Workforce development for prevention practitioners: Virtual approaches to training and technical assistance

As travel budgets shrink and cost restrictions on in-person meetings grow, Federal-, state-, and local-level substance abuse prevention and behavioral health agencies are turning to virtual methods to meet workforce development needs of a growing cadre of practitioners. Yet, in transitioning from in-person to virtual, it is important to consider effective instructional design in virtual settings.

EDC's Health and Human Development (HHD) Division has provided technical assistance (TA) through established centers at home and abroad. These centers evaluate the effectiveness of various virtual learning approaches, including online courses, webinars, TA sessions, training of trainers, and blended learning, serving audiences working in diverse settings. Virtual TA approaches can often bridge gaps that make travel next to impossible.

To identify and define critical components of effective virtual TA, we conducted an in-depth literature review on virtual learning focused describing the extent of online TA use in prevention; the effectiveness of different approaches; challenges to implementation; and criteria for choosing appropriate methods. Our review draws upon 5 years of evaluation data from TA initiatives conducted through HHD. We created a typology of virtual TA approaches to illustrate how these approaches fit together based on evidence. Our review will increase awareness of virtual learning methods and their relative effectiveness.

We will recommend effective virtual learning applications, relative costs, accessibility, technical expertise required, and criteria for choosing appropriate methods. Our analysis will provide a menu of approaches for practitioners to do their jobs within financial constraints and using effective and innovative approaches.