Archival Content: 1999-2005

Training > Outreach Training Organizations

Institute for Community Health Outreach (ICHO)

What is ICHO?

ICHO provides comprehensive and systematic training for community health outreach workers who serve IDUs, their sexual partners, and high-risk youth. This training is provided through a contract with the California Department of Health Services, Office of AIDS. ICHO is based in San Francisco .

All of ICHO's trainings are specifically designed around preventing the spread of HIV among high-risk, hard-to-reach populations and providing the latest health information and referrals for those living with HIV.

All ICHO, trainings are based on the ethnographic model pioneered by ICHO which seeks to understand a community from the perspective of its members. This model also is the foundation for the outreach services ICHO provides through three initiatives:

Hozho-ijii (a Navaho term meaning “walking in a good way) program;

Native American AIDS Project; and

EIP project, which delivers services in collaboration with a local health center.

How are ICHO trainings organized?

ICHO workshops use various techniques, including lectures, small group discussions, role plays, and on-street field work under the supervision of professional outreach workers. All workshops are based on a model that seeks to understand a community from the perspective of its members. These sessions provide up-to-date information and resources on topics of current interest and offer participants a valuable opportunity to network, discuss problems and solutions, and give mutual support.

Who can train at ICHO?

ICHO provides a wide variety of outreach training courses, including 5-day trainings for new community health outreach workers, 4-day trainings for administrators/supervisors, 3-day trainings for experienced outreach workers, and 2-day trainings for prevention case managers. ICHO also offers 1-day quarterly inservice sessions for graduates of previous workshops.

What topics are covered in ICHO workshops?

Examples of outreach worker workshops:

Biomedical Overview of HIV/STDs

Cultural Awareness

Tips for Reaching a Community

Harm Reduction Techniques

Legal Issues

Field Notes

Burn-out Prevention

Examples of quarterly inservice workshops:

De-Escalating Street Conflict

Dealing with Stress and Burnout

Women and HIV

International AIDS Update in Vancouver

Access to AIDS Clinical Trials

TB and HIV

Substance Use and the Criminal Justice System

Street Drugs

Prostitution and Harm Reduction

Transgender Issues

Serving Immigrant Communities

Where can I take ICHO workshops?

At various locations in California.

How much do ICHO trainings cost?

Trainings are free of charge for agencies funded by the California Department of Health Services, Office of AIDS.

Where can I learn more?

Institute for Community Health Outreach
470 Carolina Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-626-ICHO (4246) Phone
415-626-4296 Fax Administration

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