Course Description: A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted individual who contributes to improved health outcomes in the community. CHWs serve the communities in which they reside or communities with which they may share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, or life experiences. The term “community health worker,” includes but is not limited to other titles such as outreach worker, patient navigator and promotores de salud.
This course provides lecture and clinical practice in the roles of a community health worker. It includes a study of six major areas: healthcare, social services, communication skills, health education, and individual and community advocacy. This course content meets the educational requirements by the Pennsylvania Certification Board to apply for professional certification as a community health worker.
Methodology: Lecture, group work, online discussion, written assignments, and quizzes.
Objectives: Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
- Obtain an introduction to the role and life of a Community Health Worker
- Build 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
- Identify health promotion, disease prevention, and behavioral strategies as a part of primary health care
- Examine career paths and options for continuing education and career development
- Serve as a liaison between communities and health care agencies\Enhance community residents’ ability to effectively communicate with healthcare providers
- Discuss the fundamental background about biological function of the human body
- Assess basic vital signs
- Demonstrate knowledge of barriers to primary health care and the importance of health equity/equality
- Provide guidance and social assistance to community residents
- Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship of culture and individuals’ health practices, beliefs
- Discuss basic effective communication techniques and barriers to effective communication
- Introduce the guiding principles (CHWs) use in their practice
- Provide referral and follow-up services or otherwise coordinates care
- Identify and help enroll eligible individuals in federal, state, and local private or nonprofit health and human services programs
For more information please contact:
Program Coordinator
Nina Kottcamp
nmkottca@hacc.edu
717-221-1386
For more details visit:
Format: Online
Zoom Sessions (Tuesday/Thursday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm); Additional time done via D2L
Instructor: Lamont J. Tubbs, MPP, BS, C-CHW
Course Length: 12 weeks/120-hours
Start date: Jan. 14, 2025
End date: March 3, 2025
Textbook: Foundations for Community Health Workers 2nd Edition;Tim Berthold
ISBN: 978-1-119-06081-9
