Community Health Worker Academy
Academy Mission
To advance population health, health equity, and community development by increasing and enhancing the Community Health Worker (CHW) and related health services workforce and their involvement as core members of integrated care teams in healthcare, managed care, public health, and community-based agencies
The Academy is led and supported by vast network of practicing CHWs, CHW educators, CHW certification and education partners, all types of organizations that employ CHWs and related health service workers, physicians, psychologists, social workers, counselors, health coaches, researchers, dieticians, health economists, higher education faculty, and many others.
Academy Operations
The Academy actively engages directly with healthcare, managed care, public/community health, and community-based organizations that employ CHWs, organizations seeking to supplement their existing CHW workforce, organizations whose current employees perform CHW-relate work but under different job titles, as well as individuals seeking employment. The Academy offers a diverse array of services including its Foundational CHW Program, National CHW Certification-Only Program, CHW professional development and continuing education, and a host of additional services and supports for CHWs, CHW employers, CHW stakeholders, and industry leaders.
CHW Academy Education Catalog
Advanced professional development courses and specialized certificates selected from over 1,200 offerings.
Academy's Education Catalog
CHW Academy Health Education Resource Library
Advanced professional resources in health education.
- C3 National Community Health Worker Core Consensus Project
The foundation of the WSU Community Health Worker Academy is advancing the expansion, effectiveness, and work environments of the CHW workforce in alignment with the national C3 – Community Health Worker Core Consensus Project. Finalized in 2022, the multi-constituent C3 Project Team codified the Core Roles and Skill Competencies of CHWs, which now serve as the guiding principles of the profession and provides guidance for the diverse network of organizations that employ them.
Roles and Competencies Review Checklist
C3 Project CHW Roles and Competencies Review Checklist
C3 - Core CHW Roles C3 - Core CHW Skill Competencies Cultural Mediation Among Individuals, Communities, and Health and Social Service Systems Communications Skills Providing Culturally Appropriate Health Education and Information Interpersonal and Relationship-Building Skills Care Coordination, Case Management, and System Navigation Capacity Building Skills Providing Coaching and Social Support Advocacy Skills Advocating for Individuals and Communities Education and Facilitation Skills Building Individual and Community Capacity Individual and Community Assessment Skills Providing Direct Services Outreach Skills Implementing Individual and Community Assessments Professional Skills and Conduct Conducting Outreach Evaluation and Research Skills Participating in Evaluation and Research Knowledge Base - The Academy's Foundational CHW Program
The Academy’s comprehensive foundational program contains three core components. (also offered separately as requested
by individuals or CHW employers).
National CHW Certification Program
- The official National Community Health Worker certification program consists of twelve, 8-hour virtual training sessions conducted live via Zoom or Teams. The program is authorized by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to certify Community Health Workers whose work is eligible for insurance reimbursement (e.g., Medicaid). The Academy’s National CHW Certification Program is also leads to official CHW certification in every state in the United States.
Advanced Professional Development Courses and Specialized Certificates
- Advanced professional development courses and/or Specialized Certificates from the Academy’s Education Catalog.
Field Placements
- Either a one-year, on-the-job U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship OR a 400-hour (paid or unpaid) internship in a healthcare, managed care, public/community health, or community-based organization conducting work that aligns with the national C3 CHW Core Roles and Skill Competencies.
- Academy's National CHW Certification-Only Program
For individuals (currently employed or unemployed) that prefer not to participate in the Academy’s entire foundational program, they may elect to participate in only its National CHW Certification Program. In addition to obtaining official national certification as a CHW, participants also receive a complementary one-year subscription to the Academy’s Education Catalog (see above) allowing them to complete as much additional training (i.e., professional development, continuing education) as they wish to enhance their knowledge and skills as CHWs, maximize their employability, and facilitate their career advancement.
- Professional Credentials Acquired Through the Academy
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Official National CHW Certification
- Mental Health First Aid Certification
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Certification
- Wayne State University Certifications and official transcripts for all individual trainings and/or Specialized Certificates completed through the Academy’s Education Catalog (there are no restrictions regarding the quantity of additional professional credentials that trainees are allowed to earn through the Education Catalog)
- Certifications as U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprentices (foundational program only)
- Wayne State University Community Health Worker Academy Certificate of Completion
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- Financial Support
To support CHW trainees and the agencies that employ them, the Academy routinely acquires funding from a range of sources to help support CHWs to successfully complete the Academy’s programs. Based on funding availability, some of the financial supports the Academy can offer CHW trainees include, paid CHW certification tuition, fees and all required curricula, free unlimited access to the Academy’s Education Catalog, and financial assistance.
- Program Eligibility and Participation Requirements
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Possess a High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
- Intend to gain employment as a CHW or related health services worker either during or after completing the Academy program conducting work that aligns with the national C3 CHW Core Roles and Skill Competencies.
- Complete a field placement with an organization that can provide qualified CHW mentorship and supervision and ensure that CHW trainees complete all field placement requirements (Foundational CHW Program only).
- Trainees who begin the Academy’s Foundational CHW Program on the apprenticeship track are not allowed to transfer into the internship track at any point during the program.
- Have access to a desktop or laptop computer (not a tablet or smartphone), reliable Wi-Fi service, and possess technology proficiency with email, Zoom, Teams, the internet, and other basic computing skills (pre-enrollment training in the required technology skills is available as needed).
- Participate in all 12 sessions of the Academy’s National CHW Program on-camera (two absences from the training sessions are permissible provided trainee commit to working individually with the CHW trainer to make up any content learning and assignments that were missed).
- Maintain up-to-date virtual work logs during field placements documenting the number of hours worked and the types of work completed each week. Paid-time-off (e.g., vacations, sick days, holidays, personal leave, etc.) may count toward the hours required for the field placements. (Foundational CHW Program only).
- Complete evaluation surveys at the mid-point and end of the CHW trainees’ field placements to assess development and professionalism (both trainees and their supervisors). (Foundational CHW Program only).
- Additional Academy Services
Beyond the Academy’s Foundational CHW Program and National CHW Certification-Only Program, the Academy also offers a diverse array of additional services and supports for CHWs, CHW employers, CHW stakeholders, and industry leaders. Some of the opportunities and services that are available include:
- National CHW certifications
- CHW skill and competency assessments
- Professional development and enhanced credentialing to optimize CHW (and other health service workers) performance and professional credentialing for career advancement through the Academy’s Education Catalog
- Individualized training plans for enhanced professional development requested or required by CHW employers to maximize work performance
- Development of additional professional training or credentialing courses or Specialized Certificates requested by industry partners or CHW employers that are not already present in the Academy’s Education Catalog
- CHW mentor/supervisor training and professional development
- Employer assistance with CHW job advertising, recruitment, applicant reviews and competence assessments, successful onboarding, and the development of individualized education and professional development plans
- Comprehensive project design, implementation, management, and evaluation (e.g., full-scope Standard Operating Procedures)
- CHW employment, deployment, supervision, and management
- Grant writing, fund development, research and evaluation
Interested in Becoming a Community Health Worker?
Inquire and/or apply
Agencies Interested in Any of the Services Offered Through the CHW Academy Should Contact the Academy Leadership
Academy Leadership Team |
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Nate McCaughtry, Ph.D., Director - natemccaughtry@wayne.edu |
Cheryl Somers, Ph.D., Associate Director - c.somers@wayne.edu |