We are the primary HIV counseling trainer and curriculum developer for the California State Office of AIDS, creating face-to-face and online certification and continuing education trainings for test counselors, outreach workers, and other health and social service providers.
Basic Counselor Skills Training (BCST) (Live)
This five-day certification course will prepare successful participants to become certified HIV/HCV test counselors in California. The course includes: fingerstick whole blood sample collection, administering the OraQuick ADVANCE Rapid HIV-1/2 and HCV antibody test, administering the Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo Test, general principles of client centered counseling, exploring context and behavior change, tools of client centered counseling, HIV/HCV harm reduction, window period, PrEP and nPEP, as well as negative and preliminary positive results disclosure. The course also includes several opportunities to practice risk assessment sessions as well as results disclosures while having feedback provided for improving counseling skills in the future.
Length: 5 days, typically Monday - Friday. 12 Continuing Education Units are available.
Registration Information
For staff and volunteers at agencies that are funded by the OA Prevention Branch for HIV Targeted Testing, who wish to register participants for an existing training:
- You can view the list of available trainings and training dates, here.
- Be aware that each local health jurisdiction (LHJ) (typically the county) has a unique registration code. Contact your LHJ coordinator in order to be registered.
For staff and volunteers at agencies that are not funded by the OA Prevention Branch for Targeted Testing, who wish to register participants for an existing training:
- You can view the list of available trainings and training dates here.
- Take note of the trainings that you would like to attend and the dates they begin.
- Check back 7 days before the beginning of a training to determine if there are unused spaces in that training. These are the spaces that non-funded agencies can use.
- As you mouse over each training, if space is still available, you will have the option to register or add your name to the waitlist.
- As you register, you will be asked for a “Registration Code.” This code is: “OVNFJ101” (Letter O, V, N, F, J, 1, zero, 1).
Agencies can also request a Fee For Service BCST for their staff. To request a training, click here
Basic Counselor Information Training (BCIT) (Online)
This online training prepares learners to take the Basic Counselor Skills Training (BCST). Participants will learn about HIV test counseling, basics of HIV transmission and prevention (including PrEP and PEP), informed consent, the risk assessment, harm reduction, results disclosure, and hepatitis C testing. A score of 80% or higher on the final comprehension quiz is required in order to attend the BCST.
Length: Self-paced, typically 2 – 3 hours.
To request access to this training, write us for more information
Counselor Re-Examination Training (CRE) (Live)
This course is designed for participants who were evaluated as Counselor Re-Examination Eligible (CRE) in the counseling portion of the Basic Counselor Skills Training. Allows participants an opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of counseling skills.
Length: 8 hours
Click here to see upcoming trainings or write us for more information.
Integrated Hepatitis C/HIV Counseling and Testing (Online)
This course is designed for HIV test counselors working at sites that also offer hepatitis C testing. Learners will increase their knowledge about hepatitis C and its prevention, and build skills around integrating hepatitis C prevention counseling into their current practice. Topics include: talking with clients about injection drug use, harm reduction options for hepatitis C, and client-centered approaches to combining hepatitis C and HIV risk assessments.
Length: Self-paced, typically 2 – 3 hours.
Click here to be taken to the course. You will need to log-on using guest access. The guest access password is “03k64” (zero, three, k, six, four).
Integrating the Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo Test (Live)
In this course participants will learn about the accuracy of the Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo Test technology including quality assurance requirements, result interpretation, and basic universal precautions. The significance of antigen-reactive tests and how to describe the results. Includes trainer demonstration, participant practices, and evaluation of: fingerstick sample collection skills; test administration, and results interpretation skills.
Length: 8 hours
Click here to see upcoming trainings or write us for more information.
Proficiency Re-Examination Training (PRE) (Live)
The proficiency re-examination sessions are for participants who were unsuccessful at completing a technical aspect of the BCST. These trainings take place in a single day, with an AM and a PM component of any of the following: OraQuick Fingerstick Proficiency, Alere/Abbott Determine Fingerstick Proficiency, OraQuick Rapid Testing Proficiency and Alere/Abbott Determine Rapid Testing Proficiency.
Length: 8 hours
Click here to see upcoming OraQuick Fingerstick Proficiency trainings, Alere/Abbott Determine Fingerstick Proficiency trainings, OraQuick Rapid Testing Proficiency trainings and Alere/Abbott Determine Rapid Testing Proficiency trainings or write us for more information.