COVID-19 Case and Contact Interview Branch (CCIB) Student Internship Program

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

On March 4, 2020, the County of Los Angeles (LAC) Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health (DPH) declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19), across the country. To support its ongoing efforts in combating COVID-19, LAC DPH sought unpaid interns to participate in contact tracing efforts.“Contact tracing” activities comprise follow-up with people who have tested positive for the coronavirus (case interviewing), identifying others with whom they may have come in close contact, and following-up with those “contacts” to remind them of their self-quarantining obligations and responsibilities (“contact interviewing”), per the Health Officer Order (“HOO”).This internship provides students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate on the ground floor in an historic moment. In less than a year, LAC DPH has hosted over 500 student internships, providing them with unparalleled public health experience and training. For students interested in a career in public health or related fields, this internship provides hands-on training and experience in a fundamental part of students’ chosen fields.