C4 Interviewer Toolkit

Whether you are new to interviewing or are a veteran, this is your one-stop-shop for all your interviewing needs and more.

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Quick Links
Data Flags | Interviewer Hours | SOP | FAQ | Caller Scenarios | “Do Not Call” List | Replicon | Ultipro | Citrix | Slack

Experiencing tech issues?
Post in Slack to see if anyone can help troubleshoot, or email a brief description of the problem to the CDPH IT Help Desk at CDPHITServiceDesk@cdph.ca.gov or cherwell@cdph.ca.gov.

About This Toolkit

In this toolkit, you will find a wide range of information to support you in your position as a research interviewer for the California COVID-19 case-control (C4) study–from setting up and using interviewer tools to accessing resources for social, emotional, and technological support. If you do not see what you are looking for, DM Jennifer and Nozomi via Slack. We are here to help.

Need a demo? Watch this 8-minute walkthrough video.

Notes from the leadership team

• New protocol for reporting data flags, effective 02/24/2022
  We are retiring the #dataflags channel and putting data flags in this Google Doc instead

• After a difficult call
  Take a break. If you need to end your shift early after a painful conversation, please do so. If you feel comfortable to do so, share how you are feeling with the interviewer team via Slack, at our weekly team meetings, or directly with Kristin (919-413-0224), Joe (847-507-6115), or Jake (936-661-6885).

Overview of sections

Use the “Table of Contents” in the upper left to quickly navigate this document.

• Interviewer Resources
  This section consists of links to interviewer tools and general COVID-19 information, as well as emotional/social and technological support which may also be shared with interviewees if requested.
  
• Getting Started
  This section provides a rundown of what to expect during your first week, as well as links to required training modules and materials for conducting mock interviews.
  
• Supplementary Materials
  This section houses links to publications and other research outputs, materials used during skills sessions, and recordings of our “Path to Public Health” series.
  
• Miscellaneous Information
  This section contains links to resources that are available to you as a State of California employee and lists the study’s organizational structure and key contact information.
  
  

Getting Started

Congratulations on your new role as a research interviewer! The C4 team is excited to have you aboard.

As an interviewer, you play a vital role in not only recruiting participants and collecting data for this study, but also as the “face” of public health to those you will be calling.

Through this training program, we hope to help you develop the skills necessary to conduct quantitative research interviews, including:

• Using various tools (e.g., Qualtrics, Google Voice) to aid in interviewing and data collection
  
• Communicating effectively with a broad range of people to collect data
  
• Navigating sensitive topics and coping with difficult emotions and people
  
• Recognizing and addressing signs of stress and burnout in oneself and others

Questions about onboarding? Please post to the #onboarding Slack channel or DM both Jennifer and Nozomi.

Required Training

Read the CITI and JHU training instructions for details on how to complete the following training modules.

• CITI Social and Behavioral Research
  
• JHU Skills for Effective Communication (COVID-19 Contact Tracing Course)

Your First Week - What to Expect

First week = training week! We want to ensure you have the knowledge, skills, tools, and confidence to recruit study participants. Please review the onboarding videos and set-up instructions in the order listed below.

Onboarding videos

1. First Steps and Setup

2. Overview of Interviewer Tools

3. Policies and Best Practices

4. Walkthrough of SOP, FAQ, and Google Drive

5. Workspace Set-up and Mock Interview

6. Savannah’s Interviewer Experience

7. Q&A Panel with Current Interviewers

8. Replicon Timesheet Demo

Set-up instructions

1. CDPH Onboarding Instructions

2. Multi-factor Authentication Setup

3. Creating a Google Voice Number

4. Getting Started in Slack (Windows) Mac

Materials for Practice Interviews

Sign up for mock interviews here!

• Practice C4 survey (Qualtrics)
  
• Example line list (Southern California)

After completing the above tasks, familiarize yourself with the following sections:

• Interviewer Resources has links to interviewer tools, emotional, social, and mental health resources, technological support, and COVID-19 information, which may also be shared with interviewees if requested.
  
• Supplementary Materials has links to published and unpublished research outputs, materials for and recordings of skills sessions, and recordings of speakers from our “Path to Public Health” series.
  
• Miscellaneous Information has links to employee resources and lists the study’s organizational structure and key contact information.

Interviewer Resources

Emotional and social support

We recognize that we are asking you to initiate potentially painful conversations around COVID-19 with strangers. As a team, we want to do everything we can to make you feel supported in the event that you encounter these situations.

Below is a list of resources we have curated in the event you find yourself in difficult or taxing situations.

• Video: Prioritizing Your Mental Health & Well-being
  
• Video: Navigating Difficult Conversations (apologies for recording the second half only!)
  
• A Contact Tracer’s Psychological Survival Kit
  
• Emergency responders: Tips for taking care of yourself
  
• Incivility in Health Care: Strategies for De-escalating Troubling Encounters
  
• Wellness Apps and Resources, a slide deck containing links to various health and wellness resources
  
• Resources for You, compiled by the CA Connected Contact Tracing Program
  
• Statewide Community of Practice Learners

The following resources can be accessed by you, if needed, and shared with interviewees, if requested.

Basic Needs Resources

• Learn about and apply for food assistance at GetCalFresh.org
  
• Learn about and apply for unemployment benefits at CA.gov’s Employment Development Department
  
• Learn about and apply for housing relief through the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program
• Find legal resources for people forced to go back to work despite a covid infection or quarantine period at LegalAidAtWork.org

Mental Health Resources

• CalHOPE offers safe, secure, non-judgmental, and culturally sensitive emotional support for all Californians who may need support relating to COVID-19.
  
