The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) continues to prioritize isolation and quarantine training in the context of emergency planning and preparedness, including pandemic influenza preparedness planning. As part of this on-going effort, the MDPH, in collaboration with the Local Public Health Institute, has developed a web-based version of the Legal Nuts and Bolts of Isolation and Quarantine Training Program, to complement the two-part classroom version that has been offered since 2004. This program aims to familiarize participants with the concepts of isolation and quarantine and their historical and modern use in disease control and prevention.
The online training format is designed for individuals who have been unable to attend the classroom trainings but still require a foundation in isolation and quarantine implementation and enforcement. This interactive, self-study course is divided into three stand-alone modules each geared toward specific target audiences and covering different but interrelated aspects of isolation and quarantine. The first module provides definitions of and historical context for isolation and quarantine and is only available in the web-based version of the training program. The next two modules have complimentary classroom trainings which prepare participants to respond to infectious disease cases (including emergencies) by providing information about the implementation and enforcement of isolation and quarantine. Please see the detailed descriptions below or on the course home page for more information about each module.
Other Information
For additional information, download the course flyer.
To register for this course, click the "Register" button at the bottom of this page. Please contact Kathleen Gilmore at 617-839-6919 or Kathleen.Gilmore@state.ma.us if you have any questions.
Note that the course can only be accessed by logging into the Local Public Health Institute website.
Continuing education credits are available for this course, and are pending approval. If you complete the course, test, and evaluation before credits are made available, contact Kathryn Troyan in order to obtain your credits.
Introductory Module: Introduction and Historical Context of Isolation and Quarantine
Estimated time: 1 hour
Training level: Awareness
Target audience: Public health, public safety, healthcare, school and legal professionals seeking an overview of isolation and quarantine.
Description: This module provides the historical context of isolation and quarantine and the regulations that govern their modern enforcement. Participants will learn to differentiate between isolation and quarantine, the purpose of each and the legal requirements that govern their enforcement.
Note: this module is only offered in the web-based version of the training program and has no classroom version counterpart.
Module 1: Using the Local Administrative Process to Enforce Isolation and Quarantine
(This corresponds to Part I of the classroom version)
Estimated time: 1 hour
Training level: Performance
Target audience: Local board of health members and staff (including directors, agents and nurses), town counsel and city solicitors. Other audiences who can benefit from this training are EMS personnel and police.
Description: This module describes the isolation and quarantine requirements outlined in 105 CMR 300.000 as they pertain to infectious diseases investigated by local health departments. Participants will learn how to use the 105 CMR 300.000 regulations to encourage voluntary compliance with isolation and quarantine requirements, and will be given information on the administrative process that would be followed with noncompliant individuals.
Module 2: Seeking a Court Order to Enforce Isolation and Quarantine
(This corresponds to Part II of the classroom version)
Note: This module is in development.
Estimated time: 1.5 hours
Training level: Performance
Target audience: Local board of health members and staff, town counsel and city solicitors.
Description: This module describes the process for seeking a court order to enforce isolation or quarantine regulations with an individual who has otherwise refused to comply. The basic legal documents required in this process are also discussed. It is strongly recommended that participants take Using the Local Administrative Process to Enforce Isolation and Quarantine, either the web-based (Module 1) or classroom version (Part I), prior to taking Module 2.
NOTE - How to Access the Course:
After you register for this course the link to it will be available to you in two ways:
1. If you want to take the course immediately after you register, you will find the link on your registration confirmation page, which appears after you click "Register Now."
2. If you decide to take the course in stages, or need to visit the course at any other time, you will find the link to it in your "Course Tracker" OR "Course History" under "Learner Profile." (Access your Learner Profile by clicking the link in the top right-hand corner of this website.)
If you have any questions about how to access the course, please contact Kathleen MacVarish at kmacvar@bu.edu.