Community Health Workers (CHWs) are the vital link between communities and health care providers.
Or, as the American Public Health Association puts it: “CHWs promote the community’s voice within the health care system.”
CHWs work neighbor-to-neighbor, teen-to-teen, refugee-to-refugee, mother-to-mother, one connection at a time.
As members of the communities they serve, community health workers provide culturally appropriate outreach, prevention, intervention, and treatment services which are based in, and reflect, the value systems of the community. True peer counselors, Community Health Workers improve community health by linking communities and health care systems.
They educate individuals and communities and facilitate access to needed services. They may work as breastfeeding peer counselors, doulas, poison prevention educators, asthma educators, diabetes prevention educators, to name a few.
Regardless of specific role, they provide formal and informal community-based home visiting and case management services. They can be helpful bridges between community residents and healthcare providers and managers. For example, CHWs can help develop programs and services that are more responsive to the communities being served.
They also support community empowerment by providing information, leadership, and advocacy on issues impacting community health and well-being.
CHW Training & Integration
We have been training and collaborating with community health workers since 1986. We have trained parents, youth, and many others to promote breastfeeding, provide pregnancy and birthing support, and to prevent infant mortality.
Training topics have included prevention of prematurity, the importance of prenatal care, dealing with domestic violence, having a healthy pregnancy, communication, self-care, health disparities, and more.
Please contact us if you are interested in a community health worker training for your agency on these topics. We also partner with community health and human service organizations to develop programs that integrate community health workers into other services.
Recent CHW articles
- Reclaiming Latinx Birth Traditions
–> En Español <– Hi! I’m Cassie, a Mexican mom and doula from Chicago! I have one adventurous toddler I keep close to me. We are inseparable, and our […] - Autocuidado para mejorar nuestra salud física y mental / Self-care to improve physical & mental health
Presentado por: Dámarys Crespo-Valedón y Yamellies Rivera González Desde que comenzό la pandemia por el COVID-19, las promotoras de la salud que están al frente de esta pandemia, […]