Creighton University

Community Health Worker Training Program - Service Area: Nebraska Target Populations: African Americans, Latinx/hispanics, Native Americans, Sudanese, Somali, and Karen Immigrants, Individuals Experiencing Homelessness or Loss of Employment, and Individuals in Public Housing. Partners: Douglas County Health Department, One World Community Health Centers, Charles Drew Community Health Centers, Cynchealth, Inc., Ne Center for Healthy Families, Lee Brown and Associates, Heartland Workforce Solutions, International Advanced Development, and Research Corporation: Inarc Request Amount: $2,996,074 Project Overview: Chw-tapp Will Increase the Number of Lay Individuals to Serve as Community Health Workers (CHWS) by (1) Increasing the Number of Persons Trained as CHWS, and (2) Strengthening the CHW Workforce Pipeline. the Project Is Guided by Three Goals and Supporting Objectives: Goals/objectives: Goal 1: to Develop, Test, and Refine a Collaborative Framework That Effectively Recruits, Supports, Trains, and Places an Increasing Number of Individuals in Careers as Community Health Workers (CHWS). Obj. 1.1: to Recruit 240 Individuals (or 80 Per Year) Into the Chw-tapp Program for Education, Training, and Preparation for Careers as Community Health Workers; Obj. 1.2: to Provide Participants Up to $7,500 in Assistance and Supports to Minimize Barriers and Enhance Completion of the CHW Training Program; Obj. 1.3: to Place 45 Participants in Registered Apprenticeships Opportunities. Goal 2: to Educate and Inform Health Care Administrators and Healthcare Team Members About CHWS' Roles, Training and Placements, and How CHWS Can Best Promote Health Institutional Objectives. Obj. 2.1: to Inform Community Health Stakeholders About the Cphhe CHW Apprenticeship Program; Obj 2.2: to Educate Healthcare Administrators Regarding Current National Evidence About How Health Institutions Work With CHWS; Obj 2.3: to Foster Connections Between Healthcare Employers and CHWS in the Apprenticeship Program; Obj. 2. 4: to Communicate Evidence About How CHWS Can Complement Healthcare Teams and Recommendations for Best Practices. Goal 3: to Reduce Health Disparities That Nebraska's Most Medically-underserved Populations Experience. Obj. 3.1: to Increase Health Care Access; Obj. 3.2: to Improve Perceived Health Status; Obj. 3.3: to Increase Health Insurance Coverage Rates; Obj. 3.4: to Reduce the Prevalence of Chronic Health Conditions How Project Will Be Accomplished: Chw-tapp Will Educate CHWS About Strategies to Link Individuals and Families With Relevant Medical, Behavioral Health, and Social Services. CHWS Will Learn to Facilitate Community Member Access to Diverse Services Through Advocacy, Outreach, Referral, Community and Individual/family Education, Informal Mentoring, and Social Support. Chw-tapp Will Also Prepare CHWS to Attain Careers in Healthcare Fields as Community and Health Liaisons Through Job Readiness, Technology/application Upskilling, and Healthcare Field Training. the Chw-tapp Education Course Will Stress Developing Effective Communication Skills, Building Collaborative Relationships With Clients and Community Providers, and Promoting Healthy Lifestyles. Cphhe Currently Has an Existing Certification Program for CHWS That Has Trained Over 50 Individuals and Has Developed Strategic Partnerships to Effectively Deploy and Utilize CHWS in Some of the Region's Most Medically-underserved Neighborhoods. the Project Will Result in Several Positive Outcomes and Deliverables Including (1) an Increase in the Number of Certified CHWS, (2) Heightened Awareness of the Roles of CHWS in Addressing Health Disparities, (3) the Establishment of an Education/training-apprenticeship Model That Supports the Placement of CHWS Into Employment, and (4) a Strengthened Career Pipeline for CHWS. Funding Preference: Funding Preference 1: Cphhe Has Served 50% or More From Disadvantaged Backgrounds.