Community Health Worker
CurrentCommunity health workers are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have a remarkable understanding of the community. This trusting relationship with the community enables the CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health system and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural proficiency of service delivery. In this role, works to improve health outcomes and eliminate racial, ethnic, and economic disparities in those outcomes. CHWs play an important role in building individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, health education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.As a Community Health Worker, I - Deliver high-value services to individuals, particularly those in under resourced areas and/or with social needs, in home and community-based settings.- Draw upon and uses lived experiences to provide advocacy, support and referral service to individuals assigned to their caseload.- Conduct and interpret individual assessments to identify non-clinical needs and mitigate any barriers to resources and services.- Improve access to health and human services for individuals through in-person interactions (patient’s home, community, or clinic setting), telephone contacts, and coordination of referrals.- Provide education regarding chronic health conditions and health promotion in a way that promotes understanding and self-management by the individual. Reinforces health literacy and educational messages using appropriate tools and supplies within scope of practice.- Provide in-service education to service providers relative to healthcare customs/beliefs of the focus population and works cooperatively with other community agencies and clinical care teams to promote culturally appropriate services.
