Certificate of Achievement in Community Health Worker

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are essential healthcare workers who serve as navigators, educators, and informal counselors who connect community members and patients in hard-to-reach populations with clinical and governmental services to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. CHWs often share similar life experiences, values, and language with the populations they serve, which in turn develops relationships based on a foundation of trust and connection. The Certificate of Achievement in Community Health Worker trains students to be frontline agents of change who serve as advocates for issues related to social determinants of health to reduce health disparities within the communities they serve. Students will learn skills required to help individuals and communities adopt healthy behaviors, access resources, and navigate complex governmental systems.

The HLTH 21 course averages 41 students per course offering. Aiming for 15 students to complete the first year but it is reasonable that the first year will have an annual completion of 8 students, with an increase in subsequent years, especially if students who are already completing their Associate Degree for Transfer in Public Health Science also complete the Certificate of Achievement in Community Health Worker. This figure may be higher if interest in the certificate program exists for students already in the Associate in Science in Public Health Science for Transfer degree program. Recruitment in vulnerable communities is required as the ideal community health worker is already an established and trusted member of their community.

 

Course #	Course Title	Annual Sections (Y1, 2020/21)	Annual Enrollment(Y1 2020/21	Annual Sections (Y2, (2021/22)	AnnualEnrollment(Y2, 2021,22)
HLTH 21	Contemporary Health Concerns	11	474	11	439
HLTH 101	Introduction to Community Health Work	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
ITRN 50	Internship	13	120	14	137
CNSL 6	Exploring Leadership	2	49	3	98

The Certificate of Achievement in Community Health Worker provides a foundational framework in public health, health education, and entry-level skills needed to bridge the gap between clinical care, patient adherence, and improvement of health outcomes. Upon completion of the certificate program, students will be prepared to enter the public and community health field as community health workers serving as navigators, educators, and informal counselors who connect community members and patients in hard-to-reach populations with clinical and governmental services to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Many community health workers will be integral components of a healthcare team often serving as a liaison between clinicians and patients providing informal counseling, case management, and healthcare system navigation.

 

As healthcare shifts towards patient-centered and cost-effective care, community health workers ensure that clients receive culturally relevant healthcare reducing both emergency departments visits and hospitalizations while increasing the use of primary care. Community health worker services will be included as a Medi-Cal benefit starting July 1, 2022, thus expanding the opportunities and need for community health workers. This certificate program will provide opportunities to improve health disparities and health outcomes within individuals through coursework, as well as serve as a route to employment opportunities for individuals typically underrepresented in the healthcare industry. The vocational goals include a direct pathway into a career serving as a community health worker within an array of organizations, including local government, clinics, insurers, health maintenance organizations, non-profit community-based organizations, etc.

 

Program Learning Outcomes:

·      Students will be able to apply informal counseling and motivational interviewing techniques when communicating with individuals, groups, and communities, related to patient goals and outcomes

·      Students will be able to accurately disseminate culturally competent health education to individuals, groups, and communities

·      Students will be able to help patients navigate complex government applications for social services

·      Students will be able to apply written, verbal, and active listening communication strategies that are professional, courteous, and culturally competent

Students will be required to take four classes.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
Health 21	Contemporary Health Concerns	4	Y1 Fall
Health 101	Introduction to Community Health Work	5	Y1 Winter
ITRN 50	Internship	1	Y1 Spring
CNSL 6	Exploring Leadership	4	Y1 Any Quarter

The Certificate of Achievement in Community Health Worker aligns directly with the vision of Foothill College in valuing service for both diverse and vulnerable populations. Further, the certificate program offers students a career path with opportunities in clinics, hospitals, community-based organizations, and health maintenance organizations. The certificate program does not compete with any other local Bay Area community colleges, as the only other opportunities for an exclusive Community Health Worker certificate are in San Francisco and Berkeley. Further, advisory board members from government and community-based organizations are incredibly supportive of the certificate program, especially for students who are trusted members of their community without previous higher education experience, who have fluency in languages such as Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, and Tagalog. In vulnerable communities surrounding Foothill College, including Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and San Mateo, establishing a community health worker certificate program will help to reduce the health disparities in marginalized populations while increasing both individual and community capacity for those communities through the one-on-one work provided by community health workers. Partnerships have been developed with the faculty members who teach the CNSL 6 course and the ITRN 50 course for use of these courses within the certificate program. Further, Foothill College’s Dean of Counseling is part of the CHW Certificate Advisory Board.

Within Foothill College’s service area, Community Health Worker programs are not offered. For example, both Canada College and Mission College previously had Community Health Worker certificate programs but no longer provide them due to staffing issues. Mission College in particular had their CHW program as part of the greater nursing program and could not get staffing. San Jose City College allows students already enrolled in the Medical Assisting program to also complete a Community Health Worker designation, though they do not offer a singular Community Health Worker course. Evergreen Valley College offers a Patient Community Navigator certificate with courses focused on technology skills, medical coding, and medical billing; however, they do not offer a Community Health Worker course. Outside of Foothill’s service area, community colleges with Community Health Worker programs include City College of San Francisco, Berkeley City College, and Cabrillo College. Outside of the service area, Community Health Worker certificate programs are successful. Such colleges include City College of San Francisco which serves as a guiding model for most colleges in the state, Cabrillo College, and Chaffey College, to name a few.