A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a front line public health professional who is a trusted member of or has a close understanding of the community being served. A CHW uses a person-centered approach to build trusting relationships that enable the CHW to serve as a liaison between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural and linguistic competence of service delivery. In addition, a CHW increases self-sufficiency, well being, and positive health outcomes through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, supportive guidance, self-management, coaching and the provision of social support and advocacy.

CHWs play a critical role in the health of our communities, linking diverse and under served populations to health and social service systems. Based on their life experiences and connections to their communities, CHWs work to reduce social and racial disparities in health care and can improve health outcomes and the quality of care while achieving significant cost savings. 

Interested in learning more about Community Health Workers watch the video below or Join our e-Newsletter.

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Community Health Workers in Vermont

Community Health Workers (CHW) is an umbrella term describing people who provide services to members of the community with a goal of helping them improve their health. There are many different job titles associated with the umbrella term, such as lay health worker, community resource coordinator, care coordinator, navigator or SASH coordinator.  It also includes titles that involve special training or knowledge in a particular area, like peer recovery specialists. CHWs may work for pay or volunteer through a local agency, organization or health care system. CHWs often share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, values and life experiences with the community members they serve. CHWs and the kinds of services they provide can also be as different as the communities they serve. 

In 2018, the Department of Health was awarded a five-year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to focus on strategies and partnerships to help prevent and manage heart disease and diabetes in Vermont. Due to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of the Community Health Workers in addressing chronic conditions, this grant includes strategies in support of the development of a statewide CHW infrastructure.

To promote statewide understanding, support, recognition, and value of CHWs in Vermont, the Vermont Community Health Worker Steering Committee was formed. The committee includes a diverse group of representatives from across the state. Members include Community Health Workers (CHW), CHW employers/supervisors, allies, and state leaders. Members of the Vermont CHW Steering Committee include VDH, Blueprint for Health, SASH (Support and Services at Home), the University of Vermont Health Network Home Health & Hospice, Community Colleges of Vermont (CCV), Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH), OneCare Vermont, Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC), Blueprint for Health, Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (SVTAHEC), and the University of Vermont Extension- Bridges to Health Program.

Priorities are to:

  • Adopt and promote a statewide CHW definition 
  • Assess current CHW landscape in Vermont
  • Generate a professional identity and logo for VT CHWs
  • Create a statewide CHW network & peer-to-peer sharing mechanism
  • Develop scope of practice and core competencies
  • Facilitate training and educational opportunities for CHWs
  • Engage state-level support and integration of CHWs into community and clinical settings
Training Opportunities

Community Health Worker Core Competency Trainings- Southern Vermont AHEC

Southern Vermont AHEC supports Vermont CHWs to complete core competency trainings.  Trainings are provided in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health and CHW ADVANCE a workforce partnership with Southern New Hampshire AHEC, and the Northern New Hampshire AHEC/North Country Consortium. Learn more on Southern Vermont AHEC's website.

Community Health Certificate - Community College of Vermont

CCV's community health certificate plays an important role in supporting improved health outcomes for individuals and populations. Students gain foundational skills and knowledge in public health, case management, and the impact of trauma.  The certificate also include a Community Health Work course aligned with the core competencies of the community health worker role in Vermont. Learn more about CCV here.

Self-Paced Online Trainings for Chronic Disease Management

Vermont Community Health Workers can now access FREE online chronic disease trainings. The Chronic Disease Online Trainings provide Community Health Workers with information, skill building, and resources to help people prevent and manage chronic conditions. Check out the flyer and how to access for FREE! 

Smiles for Life Oral Health Curriculum Available

The audience for this FREE oral health curriculum is Front Line Health Workers (FLHWs) who provide outreach, advocacy, patient education, care coordination, health care navigation, and social support for the communities they serve. This workforce includes community health workers and representatives, Promotores de Salud, health educators, case managers, and others. This curriculum is designed to engage FLHWs in a national movement to promote oral health and eradicate dental disease.

Scope of Practice & Core Competencies

A well-defined scope of practice and core competency guidelines for community health workers can help to support education, practices and policies that impact the workforce across the state. In the Fall of 2019, the Vermont Community Health Worker Steering Committee performed a crosswalk of roles and competencies from eight other states (Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Arizona, Maryland, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, and Texas), using the Community Health Worker Core Consensus (C3) Project as a guide. The final scope of practice and core competencies list was also included in the 2020 Vermont Community Health Worker Survey to assess how they align with work in the field across Vermont positions. 

Community Health Worker Scope of Practice & Core Competencies Report

State Survey Findings

The Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont Community Health Worker Steering Committee conducted statewide Community Health Worker Surveys in 2020 and 2021. Two  surveys were conducted, one designed for community health workers and another for supervisors and employers. The survey results continue to help statewide efforts to understand community health worker roles, populations served, health issues addressed, training needs and more. 

2022 Community Health Worker Survey Report 

2021 Survey Data Brief: Workforce Snapshot 

2021 Survey Data Brief: Integration Snapshot

2021 Survey Data Brief: Experiences Snapshot

2021 Survey Data Brief: Professional Identity Snapshot  

2021 Survey Data Brief: Number of Community Health Workers (CHWs) and CHW Employers by Vermont County

2020 Survey Data Brief: Workforce Development 

2020 Survey Data Brief: Professional Identity 

Vermont Community Health Worker Environmental Scan

 

Resources for CHWs and Supervisors
Resources for Employers

Integration into work setting

The successful integration of CHWs into any setting requires thoughtful planning, leadership, organizational readiness and a conducive cultural context. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Community Health Workers (CHW) Inclusion Checklist is a general framework for public health practitioners to use when including CHWs in different settings. Learn more about CHW Inclusion Checklist

Supervising Community health workers 

CHWs require highly skilled, supportive and attuned supervisors to ensure the appropriate and strategic use of CHW skills, provide regular coaching, and guide CHW practice. Minnesota developed a toolkit to support best practices in CHW supervision

Resources on COVID-19
Contact Information

 

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Contact us:

For more information or to get involved contact:

Andrea Nicoletta, Health Equity Team Lead & Community Health Worker Coordinator

[email protected]