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NACHW
Six Pillars of Community Health Workers
https://nachw.org/the-six-pillars-of-community-health-workers/
1 – CHWS ARE A UNIQUE WORKFORCE
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are a one-of-a-kind group of public health workers. CHWs as a profession have a designated workforce classification by the US Department of Labor, and are recognized health professionals by the ACA. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the US Department of Homeland Security deemed CHWs essential and critical infrastructure workers. With a unique set of core competencies recognized by local, state, and federal governmental organizations, CHWs are an underappreciated yet crucial workforce that promote social justice and help to achieve health equity and wellbeing for all.
2 – CHWS ARE A COMMUNITY-BASED WORKFORCE
Grounded in and committed to community advocacy, CHWs build relationships with those around them and help build treatment capacity in underserved areas. Trust, respect, and dignity for all human beings are core values among CHWs, and these public health workers are central to efforts to address clinical and community integration and the social determinants of health. CHW Networks and Associations help train and mobilize CHWs and provide support for local communities, from low-income city neighborhoods to remote rural villages, tribal nations, and territories.
3 – CHWS ARE A HISTORIC AND DIVERSE WORKFORCE
The history of CHWs goes back hundreds of years in the US. They’ve been here since the very beginning, in the form of tribal healers, and today are known by many different titles — community health representatives, promotoras, aunties, peers, outreach workers, and many others. As a reflection of the country they call home, they are diverse in ethnicity, language, and culture — the majority of CHWs are female people of color. These health workers have lived experience and cultural alignment, and deal with similar issues and suffer from many of the same chronic conditions as their ancestors, which makes them uniquely qualified to tackle community-based health problems.
4 – CHWS ARE A CROSS-SECTOR WORKFORCE
CHWs reduce barriers to healthcare and build capacity in underserved communities, helping their communities achieve optimal health and wellbeing. The social determinants of health are of particular interest to CHWs — they approach health with a holistic philosophy, considering socioeconomic and cultural factors in their attempt to achieve true health equity. CHWs establish formal and informal networks in local contexts and beyond to better leverage their collective strength and to serve their communities to the best of their abilities.
5 – CHWS ARE A PROVEN WORKFORCE
In terms of effectiveness, CHWs have proven how integral they are to clinical, public health, and social systems. 60 years worth of evidence of their effectiveness has been acquired through the study of CHWs in maternal and child health, chronic disease interventions, immunization, oral health, HIV, primary care, and many other disciplines. The results are clear: CHWs play a crucial role in societal healthcare efforts, as documented in countless randomized control trials, systematic reviews, and ROI studies of CHW interventions. In recent years, CHWs have increasingly been recognized for their contributions to addressing racial equity and the social determinants of health – by connecting individuals to basic needs and by organizing communities to address inequitable social conditions.
6 – CHWS ARE A PRECARIOUS WORKFORCE
As a majority-female workforce, CHWs face similar challenges to other female-dominated fields. They are among the lowest paid public health professionals, and frontline community work exposes them to communicable diseases, violence, and other forms of secondary trauma. Exacerbating these issues are an inconsistent professional identity and lackluster state and national-level legislation. Given the field’s issues, it’s not surprising that the CHW profession lacks sustainability in many areas such as recruitment, training, legislation, professional development, career ladders, and financing.
CHW Program Evaluation + Funding
Community Health Worker Assessment & Improvement Matrix
Community Health Worker Assessment & Improvement Matrix
An evidence-based, easy-to-use diagnostic tool to design high-performing CHW programs
CDC CHW Resources
We want to celebrate and recognize community health workers (CHWs) and their role as an essential connector between communities, health care and social systems, and state health departments. hands holding hearts Explore this resource collection and enhance your work. Be sure to share with colleagues!
Community Health Worker Resources
- Lists programs across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that offer CHW resources.
Community Health Worker Toolkit
- Provides online training, lessons learned, and best practices to train and build the capacity of CHWs in their communities.
National Association of Community Health Workers Document Resource Center
- Provides CHW leaders, current and potential employers, and payers with a searchable collection of documents on state-level CHW policies.
