Community Health Worker

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are employed by public health, health care and social services agencies. CHWs provide client and community-centered health education,counseling and care management services. CHWs serve as a two-way bridge between communities and key health and social resources. They play a vital role in supporting low-income and other vulnerable clients to access culturally relevant services and advocate for health equity. All students will be trained in core competencies essential for success in the field, and have the opportunity to select courses that address specific health issues in communities. As part of their education, students will complete a semester-long internship with a local employer.

Unduplicated Headcount	Projected Annual FTES	Annual Completers
Year 1 = 50	Max FTES = 32.01	25
Year 2 = 50	Max FTES = 32.01	25

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to…

1. Analyze and evaluate public and community health concepts, health education and information for health promotion.
2. Assess and integrate professional skills necessary for employment in the Community Health Worker (CHW) field.
3. Evaluate and implement entry-level proficiency in CHW core competencies for working effectively with diverse individuals, groups, and communities.

The Community Health Worker (CHW) certificate program provides an opportunity for students to develop the competencies and skills as front line public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have a close understanding of the community they serve. This relationship enables the CHW to serve as a liaison between health services and the community. Obviously, there is a need for novel approaches to providing access to primary care – approaches that will help hospitals and healthcare systems to decrease readmissions and emergency department visits, increase patient adherence, improve health and wellness,reduce risk, prevent disease, and meet population needs. One such approach is the implementation of a CHW program. A growing body of evidence points to a positive health impact by CHWs who address the needs of individuals facing barriers to health education resources and healthcare services due to cultural practices, race, ethnicity, language, literacy, geography, income, ability, or other related factors. CHWs offer health, wellness, and disease prevention and management services in order to decrease health disparities and achieve health outcomes, better patient experience, and increased affordability.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
Required courses:
PH-200	Introduction to Community Health Worker	1	S1
PH-201	Community Health Worker Principle and Practices I	4	S1
PH-202	Community Health Worker Principle and Practices II	4	S2
PH-203	Community Health Worker Internship Placement and Performance	2	S2
PH-296	Community Health Worker Internship Placement	2	S2
Plus at least 3 units from:			S1
PH-124	Health and Wellness	3
PH-127	Drugs, Health and Society	3
PH-130	Introduction to Public Health	3
PH-135	Health and Social Justice	3
PH-137	Cultural Competence in Health and Social Services	3
PH-140	Human Sexuality	3
PH-145	Social Determinants, Disparities and Health Equities	3
PH-170	Women's Health	3
Total:		16

The program coursework students complete at DVC will satisfy lower-division requirements for related majors at several colleges and universities such as San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley.

There are no similar programs or certificates in the district and surrounding area, which is why it is needed. The closest Community College that has Community Health Worker certificate is San Francisco City College.