Description

Community Health Workers (CHWs) work to reduce health inequities. They help health professionals understand how social factors impact patients’ health and care, and they support communities in addressing these issues. As trusted members of their communities, CHWs act as a link between the community and health/social services. They improve health knowledge and self-sufficiency through activities like outreach, education, counseling, social support, and advocacy.

Students will learn how to:
Deliver health-related preventive services such as blood pressure, glaucoma, cancer and hearing screenings.
Collect data to help identify community health needs.
Get CPR certified
Get First Aid certified
and more!

Students are required to be at least 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license, and basic computer skills.

Course Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Promote health within a community by assisting individuals in adopting healthy behaviors.
2. Advocate for the health needs of individuals by helping community residents effectively communicate with healthcare providers or social service agencies.
3. Act as a liaison or advocate and implement programs that promote, maintain, and improve individual and overall community health.
4. Deliver health-related preventive services, including blood pressure, glaucoma, cancer, and hearing screenings.
5. Collect data to identify community health needs.
6. Provide direct services such as informal counseling, social support, care coordination, health services enrollment, and health insurance navigation skills.
7. Identify common ailments within the community and deliver education on preventive measures.

Topics to be Studied

Throughout the course, students will study the roles and competencies outlined by the Community Health Worker Core Consensus Project, known as the C3 Project. Students will gain knowledge and skills in the following areas:
1. Identifying potential urgent health issues such as heart attack, stroke, pre-diabetes, etc.
2. Effectively teaching clients about these health issues, including symptoms, causes, and appropriate actions to take when symptoms occur.
3. Engaging with clients in a culturally competent manner, with an emphasis on building relationships.
4. Understanding and respecting the culture of the service area, specifically the Mid-Ohio Valley/Appalachia, as a Community Health Worker.
5. Developing communication and interpersonal skills, including conflict resolution and diffusion techniques.
6. Familiarizing themselves with community resources available in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
7. Acquiring basic health-related skills, such as hygiene, vital signs, blood pressure monitoring, screenings, nutrition, pulse assessment, etc., and effectively teaching these skills to clients.
8. Advocating for their clients and their needs.
9. Maintaining organized client records.
10. Recognizing their role as part of a larger network of healthcare providers collaborating to serve their communities.