What is CSTEP?
Is CSTEP free?
Is CSTEP for me?
How will I benefit from CSTEP?
Does CSTEP offer Continuing Education Units?
In which languages does CSTEP offer trainings?
Which CSTEP training is right for me?
Who operates CSTEP?
What is CSTEP?
People living with HIV/AIDS deserve to receive accurate and up-to-date treatment information from informed, competent, respectful, and compassionate service providers and peers.
The California Statewide Education Program (CSTEP) helps make that vision a reality by providing a multi-tiered, high-impact training program. Conducted throughout California, CSTEP trainings deliver education, skills, and certificates for providers of HIV care and treatment.
Back to top
Is CSTEP free?
Yes. All trainings and materials will be provided to you by CSTEP, at no cost.
Back to top
Is CSTEP for me?
CSTEP is ideal for HIV care and treatment providers who want to increase their HIV skills and knowledge. More than 750 providers have benefited from these trainings, including case managers, treatment advocates and educators, nurses, mental health counselors, peer advocates and other professionals who work with people living with HIV/AIDS on HIV and its treatment.
Because of the comprehensive, relevant, and powerful content of CSTEP trainings, many health departments and AIDS Service Organizations require all of their providers on staff to attend and pass CSTEP trainings.
Back to top
How will I benefit from CSTEP?
It is the goal of CSTEP that its participants are able to learn the fundamentals of HIV treatment and care and become updated on the latest HIV/AIDS developments, enabling them to provide better client services. Likewise, CSTEP participants benefit from networking and certificates opportunities.
- Provide better client service: CSTEP identifies cultural challenges and outlines opportunities for providers to connect better with their clients, including those from different backgrounds.
- Staying current: CSTEP courses are continually updated to address the changing field of HIV and its treatment.
- Networking: In addition to enriching your own career, networks of contacts enable you to expand your web of information to learn from the best practices of your peers.
- Certificates: Participants who successfully complete the Certification training will receive HIV treatment certificates.
Back to top
Does CSTEP offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?
Not currently.
Back to top
In which languages does CSTEP offer trainings?
Trainings are currently offered in English and Spanish. Check our schedule to see when the different trainings are offered.
Back to top
Which CSTEP training is right for me?
CSTEP has created different trainings, customized to meet
two levels of knowledge and experience. You can take a self-assessment
quiz (in English or in
Spanish) to determine which
training is best for you.
Basics training
New to the field? Do you have a limited background in biology, HIV, and medical and scientific terms? This two-day training grounds you in fundamental HIV concepts and terminology and prepares you for the more advanced certificates training. You'll leave Basics training with a strong understanding of the basics of a variety of topics:
Timeline: where have we been…
Myths & facts of HIV
HIV transmission
Sexually transmitted diseases
Viral hepatitis A, B, and C
The immune system
HIV pathogenesis
HIV care
HIV treatment
Systems of care and resources |
Certification training
CSTEP Certification training is geared to participants whose work involves ongoing contact with HIV positive clients such as case managers, mental health counselors, early intervention specialists, etc. It covers the basics of HIV treatment education and gives participants the foundation needed to participate effectively in HIV positive clients’ treatment teams. It is a three-day, 21 hour training with a certificates component that requires participants to show a minimum level of knowledge and skills.
Also covers:
Immune system
How HIV causes disease
Lifecycle of HIV
Opportunistic infections and consequences of immune suppression
Diagnostics
Antiretroviral therapy (goals of treatment, challenges, classes of drugs)
Treatment side effects
Adherence
Research & clinical trials
Resources and continuing education
|
Advanced training
How do you integrate this information into your day-to-day work? The Advanced training is a three-day, 21 hour training course that will expand on topics that were discussed in CSTEP Basics and certificates trainings, such as viral hepatitis and women-specific treatment issues, as well as explore emerging areas of HIV care and treatment, such as immune based therapies and new antiviral strategies. This training is specifically geared towards persons who work in HIV treatment education, including but not limited to Treatment Advocates and Treatment Case Managers.
Also covers:
What does data mean: Understanding study results and limitations
HIV/HCV Co-infection: Overview and Guidelines
Women and HIV: What we've learned so far
Immune Based Therapies
Therapeutic Vaccines |
Up-To-Date training
The topic of this training can very and is open to anybody who is interested. This topic is chosen by the CSTEP staff, based on feedback from former CSTEP participants and the needs of local agencies. This is a three hour training. |
Re-Certification training
Any CSTEP Participant with a CSTEP Certificate that was issued more than two years ago must renew their CSTEP Certificate. This training is a brief review of the information covered in the certificates training and it also contains new treatment information. This training is good for providers who would like to review their HIV treatment Information. This is a four hour training. |
Does the CSTEP Certificate expire?
Yes, the CSTEP Certificate expires after 2 years. There are only two alternatives to renewing your CSTEP Certificate. You can go to another three day CSTEP certificates training or you can go to the three hour CSTEP Re-certificates training. There are no other CSTEP trainings that you can take to recertify.
How can I join the CSTEP e-Network?
Go to: http://groups.google.com/group/cstep
Click the link: “Join This Group”
You can “Create an Account Now” using ANY email address, this address does not need to be a gmail account
Also, if you want to send an email to this group, send emails to: cstep@googlegroups.com
Who operates CSTEP?
CSTEP is a program of the Asian & Pacific Islander
Wellness Center.
Contact CSTEP for more information.
Back to top
|
