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Community Health Worker

Become a credentialed Community Health Worker in just 16 weeks!

The Community Health Worker (CHW) Program at Mineral Area College is a 10 credit hour, fully hybrid, 16-week course. The CHW program is designed for entry-level healthcare workers and those already working in healthcare who are seeking a career change and/or advancement.

Upon successful course completion, students will be eligible for a state credential as a Community Health Worker and become job-ready. Current healthcare providers (EMTs, Paramedics, Nurses, etc.,) completing the course will find a greater understanding of patient navigation and the availability of health and community-related resources.

Community Health Workers are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have a close understanding of the communities served. This trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A CHW also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.

Community Health Worker

188 Program Hours
128 classroom (online) hours/60 clinical hours

The didactic component will be completed online. Clinical experience will be arranged between the student and instructor. Final examination and presentation will be completed on-campus.

Course Competencies

  1. Self-Awareness
  2. Service Coordination and System Navigation
  3. Educating to Promote Healthy Behavior Change
  4. Advocacy
  5. Individual and Community Capacity Building
  6. Effective Communication Strategies
  7. Cultural Responsiveness
  8. Documentation and Reporting
  9. Professionalism and Conduct
  10. Use of Public Health/Community Health Concepts & Approaches
  11. Individual Assessment
  12. Community Assessment, Identify Barriers & Resources

Textbook

This curriculum is designed for use in conjunction with the textbook Foundations for Community Health Workers, Second Edition and its accompanying classroom activities and assessments.

For more information or to apply, please contact:

Payton Furry, BSN, RN
Primary Instructor
pfurry@mineralarea.edu

Darick Day, BS, EMT-P, CCP-C, FP-C
Director of EMS Education
dday@mineralarea.edu