Community Health Worker (CHW)

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A CHW also 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. The Community Health Worker (CHW) program is approved by the CT Department of Public Health and prepares students for the Community Health Worker certification. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES • Analyze health issues and inequalities from public health and cultural perspectives. • Summarize the process of community organizing, advocacy, and policy development as appropriate to the scope of practice for community health workers. • Discuss and demonstrate non-clinical health assessment, advising, and service coordination planning and client-centered counseling. • Assess and apply professional skills including establishment of goals for internship placement, ethics, and scope of practice, professional boundaries, cultural humility, and self-care practices. • Evaluate health care delivery systems including eligibility and community resources in order to provide appropriate linkage services to clients. • Describe and demonstrate mastery of cultural humility principles and practice in working with diverse clients and communities. • Design, prepare and facilitate a group health education training or presentation demonstrating effective group level teamwork and conflict resolution skills. https://www.c3project.org – Refer to link for list of Roles and Skills to cover."

This program prepares Community Health Workers to become Doulas and Doulas to become Community Health Workers. This training will help to better health equity outcomes for expecting and new mothers and recovering from birth.

Gain practical experience as a community health worker through internship opportunities.