• Additional Resources lists contact information for various social, mental, and emotional support services.
  
• The Warm Line is a non-emergency resource for anyone in California seeking mental and emotional support. Chat online or call 855-845-7415 to speak to a counselor.
  
• Together for Wellness is toolkit of digital resources (like apps, websites, articles, and videos) that can help people through these challenging times. This has resources for teachers too!
  
• CDC Resources for Grief and Loss offers advice on what to do if you have lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic or if you feel distress from other types of loss or change.

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

• Search for resources by zip code at FindHelp.org, or
  
• Call 2-1-1 or visit 211CA.org to be directed to social resources nearby

Technological support

Experiencing tech issues? First, post in Slack to see if anyone can help troubleshoot. If no one has a solution, email a brief description of the problem to the CDPH IT Help Desk at CDPHITServiceDesk@cdph.ca.gov or cherwell@cdph.ca.gov.

• How to block a number on Google Voice
  
• Submitting an IT ticket
• Citrix slow connection

COVID-19 information

• covid19.ca.gov is the official website for California’s COVID-19 Response. Here, you can find daily updates, COVID-related policies, and links to additional resources.

• Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record allows you to obtain a digital copy of your vaccine card, including the product(s) received and date(s) of administration.

• CDC Guidance for COVID-19

• Long-term Effects of COVID-19
  

• COVID-19 Vaccination
  

• If You Are Sick or Caring for Someone

• COVID-19 Information for Specific Groups of People
  

• COVID-19 Science and Research
  

• Self-testing

Interviewing tools

• Slack
  Our main form of communication. Review Overview of Interviewer Tools to learn more about our channels, or click on the channel name to read a description.
  

• Interviewer Hours
  This is where you can schedule shifts to call. Please update your hours each Saturday by 4pm PST. For schedule-related concerns, DM Nozomi and Jennifer via Slack.
  

• SOP
  This has all the relevant information you need to successfully complete an interview for the C4 study.
  

• FAQ
  Refer to this document for scripted answers to frequently (and infrequently) asked questions.
  

• Caller Scenarios
  Refer to this document if you are unsure of what to do under various caller scenarios (e.g., ran out of controls to call).
  

• “Do Not Call” List
  Paste the phone numbers of administrative desks (e.g., correctional facility, detention centers, hospitals), or anyone who was unpleasant to talk to, here.
  

• Case-control Interview Guide [Spanish version]
  Use this guide if you are unable to access the Qualtrics survey online.
  

Supplementary Materials

Lab Meeting materials, including Zoom recordings, meeting minutes, and slides, can be found in the “Weekly Meetings” Google Drive folder.

Research outputs

• Call Statistics with Sophia Li
• Waning Immunity with Kristin Andrejko
• MMWR paper brief with Dr. Joe Lewnard
• Effectiveness of face mask or respirator use in indoor public settings for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection - California, February-December 2021
• Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection following high-risk exposure
• Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by mRNA-Based Vaccines Within the General Population of California

Skills sessions

• Slides: Vaccine Epidemiology
• Folder: R Coding
• Video: R Markdown (starts at 5-min mark)
• Video: Intro to directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) (starts at 25-min mark)

Path to Public Health speaker series

• Tomas Leon

Miscellaneous Information

Employee Resources

• Heluna Health Benefits Orientation
  
• LifeWorks Employee Assistance program (EAP)
  
• Heluna Health - Employee Tools
  
• Heluna Health - 2022 Calendar
  
• CalHR Resources for State Employees
  
• RCCC COVID-19 Response - Employee Assistance Programs

Contact Information

Jake Pry, PhD, MPH (he/him) Senior Epidemiologist
COVID-19 Response, Enhanced Surveillance, Science Branch
California Department of Public Health
jake.pry@cdph.ca.gov
936-661-6885

Kristin Andrejko (she/her) Epidemiologist and PhD Candidate
CDPH and UC Berkeley
kristin_andrejko@berkeley.edu

Joe Lewnard, PhD (he/him)
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology UC Berkeley
jlewnard@berkeley.edu

Nozomi Fukui Birkett (they/them)
Research Associate
COVID-19 Response, Enhanced Surveillance, Science Branch
California Department of Public Health
nozomifukui@berkeley.edu

Jennifer DeGuzman, MPH (she/her) Research Associate COVID-19 Response, Enhanced Surveillance, Science Branch
California Department of Public Health
jennifer.deguzman2@cdph.ca.gov

Karla Wicks
HR Generalist
Heluna Health
kwicks@HelunaHealth.org
626-434-9939

CDPH IT Help Desk
There are multiple ways to contact IT:

• Call (855) 500-0016
  
• Email the help desk at CDPHITSERVICEDESK@cdph.ca.gov
  
• Email Cherwell tracking at cherwell@cdph.ca.gov

CDPH Human Resources For questions regarding Citrix and CDPH email access:

• Email Cynthia Antar at Cynthia.Antar@cdph.ca.gov

C4 Leadership Team

Principal investigators

• Jake M. Pry
  
• Joseph Lewnard
  
• James Watt
  
• Seema Jain

Co-investigators

• Kristin Andrejko
  
• Jennifer Myers
  
• John Openshaw

Research associates

• Jennifer DeGuzman
  
• Nozomi Fukui Birkett
  
  

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Last updated 3/7/2022 by Jennifer DeGuzman