Overview

Summary of Course Modules

The following are the four Learning Modules.

• Module 1. Community Health Worker: Role and Responsibilities
• Module 2. Communication and Collaboration: Individuals, Groups, and Communities
• Module 3. Delivering Safe Quality Healthcare: Resources, Services, and Care
• Module 4. Promoting Healthy Communities: Advocacy, Capacity Building, and Teaching
• Module 5: A 25-hour CHW Fundamentals Agency/Facility Supervised Experience

Modules 1-4 must be successfully completed prior to taking Module 5, Supervised Skills Experience taken at an Agency/Facility.

CHW Fundamentals of Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of Modules 1-5 and Module 6 (the 25-hour supervised experience) it is expected that students will demonstrate the CHW Fundamentals Learning Outcomes. These include the following:

1.  Display positive behaviors and attitudes needed to effectively succeed in the role and fulfill
   the responsibilities of a CHW, engage in self-care, and maintain personal and client safety.
2. Integrate a basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology, human development, aging, and acute and chronic illness and diseases to plan, monitor, and determine client needs and resources for care.
3. Incorporate legal requirements and ethical guidelines into all responsibilities particularly when observing, reporting, and documenting.
4. Exhibit effective communication and coaching skills, and the ability to collaborate with a multi-disciplinary healthcare team.
5. Recognize and respect the values and needs of the cultures and practices of the populations and communities served.
6. Describe how healthcare and public/community health systems are structured, function, the types of care they deliver, and the current technologies used.
7. Demonstrate the skills needed to effectively coordinate and manage services and provide safe quality care.
8. Use appropriate decision making, evaluation, organization, navigation, and coordination skills to ensure effective and timely delivery of resources, services, and care.
9. Engage in advocacy and social support actions to promote client and community health needs.
10. Implement community/individual education programs, based on needs and strengths, to build capacity, support health, and promote wellness.

Module 1

In this module, students learn the role and responsibilities of CHWs which includes positive workplace behaviors and attitudes and personal and professional boundaries. In addition, the Module focuses on legal requirements and ethical guidelines and how to effectively observe, report, and document in a technological environment. Also emphasized, is the importance of self-care and personal safety.

Core Competencies and Expected Skills

Objectives

1. Integrate the CHW role and responsibilities into daily work.
2. Exhibit positive workplace behaviors, attitudes, and personal safety practices.
3. Identify the limits of personal and professional boundaries.
4. Incorporate self-care practices to strengthen abilities as a CHW.
5. Explain key legal requirements and ethical guidelines and how they impact the role and responsibilities of the CHW.
6. Demonstrate skill in observing, reporting, and documenting.

Units

• Unit 1: CHW Role, Responsibilities, Positive Behaviors and Attitudes, Boundaries, Self-Care, and Safety
• Unit 2: Legal Requirements and Ethical Guidelines
• Unit 3: Observing, Reporting, and Documenting

Module 2 

In this Module, students learn how to effectively communicate verbally and nonverbally with diverse cultures. They will gain knowledge and skills in active listening, interviewing, and how to develop and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with clients and their families as well as communities. An essential part of being a CHW is learning the proper approach to support change in a client and strategies to collaborate within a multi- disciplinary healthcare team. 

Core Competencies and Expected Skills

Objectives:

1. Identify client needs and development across the life span.
2. Demonstrate appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication and listening skills.
3. Build interpersonal, interviewing, and conflict management skills.
4. Develop skills in coaching to help support change.
5. Apply strategies that demonstrate respect for diverse cultures and that ensure effective teamwork and collaboration with a multi-disciplinary healthcare team.

Units:

• Unit 1: Client Needs, Verbal and Nonverbal Communication, and Active Listening
• Unit 2: Interpersonal Skills, Cultural Humility, Interviewing, and Coaching
• Unit 3: Teamwork and Collaboration with Multi-Disciplinary Healthcare Teams

Module 3 

In this module, students examine the structure, function, delivery, and the technology used in healthcare, public, and community health systems. In addition, students learn about the importance of maintaining quality and ensuring safety. Focus is also on problem solving, effective decision making, and evaluation. Also emphasized are identifying community assets; the importance of networking; using navigation skills; making referrals; and organizing and coordinating resources, services, and care.

Core Competencies and Expected Skills

Objectives

1. Describe the structure, function, delivery, and technology used in healthcare, public, and community health systems.
2. Describe the role and responsibilities CHWs have in maintaining quality and ensuring safety.
3. Use problem solving strategies to make effective decisions.
4. Identify community assets and resources and provide service coordination through the use of outreach, networking, navigation skills, and referrals.
5. Display knowledge and skills in work planning and organizing (time management and priority setting).

Units

• Unit 1: Healthcare Delivery Systems and Maintaining Quality and Safety
• Unit 2: Coordinating Client Resources and Care
• Unit 3: Work Planning and Organizing

Module 4

In this module, students explore the importance of advocacy, their role as an advocate for clients and communities, and strategies needed to help develop social support. Also emphasized is how to build capacity by understanding community assets, individual strengths, and the factors and conditions that influence how people change. Students will also learn teaching/learning principles and strategies that will help them develop and implement individual/community education programs that promote health and wellness.

Core Competencies and Expected Skills

Objectives

1. Engage in strategies that will help advocate and bring about social support for clients, families and communities.
2. Use community asset scanning and motivational interviewing as capacity building tools to identify community and individual strengths. 
3. Identify the factors and conditions that influence how people change to promote individual or community adoption of healthy behaviors. 
4. Incorporate learning principles and teaching strategies into individual/community health and wellness training programs.

Units

• Unit 1: Advocacy and Social Support Strategies
• Unit 2: Capacity Building and Change
• Unit 3: Developing Teaching Programs to Promote Health and Wellness

Module 5

In this module, students explore the basics of anatomy and physiology so they have a basic understanding of how the human body works, to apply in their work as a CHW.