- Presents a summary report and job aid from a CDC forum on promoting the long-term sustainability and financing of CHWs.
Guides for CHWs to engage people with diabetes and those at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
- New Beginnings: A Discussion Guide for Living Well With Diabetes 2022 update now available
- Road to Health Toolkit: How to Prevent or Delay Type 2 Diabetes in Your Community: A Resource for Community Health Workers Coming soon!
Both resources include expanded content and tips for virtual delivery. Thank you to all community health workers!
CHCF CHW Resource Center
Advancing California’s Community Health Worker & Promotor Workforce in Medi-Cal
A Resource Center for how managed care plans can integrate community health workers and promotores into their programs
October 2021
Authored by: Center for Health Care Strategies
CDC CHW Toolkit
CHWs are trained public health workers who serve as a bridge between communities, health care systems, and state health departments.
Resources on this page include:
- Online courses, lessons learned, and best practices to help state health departments train and further build capacity for CHWs in their communities.
- Training and education materials for CHWs to use within their communities.
Policy Resources
Implementation and Evaluation Resources
Training and Educational Resources
Literature Summary: Science-in-BriefPeer-Reviewed Journal Articles
https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/toolkits/chw-toolkit.htm
The six-session course covers
1. CHWs’ roles and functions
2. Current status of the CHW occupation
3. Areas of public policy affecting CHWs
4. Credentialing CHWs
5. Sustainable funding for CHW positions
6. Examples of states successful in moving policy and systems change forward http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/chw_elearning.htm
REIMBURSEMENT STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYERS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
Reimbursement Strategies for Employers of Community Health Workers - A Toolkit
Community Health Workers/Promotores de Salud (CHW/Ps) are essential members of a multi-disciplinary care team to help patients achieve favorable health outcomes. This new Toolkit provides guidance for how health care providers and community-based organizations that deploy CHW/P interventions can receive reimbursement for CHW/Ps in both the fee-for-service and value-based care environments.
The Toolkit is designed to provide the tools for CHW/P organizations to bill health payers for CHW/P interventions. The reimbursement pathways outlined in the Toolkit represent reimbursement opportunities for CHW/P interventions that exist broadly within the current health care market.
For more information, contact Shelly Bolling-Strickland at 816-701-8234.
The Toolkit has been prepared by Erika Saleski, ES Advisors, LLC, and Tim McNeill, Freedmen’s Health, with support from Mid-America Regional Council and the Health Forward Foundation.
CMS MLN Advance Care Planning Fact Sheet
File
CMS MLN Behavioral Health Integration Services booklet
File
CMS MLN Chronic Care Management Services booklet
File
CMS MLN Cognitive Assessment and Care Plan Services CPT Code 99482 Fact Sheet
File
CMS MLN Evaluation and Management Services Guide
File
CMS MLN Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Expanded Model booklet
File
CMS MLN Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training fact sheet
File
CMS MLN Preventive Services Chart
File
CMS MLN Transitional Care Management Services booklet
File
NCOA Health and Behavior Assessment / Intervention Information Resource
CHW Resource Library
Resource Library content areas include, but are not limited to:
- CHW/P workforce financing models and CHW State Plan Amendment
- Developing or refining CHW/P program or collaborative mission, values, and vision
- Revenue cycle, medical billing, and contracting guides and templates
- CHW/P recruitment, retention, performance and growth plans
- Utilization and application of Healthy Places Index and Labor Market Information platforms to define CHW/P labor demand and geographic social needs
Guide to Community-Based Workforce Principles
Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID 19 Response Strategies
Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID 19 Response Strategies
Guide to Community-Based Workforce Principles
A guide to help state and local leaders and allies advance urgent health equity priorities s part of COVID 19 response and recovery efforts
(PowerPoint Presentation: 29 slides)
- RECRUIT WITH A RACIAL EQUITY FRAMEWORK: Apply a racial equity lens to recruit contact tracers from highly impacted communities. Pay a living wage. Include residents, trusted workers, and leaders in governance and advisory groups
- LAUNCH A COMMUNITY-BASED JOBS PROGRAM: Leverage existing and expected federal funds to engage unemployed or dislocated workers with living wage jobs that meet contact tracing and other community needs.
