Contact tracing is a specialized skill that requires training, and involves a bit of detective work, where people who have tested positive for COVID-19 are interviewed to determine everyone with whom they have had close contact during the time while they were infectious. Those individuals are then notified of their exposure, and the actions they should take to limit further spread of the disease. To protect privacy, contacts are only informed that they have been exposed to someone with the infection, not the identity of the person.
Skokie residents interested in serving as contact tracers need to take a certification course. Here is more information from the State of Illinois:
“The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is seeking interested individuals to support local public health authorities to perform COVID-19 contact tracing. This recruitment effort is developing through partnership with the state, local public health authorities, healthcare entities and community-based organizations. Hiring Contact Tracers will depend on the needs of the local public health authorities and by region of the state. Completing this form does not represent the promise of a job or job interview with the State of Illinois or any other entity.”
Fill out the form below.
https://redcap.dph.illinois.gov/surveys/?s=KWKJL93TM7
Additional questions can be directed to illinois.helps@illinois.gov.
Here is information on two online contact tracing certification courses:
Oakton Community College offers a "Public Health Contact Tracing Paraprofessional" course. See the OCC website for more information.
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials is offering "Making Contact: A Training for COVID-19 Contact Tracers", a free introductory online course for entry-level COVID-19 contact tracers. See additional information.
The Village of Skokie has hired contact tracers and currently is not hiring additional staff for this purpose.
