Advocacy

Community Health Worker Advocacy

HealthConnect One works with CHWs, Promotores de Salud, and other stakeholders across the country to strengthen, support, expand, and promote the role.

Local Network

The Chicago Community Health Workers Local Network is by and for Community Health Workers and Promotores de Salud. It is supported and advised by HealthConnect One, with the intention of becoming its own entity. HealthConnect One has incubated the Network since April 2007, acting as fiscal agent and staff advisor.

Please visit www.chw-promotores.net for more information, or link here to make a donation.

Survey & Mapping Project

Please link here for details on the Chicago Community Health Worker / Promotor de Salud Survey & Mapping Project.

Training Initiative

Community Forum: On May 29, 2009, with support from the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and The Field Foundation of Illinois, HealthConnect One and the Chicago Community Health Workers Local Network hosted a community forum to bring together Community Health Workers (CHWs), Promotores de Salud, employers, health providers, researchers, advocates, funders and public officials - those interested in promoting and strengthening the role of CHWs/Promotores in improving community health in the Chicago Area - to discuss training issues.

Forum Notes: Please link here to download notes from the community forum.

Current Activities: For a description of current activities on this initiative, or to become involved, please visit the Network's website - www.chw-promotores.net, or contact Network Organizers Laura Bahena or Alfredo Lopez.

American Association of Community Health Workers - National Board

HealthConnect One's Senior Trainer Wandy Hernandez serves on the board of the AACHW.

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.