- INVEST IN TRUSTED WORKERS, INCLUDING CHWS Response & recovery will move at the speed of trust. Pay and expand the authority of trusted, trained community health workers & promotores to support and join contact tracers
- EMBED JOB TRAINING & PIPELINES TO LOCAL CAREERS: Engage nonprofit workforce training partners to address basic skills gaps and create a pipeline to careers in local health departments, community-based organizations, and local businesses.
- STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS WITH PSYCHOSOCIAL SERVICES: Use social vulnerability data and proven tools to identify household psychosocial needs among isolated and quarantined contacts and to connect them to community resources.
- STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE & FINANCING: Braid funds to sustain essential nonprofits and invest in outcomes funds, wellness trusts, and other place-based payment models that align with long-term community health outcomes.
Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID 19 Response Strategies
Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID 19 Response Strategies
Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID 19 Response Strategies
Advancing CHW Engagement in COVID 19 Response Strategies ( pdf 19 pages)
" The Playbook"
The COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the persistent inequities in healthcare access,
quality and cost throughout American society. Local Health Departments (LHDs) must
advance health equity in all facets of their response and rebuilt efforts. Community Health
Workers (CHWs), as trusted members of the community and experts in community health,
are critical for this advancement. CHWs should be engaged as necessary partners throughout
several key activities of the local COVID-19 response strategy, including but not limited to
contact tracing and healthcare coordination, community-based testing, vaccine readiness
education, and the navigation of social resources.
9 key areas of engagement:
- Role Definition
- Recruitment
- Training and Professional Development
- Safety and Supplies
- Supervision
- Compensation
- Multisector Integration
- Career Investment
- Program Evaluation
Four levels of an engagement continuum:
- Limited or Harmful Engagement
- Moderate Engagement
- Mature Engagement
- Robust Engagement
assessment tools
PRAPARE
Assessment tool for SDOH
The PRAPARE Screening Tool has been translated in over 25 languages to extend accessibility to the diverse populations you serve.
PHQ9
Patient Health Questionnaire -9 is a quick screening tool to evaluate symptoms of depression
NIH Research evaluation of the PHQ-9
Conclusion:
"In addition to making criteria-based diagnoses of depressive disorders, the PHQ-9 is also a reliable and valid measure of depression severity. These characteristics plus its brevity make the PHQ-9 a useful clinical and research tool."
CHW Trauma and Resiliency Toolkit
CHW Trauma and Resiliency Toolkit
CHW-Trauma and Resiliency Toolkit
The information and resources found in this toolkit are aimed at providing tools to Community Health Workers (CHWs), Promotores de Salud, Community Health Representatives, Community Health Advisors, Peer Support Specialists, Navigators, and other related titles who primarily serve historically marginalized and disenfranchised communities. This toolkit is intended to provide educational content and guidance, focusing on effective responses and support for children, adolescents, and families encountering trauma and toxic stress.
Arnold School of Public Health SC
Center for Community Health Alignment
Section I: Designing Community Health Worker Programs
This toolkit section will help you with:
- Preparing your team to implement CHW programs.
- Finding the right CHWs for population served.
- Recruiting, hiring, and onboarding CHWs.
- CHW training and continuing education.
Section II: Working Effectively with Community Health Workers
This toolkit section will help you with:
- Developing new or revising existing workflows.
- Assessing individual and community needs and identifying populations that CHWs can serve.
- Establishing CHW Caseloads.
- Documenting CHW Activities.
- Establishing effective team communication and feedback loops.
Section III: Understanding Screening and Responding to Social Determinants of Health
This toolkit section will help you with:
- Facilitation of a planning process for screening and responding to SDOH needs.
- Assessment for fit for organizations to determine which screening tool(s) provide the best fit based on individual needs (e.g., identifying domains to screen for).
- Assessment of organizational capacity to address SDOH (organizational services, resources and closing the loop on referrals).
