEP access in every county in Tennessee, TDH offers training for health department staff such as nurses and/or DIS involved in HIV/STI treatment and prevention.

This training includes current information about PrEP and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV) medication regimens, briefs on the latest research studies on PrEP effectiveness, and skill-building activities designed to build staff capacity to work with diverse populations who are vulnerable to HIV.

The 1-day PrEP in the Health Department certification course is offered quarterly. For more information about the PrEP in the Health Department course, please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

Please Note: This training is not appropriate for health department PHOA and PHOS staff. PHOA/S staff should take the PrEP Basics course (see below). This training is not appropriate for APNs or other health care providers seeking training on how to prescribe PrEP.  The appropriate training for prescribing PrEP can be arranged by contacting the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

PrEP Basics Training

To raise awareness about PrEP, TDH offers basic training about PrEP for community-based organization and health department staff who provide sexual health and HIV testing, care, and prevention services to patients, clients, and community members in Tennessee. This course is a good fit for case managers, and staff who work alongside PrEP navigators, in HIV testing programs, on condom distribution projects, in health departments as PHOA/S staff, in clinics where PrEP is prescribed, or where other HIV services are provided. 

This half-day course includes current information about PrEP and PEP (the post-exposure option) medication regimens, an overview of PrEP navigation services and a directory of organizations in Tennessee that offer it, resources to help clients pay for and access PrEP, and skill-building activities designed to build staff capacity to work with diverse populations who are vulnerable to HIV.

Seating priority is given to Tennessee health department staff, HIV Prevention Coalition staff, Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, and participants attached to federally-funded HIV prevention projects. Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) credits are available upon completion of this course. For more information about the PrEP Basics course, please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

Harm Reduction Training for HIV/HCV Prevention Providers

Harm reduction is a set of practical public health strategies designed to reduce the negative health consequences of substance use. The TDH Harm Reduction training focuses on reducing the HIV and Hepatitis C risks involved in substance use and creating effective paths from substance misuse to healthier living.

The Harm Reduction training course is offered quarterly. Seating priority is given to Tennessee health department staff, HIV Prevention Coalition staff, staff attached to syringe services programs funded through TDH, Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, and participants attached to federally-funded HIV prevention projects.

The course is recommended for all health care, mental health, substance misuse, and social services professionals engaged in HIV prevention, viral hepatitis prevention, and sexual health work. Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) credits are available upon completion of this course.

For more information about the Harm Reduction training course, please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

EIS Refresher Course

Early Intervention Services (EIS) is a collection of activities that support people who have recently been diagnosed with HIV in getting access to HIV treatment and supportive services. The TDH EIS Refresher Course is designed for Ryan White Part B EIS staff. It covers the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) definition of EIS, current state data on the care outcomes for people living with HIV, the Centers of Excellence HIV providers, Ryan White Part B core services providers, and resources across the state for people new to living with HIV, and skill-building activities designed to build staff capacity to work with diverse adult populations.

The EIS Refresher Course is offered quarterly for funded Ryan White Part B providers in Tennessee. Seating priority is given to Ryan White Part B staff, Tennessee health department staff, HIV Prevention Coalition staff, and participants attached to federally-funded HIV prevention projects. EIS and linkage-to-care staff from Ryan White Part A projects are also welcome to attend this course.

For more information about the EIS Refresher Course, please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

U=U for Case Managers

According to the CDC, treatment as prevention, or Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U), is the most effective HIV prevention method possible. The TDH U=U for Case Managers course is designed for Ryan White Part B Case Managers. It covers Tennessee Department of Health’s position on U=U, what U=U means for people living with HIV, basic terms and definitions related to U=U, the five foundational research studies that shape our modern understanding of HIV treatment goals, and practicing how to answer questions about U=U.

The U=U for Case Managers course is offered quarterly for funded Ryan White Part B providers in Tennessee. Seating priority is given to Ryan White Part B staff, Tennessee health department staff, HIV Prevention Coalition staff, Ryan White Part A staff, and participants attached to federally-funded HIV prevention projects.

For more information about the U=U for Case Managers course, please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

Capacity Building Partner Programs

TDH works in partnership to leverage national and regional resources that increase the quality and quantity of professional development opportunities available to the members of the HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis public health workforce in Tennessee.

The partnerships listed below require that users create a log in, but otherwise are low (and in most cases) no cost options for staff development training.

For more information about the Capacity Building Partner Program, please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program.

Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center (SE AETC)

SE AETC serves the HIV/AIDS educational needs of health care and social service providers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It offers comprehensive, collaborative educational opportunities designed to increase the size and strength of the HIV workforce. It is one of eight training centers founded by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to provide training and facilitate dissemination of rapidly changing information about HIV/AIDS for service providers.

Click on the links to learn more about SE AETC’s Online Learning Curriculum and the bank of SE AETC archived webinars.

Tennessee Train Learning Network

The Train Learning Network is powered by the Public Health Foundation and works with the Centers for Disease Control and a national group of affiliate health agencies to make training courses, conference presentations, skill-building webinars, and certification training available online at little (and in most cases) no cost. Tennessee professionals can access Train through the Tennessee platform to access additional courses created by Tennessee Department of Health and other state agencies.

Click the link to learn more about Tennessee Train.

For HIV Prevention partners running high-impact evidence-based interventions please contact the Capacity Building Assistance Program to learn how you can access the HIV CBA Training Plan through Tennessee Train.

National Network of Disease Intervention Training Centers

The National Network of Disease Intervention Training Centers (NNDITC) supports the Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) community by providing a network of training centers, including a knowledge-based training center, a skills-based training center, and four regional training centers. Click here to learn more about the national network and here to access the Region 2 training center serving Tennesseans.