Community Health Workers are non-licensed frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have an unusually close understanding of the community. Individuals may work in settings such as outreach, patient navigation systems, peer counseling environments, promotors in community settings, health aids in schools, health advocate and health education arenas.
Community Health Workers assist with enrolling individuals into programs, coordinate resources within the community for individuals, provide health intervention strategies, develop training programs, and serve as a liaison between the community and organizations. They play a vital role in improving the health of others by providing a connection between health systems and community resources, as well as education on how to reduce behavioral health risk factors.
The CHW Core Competencies include:
1. Professionalism and Conduct
2. Self-Awareness
3. Service Coordination and System Navigation
4. Education to Promote Healthy Behavior Change
5. Advocacy
6. Individual and Community Capacity Building
7. Effective Communication Strategies
8. Cultural Responsiveness
9. Documentation and Reporting
10. Use of Public Health/Community Health Concepts and Approaches
11. Individual Assessment
12. Community Assessment
Is This Program Right for Me?
The Community Health Worker training program is a short-term non-credit course that prepares students to conduct outreach for medical personnel or health organizations to implement programs in the community that promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health; provide information on available resources, provide social support and informal counseling; and advocate for individuals and community health needs. Students receive a letter of completion upon successfully completing the course and can apply for a CHW credential through the CHW Missouri Credentialing Board.
Throughout this online course, students will participate in discussions, collaborative projects, and an on-site clinical shadowing experience as they learn how to provide quality public service, how to navigate local community resources, as well as develop a deeper understanding of specific community-based cultural beliefs. Students will need to commit to 60 contact hours for a service learning project.
To take the course, you will need to apply for admission to SFCC. Click the Apply Now link to complete the free application in which you will need to select the Community Health Worker program. You will then be contacted to complete the enrollment process. Please contact the Executive Assistant for Allied Health if you have questions or need assistance.
Occupational Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of a Community Health Workers is expected to increase 17 percent from 2020 to 2030. This is considered to be faster than all occupations average. Each year or on average it is projected to be about 16,100 openings for Community Health Workers and Health Education Specialists.
For Community Health Workers the middle annual wage was $42,000 in 2020 with the low earnings around $28,000 annually and the high earnings around $70,000 annually.
SOURCES:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm#tab-6
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm#tab-5
Eligibility
Students enrolling in this program must be at least 18-years old, possess a high school diploma or equivalent, be selected for the program and must work in Missouri at least 50 percent.
