The MWAETC is dedicated to the training needs of health care providers in carceral settings. Our program offers a variety of training opportunities specific to carceral staff members:
- Annual conference on HIV in the Carceral Setting
- Didactic seminars and lectures
- On-line video trainings (live and on-demand)
- Preceptorship program for medical providers
- Virtual communities of practice
- Clinical consultation
- Technical assistance
Please contact Antionette Craig for more information.
2025 HIV in Corrections Conference
The 2025 MWAETC HIV in the Carceral Setting Conference in Spokane, WA was a success this past Spring. The conference brought together individuals working both inside and outside carceral facilities in an interactive world café workshop on Friday. Participants learned about Hepatitis B & C elimination in the carceral system, peer-assisted telehealth, medication for opiate use disorder, long-acting injectable HIV medications and syphilis treatment. Friday night, the keynote speakers, Dr. Marc Stern from the University of Washington and Sixtine Gurrey from the Washington State Department of Health, presented a lively fireside discussion called “Carceral Health is Public Health”. Finally, on Saturday, there were clinical updates on HIV care, HIV medications and PrEP in the carceral setting. Dr. Shannon Robinson of Health Management Associates presented recommendations for carceral-based medication for addiction treatment, and Dr. Michele DiTomas of California’s Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation gave a fantastic overview of providing palliative care with compassion in the carceral setting. The day ended with a panel of people with lived experience in the carceral system discussing the complexities of navigating reentry as people living with HIV. Participants and conference team members left motivated to actively strive to decrease inequities within their systems.
Front Row (left to right): Rhianna Tretin (Montana AETC), Lara Strick, MD (MWAETC Regional Office), Carrie Van Ness (Washington AETC), Victor Ramirez (Washington AETC), Madi Larson (Wyoming AETC) Back Row (left to right): Dayna Morrison (Oregon AETC), Hillary Liss, MD (MWAETC Regional Office).
Carceral HIV (aka HIV in Corrections) Preceptorship
This two-day educational program is a prison-based preceptorship for health care providers during which they will observe and work with an HIV expert preceptor. Preceptorships will be designed to meet the specific needs of individual trainees based on current levels of experience and practice settings. Preceptors will focus on the care and treatment of patients with HIV within the context of a comprehensive, continuum of care model. A combination of didactic and experiential instruction will include HIV risk assessment, diagnosis of primary HIV and opportunistic infections, therapeutic interventions (i.e., medication regimens, including managing side effects, salvage therapies, and adherence strategies), and treatment as prevention. Instruction will also include strategies for effectively addressing patients’ psychosocial needs related to mental health and substance use disorders and social support. Participants (preceptees) will accompany the preceptor to observe at least four work-ups with patients being treated for HIV. The preceptorship will include time in both prison and community clinic settings.
Carceral HIV Preceptorship Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, attendees should be able to:
- Diagnose primary HIV infection
- Conduct baseline evaluation of newly diagnosed patients with HIV infection
- Cite principles underlying antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and maintenance
- Recognize adverse and potentially life-threatening side effects of ART
- Approach diagnosis/management of common HIV co-morbid conditions