Harrisburg

Are you passionate about health issues and conditions that impact health? Do you want to make a difference in your community? If yes, this Community Health Worker Training Program could be right for you!

CHW-trained staff are a valuable addition to agencies dedicated to improving individual and community health outcomes. Staff using CHW skills are often already connected to the community they plan to serve and may share important cultural bonds such as ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status or other life experiences with members.

CHW skills may be applied to a variety of job roles such as:

• Community Health Worker

• Client Navigator

• Promotores de Salud

• Home-Visitor

• Educator

• Advocate

• Counselor

• Social worker

This live-virtual 90-hour non-credit course is designed to provide the core competencies needed for work in community-based care. While the actual functions of Community Health Workers may vary by size and type of practice, healthcare specialty, or patient needs, all Community Health Workers must possess fundamental competencies to be successful in the role of working with patients towards the overarching goal of increasing appropriate utilization of health care services, particularly among under-served populations. Successful completion of this program will equip the participant with the knowledge, skills, and techniques to better meet the needs of clients and patients they serve, and prepare them for a variety of jobs in the community health field.

If you prefer an in-person experience, Temple University offers a similar program. This on-campus program is part of the LCCWP (Lenfest Center for Community Workforce Partnerships). This program largely serves the Philadelphia region and offers daytime enrollment. Please click here to review the in-person, main campus program details. Both options are PA Certified Board approved providers.

Temple University is a Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) approved provider of this live virtual 90-hour non-credit course. Completing the full 90 hours fulfills the education requirement for the Pennsylvania state Certified Community Health Worker (CCHW) credential!

The goal of Temple University’s training model is to prepare individuals with the basic skills to be effective Community Health Workers. Real life scenarios and exercises are built into each component to reinforce skills. This training program includes:

• 90 hours of in-classroom, didactic Community Health Worker Training based on the core competencies and modular topics

• Approximately 20 hours of reading, self-assessments, practice reflections, and/or assignments

• Weekly case study review and skills practice sessions

• Mental Health First Aid certification

• Supplemental special health-related topic seminars

• Final Exam

• Portfolio development

This training builds a foundation and focuses on competencies for the Community Health Worker, which includes:

• Advocacy and Capacity Building Skills–CHWs are expected to speak up on behalf of their clients and the communities they serve. CHWs also teach and support patients and communities to develop their own abilities to promote their own health.

• Care Coordination Skills–CHWs function within healthcare and social service systems, and work with clients to develop goals and access services to improve their health.

• Community Health Concepts and Health Literacy–CHWs educate clients about how to prevent and manage health conditions and to develop healthier habits.

• Cultural Competency Skills–CHWs work with different populations with diverse values, customs, language, sexual orientations, etc., and must be able to demonstrate cultural humility, acceptance and understanding.

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills–CHWs must be good listeners in order to learn about their patient’s experiences, behaviors, strengths and needs, and to provide appropriate health information and client-centered counseling. CHWs also work with diverse groups of people and must be able to develop positive relationships with patients, community members, supervisors, social workers and the other members of the healthcare team.

• Data and Documentation Skills–CHWs must be able to keep track of the clients and follow proper procedures to accurately document data for their employers.

• Ethical Responsibilities and Professionalism–CHWs must be aware of their scope of practice and understand their role and responsibilities.

• Safety and Self-Care–CHWs must maintain their safety and good psychological and physical health to perform their work professionally, without doing harm to clients, colleagues and self.

• Applications close February 14th, 2023  

• Spring 2023 CHW Cohort Tuesday February 21st – June 8th, 2023 (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6-9pm EST via Zoom) 

Applicants are required to:

• Be 18 years or older

• Have earned at least a high school diploma or GED

• Be proficient in reading and writing skills, as well as verbal communication

• Possess basic computer literacy skills (Zoom experience is helpful, but not required).