The American Hospital Association
Toolkit: Building a Community Health Worker Program
Toolkit: Building a Community Health Worker Program
The Key to Better Care, Better Outcomes,& Lower Costs
July 2018
Authors:
- Beth A. Brooks, PhD, RN, FACHE
- Sheila Davis, DNP, ANP, FAAN
- Loraine Frank-Lightfoot, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
- Pamela A. Kulbok, DNSc, RN, PHCNS-BC, FAAN
- Shawanda Poree, MBA, BSN, RN
- Lisa Sgarlata, DNP, MSN, MS, RN, FACHE
The American Hospital Association in association with National Urban League formed a toolkit to provide information on how to implement and sustain CHW programs as well as the benefits of CHW programs to the organization and community.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: Introduction and Background
Chapter 2: Defining the CHW Role
Chapter 3: Implementing a CHW Program
Chapter 4: Strategic Stakeholders
Chapter 5: Implementation Considerations and FAQs
Chapter 6: Case Studies
Chapter 7: Tools and Templates
Resources
References
Bibliography
To access the toolkit, click here.
Infographics
DHCS
Health Homes Program
The Health Homes Program (HHP) is designed to serve eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries with complex medical needs and chronic conditions who may benefit from enhanced care management and coordination. The HHP coordinates the full range of physical health, behavioral health, and community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS) needed by eligible beneficiaries.
The HHP provides six core services:
- Comprehensive care management
- Care coordination (physical health, behavioral health, community-based LTSS)
- Health promotion
- Comprehensive transitional care
- Individual and family support
- Referral to community and social support services, including housing
Contact Us
We value your input. Please email any HHP questions, comments, or concerns to: HHP@dhcs.ca.gov
Program Overview
- HHP Program Guide (11/1/19)
- HHP Implementation Schedule
- HHP Implementation Update (September 2020)
- HHP Implementation Update (November 2019)
- HHP Program Overview Slide Deck
- HHP Final UCLA Evaluation Design
- Aurrera Health Group - California's Health Homes Program: Lessons Learned and Promising Practices (February 2020)
- HHP Member Success Stories by Aurrera Health Group September 2020 (not DHCS)
- HHP Member Success Stories by Aurrera Health Group February 2021 (not DHCS)
- UCLA First Interim Evaluation of California's Health Homes Program (not DHCS)
Background Information
- Health Homes Program Funding Summary
- State Plan Amendment (16-007)
- Medi-Cal 2020 1115 Waiver Amendment (12/19/17)
- Assembly Bill 361 / Senate Bill 361
- Affordable Care Act Section 2703
Outreach & Education Materials
- HHP Member Toolkit (English)
- HHP Member Toolkit (Spanish)
- HHP Provider Guide (2019)
- Information for MCPs, CB-CMEs, CBOs
- Fact Sheets for Members
- HHP Outreach Toolkit (not DHCS)
Training & Program Resources
MHP SALUD
Resources for Community Health Workers and Program Managers
Resource Portfolio:
- Adolescent Health
- Agricultural Worker Health
- Archived Materials
- Clinical Care Teams
- Diabetes
- Elder Health
- Emergency Preparedness
- General Health Topics
- Grant Writing
- Group Activities
- Healthy Relationships
- Hypertension
- Language Accessibility
- Maternal and Child Health
- Materiales en Español
- Mental Health Resources
- Program Design
- Recruiting and Hiring
- Return on Investment
- Social Determinants of Health
- Supervision and Management
- Workforce Development
City Of Philadelphia DBHIDS: Peer Support Toolkit
Peer Support Specialist
City Of Philadelphia DBHIDS: Peer Support Toolkit
- Module 1: Preparing the Organizational Culture
- Module 2: Recruiting and Hiring Peer Staff
- Module 3: Service Delivery
- Module 4: Supervision and Retention
The interactive PDF format allows easy navigation among sections of the toolkit. The toolkit performs best when the PDF is downloaded to your device and opened in Adobe.
To download the PCCI Peer Support Toolkit (275 pages)
To learn more about the Peer Support Toolkit, be sure to take advantage of a quick tutorial in this YouTube video.
