COVID-19 Medical-Religious Partnerships: Implementation of a Just-In-Time COVID-19 Training in Catholic Schools

Abstract

The concept of Just-In-Time Training (JITT) is to provide critical information specific to a public health crisis, allowing individuals to understand and respond to an urgent situation. The design of the JITT curriculum appropriate for school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital, as every individual has a role to play in mitigating the spread of SARS-CoV-2. When working with various communities, considering culture and religion is essential, as aligning values and beliefs with the JITT curriculum’s objectives may significantly change the community’s behavior toward a public health crisis. In this narrative, we describe how a JITT curriculum for the COVID-19 pandemic, created in Maryland, US, and implemented in a Catholic school system, aligned with core Catholic social teachings. This alignment allowed for implementing and delivering the COVID-19 curriculum in Maryland’s Archdiocese Catholic school system, culminating in a medical-religious partnership that serves as a model for future public health crises.

The Influence of Faith and Religion on Family Interactions and Interest in Health Issues during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Study among Polish Adolescents

“…The students had altruistic and self-interested motivations, but altruistic motivations were more common among religious respondents [ 29 ]. Additionally, the educational system proposed by Galiatsatos et al (2021), Just-In-Time COVID-19 Training in Catholic Schools, could increase population health strategies being understood and accepted and increase the rate of adolescents willing to cooperate and be ready to volunteer [ 30 ].…”

Negotiating Safety and Wellbeing: The Collaboration Between Faith-Based Communities and Public Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Community engagement with faith-based organizations, among other strategies, has also been promoted as a key element of disaster and epidemic responses ("Centers for Disease Control and Prevention", 2010 ; Gillespie et al, 2016 ; Wiginton et al, 2019 ). This strategy has been used in the response to COVID-19 by some health institutions to help local faith-based organizations adapt to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance (Monson, 2021 ; Galiatsatos, 2020 ). Stajura et al ( 2012 ) explored how community-based organizations and faith-based organizations perceived collaboration with local health departments for disaster relief and found that a bidirectional relationship matters the most for participants.…”

“…Often, voices from majority groups have prevailed; in other cases, some attention has been given to the specific needs of minorities (Cleveland et al, 2020 ; Luft, 2020 ). The processes leading to these delicate choices has not yet been described although some attention has been given in the literature to medical-religious partnerships in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (Monson, 2021 ; Galiatsatos, 2020 ). Further knowledge could help institutions promote a public health agenda while preserving social harmony and protecting the rights of minorities.…”

“Everything is Either Sent by God or Used by God”: An Exploratory Study on the Impact of COVID-19 Upon the Religious Lives of Black Families Living with Dementia

“…Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has created lasting changes for Black families living with dementia and their church communities. It is critical for churches to meet the needs of their congregants and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health crises (Monson et al, 2021 ; Williams et al, 2021 ). The findings from this study contribute to understanding of the spiritual needs of Black PLWDs and their caregivers when experiencing social isolation.…”