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Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to:
1. Analyze and compare roles, characteristics and responsibilities of Community Health Workers
(CHWs) internationally and in the United States.
2. Identify where CHW's work, the populations they work with, and the health issues they
address.
3. Discuss the core skills necessary to become an effective CHW.
4. Identify personal qualities and values that are common among successful CHWs.
5. Describe Santa Rosa Junior College program options.
6. Discuss the evolution of the CHW field in the United States.
7. Define health and public health and explain how the field of public health is different from the
field of medicine.
8. Identify and discuss the role of CHWs in preventing health inequalities and promoting health
justice.
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I. Community Health Workers (CHWs): Who Are They and What Do They Do?
A. History of community health work in the United States and internationally
B. Occupational outlook for Sonoma County
II. Description of Santa Rosa Junior College CHW program
A. Certificate program requirements
B. Associate degree with major in CHW
C. Core components of program:
1. outreach techniques and strategies
2. home visiting, referrals, care coordination
3. public health, prevention, cultural responsibility, structural health inequities
4. structure, function of the body systems
5. externship with health agency
D. Professional advancement and educational opportunities
III. The Effective Community Health Worker
A. Core competencies and roles of CHWs
B. Personal qualities and values of CHWs
C. Overall number, gender, and ethnicity of CHWs in work force
D. Education and wages
E. Populations served
F. Health issues and work activities
G. Models of Care for CHWs
IV. Emerging Role in Management of Chronic Conditions
A. Chronic disease: The dominant type of illness in the United States
B. CHWs within the health care delivery team and community based programs
V. Evolution of the CHW Profession in the United States
A. Neighbor assisting neighbor
B. CHW names and definitions
C. The international roots of CHWs
D. History of CHWs in the United States
E. Trends in the CHW field
F. Capacity building and education
G. Policy initiatives and sustainability
H. Networks and conferences
VI. An Introduction to Public Health
A. Defining health
B. Key concepts in defining the field of public health
C. Health inequities and social determinants of health
D. Emphasis on prevention
E. Evidence-based
F. Social justice
G. Community partnerships
H. Environmental health
VII. Promoting Health Equity
A. Defining health inequity
B. Evidence of health inequities
C. Causes of health inequities
D. Impact on society
E. Promoting health equity
F. Role of CHWs in promoting social justice and health equity
G. Homelessness in Sonoma County
H. CHW self-assessment, cultural responsibility and self-care
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1. Readings from textbook, 10-30 pages each week
2. Instructor-selected readings, 3-5 pages per week
3. Chapter Review exercises at the end of each chapter
4. Complete an interactive Web presentation on race inequities, write a 1-2 page summary and
reaction paper
5. Complete a 2-4 page paper in response to homeless person experience
6. Quizzes (3-5); final exam
7. Conduct a four-hour shadowing and volunteer experience with Sonoma County community
health workers and write a 3-4 page paper describing the agency, community served, and
CHW's experiences
8. Write a 1-2 page community field trip or alternative assignment reaction paper
9. Role-play and demonstration in class
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Foundations for Community Health Workers. 2nd ed. Berthold, Timothy. Wiley. 2016