A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted individual who contributes to improved health outcomes in the community. CHWs serve the communities in which they reside or communities with which they may share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, or life experiences. The term “community health worker,” includes but is not limited to other titles such as outreach worker, patient navigator and promotores de salud.

 

A Community Health Worker proactively:

  • builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy;
  • serves as a liaison between communities and health care agencies;
  • provides guidance and social assistance to community residents;
  • enhances community residents’ ability to effectively communicate with healthcare providers;
  • provides culturally and linguistically appropriate health education;
  • advocates for individual and community health;
  • provides referral and follow-up services or otherwise coordinates care; and
  • identifies and helps enroll eligible individuals in federal, state, and local private or nonprofit health and human services programs.
Requirements

 

For more in depth information on the requirements please review the downloadable application above.

 

Education/Training: 75 total hours of education from a PCB accredited CHW training provider gained within the last five years. 

 

Work Experience: One (1) year of full-time volunteer or paid employment or 2000 hours of part-time of volunteer or paid employment as a Community Health Worker. 

 

Current Volunteer/Job Description: Copy of current Community Health Worker volunteer/job description, obtained from current organization, and which must be signed by both the applicant and their immediate supervisor. 

 

One-The-Job Supervision: 60 hours of on-the-job supervision of qualifying work experience specific to the domains.