Community Health Worker

The Certificate of Achievement (COA) for Community Health Worker (CHW) prepares students with entry-level skills and competencies for employment in community health, healthcare, and social service industries. The CHW program aligns with the adaptation of the nationally recognized CHW Core Consensus Project (C3) which have been designed to equip students to develop skills in: culturally responsive communication, service coordination, navigation, advocacy, community organizing, outreach, interpersonal relationship-building, capacity-building, education, facilitation, research, and knowledge based on social determinants of health and related disparities to improve adherence to preventive health care services and health-related social issues. Students gain fieldwork experience serving as trusted liaisons between individuals, communities, healthcare, and social service agencies to support navigation of access to community services and the adoption of healthy behaviors. Completion of the CHW COA supports career exploration and provides a foundation for continued study in public health, healthcare, and related service careers.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate effective communication and cultural competency through client interactions that build trust and support individual and community empowerment.
• Analyze health disparities related to social determinants of health using community-based data to propose equitable health solutions.
• Design and implement community outreach strategies that address identified health needs of diverse populations.  t
• Advocate for individuals and communities by navigating healthcare and social service systems to connect clients to appropriate resources.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary agencies to coordinate care and support improved community health outcomes.

A minimum of 30 students is projected for students to earn the CHW COA annually.

CHW Program Goals:

• Prepare students for entry-level employment as CHWs in community health, healthcare, and social service industries.
• Equip students with core CHW competencies in culturally responsive communication, care coordination, outreach, advocacy, and client navigation to support individuals and communities.
• Promote health equity and social justice to reduce health disparities across diverse populations and provide access to community services related to the social determinants of health.
• Support individuals and community well-being by empowering CHWs to adhere to preventive health care services, with a positive impact on client care and community health outcomes.

CHW program Objectives:

• Prepare CHWs to be able to demonstrate knowledge and application of the CHW C3 project through fieldwork experience.
• Foster a CHW program with student success, by providing campus support services, and equity-centered instruction that meet diverse learning needs.
• Build trust with partnering community-based organizations to strengthen service navigation demands and provide supervised fieldwork experience.
• Develop workforce-ready program by preparing students for career mobility in community health, public health, healthcare, and social service environments aligned with public health priorities.

The proposed CHW COA is an interdisciplinary program that complements a stackable, sequenced pathway built upon the existing LACCD Health Occupations Program (HLTHOCC). The curriculum is hosted in the Health Science Career Academic Pathways and aligns with the regional workforce framework, including the Los Angeles Healthcare Competencies to Careers Consortium (LAH3C), and Pathways for Academic, Career, and Transfer Success (PACTS), and aligns with the C3 Project CHW core roles and competencies.

Upon completion of the HLTHOCC core courses HLTHOCC 62, 63, 64, and 65, students earn a Health Service/Careers Foundational Skills certificate. To complete the CHW COA, students also complete Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, ALD HTH 102 Health and Social Justice, and the CHW core courses HLTHOCC 72 Introduction to Community Health Worker and HLTHOCC 76 Introduction to Community Health Worker, to collectively strengthen the C3 Project CHW core roles and competencies, and prepare students for entry-level employment opportunities in CHW employable at community-based organizations, healthcare, and social services.

* Proposed CHW core courses

• HLTHOCC 72: Intro to Community Health Worker
• HLTHOCC 76: CHW Internship Placement

Community focus courses that are approved through the curriculum and strengthen the CHW C3 Project 

• ALD HTH 102 Health and Social Justice
• HEALTH 049 Basic Life Support (BLS) Skills Certification

Prerequisites for completion of the  Health Service/Careers Foundational Skills certificate

• HLTHOCC 062 Skill Set for Health Care Professional
• HLTHOCC 063 Basic Medical Terminology, Pathophysiology & Pharmacology
• HLTHOCC 064 Cultural & Legal Topics for Healthcare Professionals
• HLTHOCC 065 Fundamentals for the Health Care Professional

The proposed program will be housed within the Allied Health department and in the Health Science Career Academic Pathway cluster.  

Similar CHW credit-based programs in the Los Angeles Region are offered at Cerritos College, Long Beach City College, and Rio Hondo College.

All nineteen Los Angeles Council Voting members were emailed for collegial consultation regarding the intention to submit a Regional Career Technical Education (CTE) application to the LA Workforce Council (LAWC) for a recommendation on the proposed COA CHW.

No formal objections were made via email; however, Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) and West Los Angeles College (WLAC) requested additional information regarding the specific courses proposed for the CHW COA and Santa Monica College, and whether the proposed COA CHW was connected to the HCAI Wellness Coach grant.  

Proposed COA CHW information was shared, outlining course offerings, and clarification was provided that the proposed program is separate from the HCAI Wellness Coach grant.  

Overall, respondents expressed interest in continued collaboration and appreciation for the expansion of CHW workforce pathways. 

A minimum of 22 students is projected to earn the CHW COA annually.

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