Academy Mission

To advance population health, health equity, and community development by increasing and enhancing the Community Health Worker (CHW) 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 a vast network of CHWs, CHW educators, CHW affiliate organizations, professional associations, healthcare systems, health insurance providers, public health agencies, physicians, psychologists, social workers, counselors, health coaches, researchers, dieticians, health economists, university faculty, and many other valued partners.

Academy Operations

The Academy collaborates with healthcare, managed care, and public health agencies that employ CHWs, agencies that seek to augment and expand their CHW workforce, and individuals seeking employment as CHWs to offer its foundational CHW program, as well as a diverse array of additional services to support CHWs, CHW employers, CHW stakeholders, university researchers, and industry leaders.

• The Academy’s Foundational Program

  National CHW Certification

  • The official National Community Health Worker certification program a series of 8-hour virtual training sessions and is authorized by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to certify Community Health Workers.

  Advanced Professional Development Courses and Specialized Certificates

  • Advanced professional development courses and specialized certificates selected from over 1,200 offerings in the Academy’s Education Catalog.

  Field Placements

  • 400-hour internship in a healthcare, managed care, or public health-related agency engaging in CHW-related work (often completed at the trainee's current place of employment.
• C3-The 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.

  C3 - Core CHW Roles	C3 - Core CHW Skill Competencies
  Cultural Mediation Among Individuals, Communities, and Health and Social Service Systems	Interpersonal and Relationship-Building 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

   Roles and Competencies Review Checklist

  • C3 Project CHW Roles and Competencies Review Checklist
• Professional Credentials Awarded
  • National CHW Certification
  • Mental Health First Aid Certification
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Certification
  • Professional Development Certificates and Specialized Certifications earned through the Academy's Education Catalog
  • WSU Community Health Worker Academy Graduation Certificate
• Program Eligibility and Requirements
  • CHW trainees must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Trainees must have a High School Diploma or GED equivalent. Individuals with advanced higher education degrees or professional credentials, including Master’s, Ph.Ds., MDs, JDs, and/or state-sanctioned professional licensures are prohibited from participating in the Academy program, unless under extenuating circumstances.
  • Trainees must intend to seek employment as a CHW or related health services worker either during or shortly after completing the Academy program at an agency whose services involve healthcare, managed care, and/or public health and offer work tasks that are consistent with the C3 CHW Core Roles and Skill Competencies.
  • Trainees must complete their apprenticeship or internship field placements at agencies that can assign qualified CHW mentors/supervisors to provide professional guidance to CHW trainees for the duration of their field placements and ensure they complete all the field placement requirements.
  • CHW supervisors and other agency leaders are prohibited from participating in the Academy program. 
  • Trainees who begin the Academy program on the apprenticeship track are not allowed to transfer into the internship role at any point during the program.
  • Trainees, whether participating as apprentices or interns, must complete the entire program at the agency that agreed to hire/host them for their field placements. Trainees who leave the agencies where they began their field placements cannot transfer to a different agency to complete them.
  • Trainees must have access to a desktop or laptop computer (not a tablet or smartphone), reliable Wi-Fi service, and technology proficiency to use email, Zoom, Teams, and other basic skills (pre-enrollment training in basic technology skills is available as needed).
  • During apprenticeship and internship field placements, CHW trainees must maintain an up-to-date virtual work log that indicates the number of hours they worked and the types of work they completed during each week. Paid-time-off (e.g., vacations, sick days, holidays, personal leave, etc.) may count toward the minimum number of hours required for the field placements.
  • CHW trainees and their supervisors/mentors are required to complete evaluations at the mid-point and end of the trainees’ field placements to assess CHW development and professionalism.
  • CHW trainees, the agencies that agree to employ/host them for field placements, and CHW supervisors/mentors are required to complete Letters of Agreement prior to the start of the program.
  • The Academy cannot accept CHW trainees who have active arrest warrants, are currently involved in criminal prosecutions, or have felony convictions. Individuals who have had misdemeanor convictions are considered for participation on a case-by-case basis. Potential trainees may either obtain and submit a criminal background check or have their employer provide verification that a successful background check was completed.
• Additional Academy Services

  The Academy also offers a diverse array of services and supports for CHWs, CHW employers, governmental and industry agencies, and researchers.

  • CHW skill and competency assessments
  • Tailored professional development and advanced credentialing for CHWs
  • Customized CHW development plans maximize work performance
  • Development of additional professional development training courses or specialized certificates to meet external agency needs
  • CHW supervisor and mentor professional development
  • Assistance with CHW job advertising, recruitment, applicant competence assessments, and comprehensive new CHW onboarding
  • Project design, implementation, management, and evaluation (e.g., full-scope Standard Operating Procedure development and execution)
  • CHW employment, deployment, supervision, and management
  • Grant writing, fund development, research and evaluation

Interested in Becoming a Community Health Worker?

Please review the Program Eligibility and Requirements available through the tab above. Eligible individuals seeking to become a CHW can complete an application or request additional information and will receive a reply typically within 2 business days.

Inquire and/or apply

Organizations Interested in the Academy's Services

Organizations interested in any of the Academy’s CHW services can submit inquiries to the Academy’s leadership.

Organization Inquiries

General Inquiries

Submit all general inquiries about the Academy and you will receive a reply typically within 2 business days.

General Inquiries

Note: The Academy does not utilize a main phone line to respond to inquiries. The email and phone number at the bottom of this webpage is ONLY for general information about the WSU College of Education and NOT the Community Health Worker Academy. Please use the tabs above for any correspondence with Academy personnel and a reply will typically be sent within 2 business days.

Academy Leadership

CHW Academy email: CHWAcademy@wayne.edu

CHW Academy Equal Opportunity Employment Pledge