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They have been referred to as Promotores(as) de Salud, community liaisons, outreach workers, care navigators and peer health advisors. However, with momentum building across Florida and the nation, the community health worker (CHW) will soon receive the recognition deserved, packaged with training, certification, and a career pathway. A renewed interest and evidenced-based practices have clearly demonstrated the worth of the CHW to healthcare organizations and the system of healthcare.In 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics formally recognized the CHW occupation by adding it to its Standard Occupational Classification system(1) . This marked a welcome development for those like Dr. Mark Everett, Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Miami Dade College-Medical Campus (MDC-MC), Marion Banzhaf (Florida Department of Health), Brendaly Rodriguez (University of Miami), the Health Council of South Florida, and an entire Florida CHW Coalition that have worked diligently over the last few years to recognize CHWs for their extensive contributions to healthcare. The CHW is a frontline professional who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This enables the CHW to function as a liaison between health/social service providers and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery(2). A recent study of west Baltimore City Medicaid patients, for example, indicated that CHWs who worked with diabetics resulted in an annual savings of $2,200 per patient(3) .
MDC-MC has formally launched efforts to begin a training program for the CHW that will help to make a positive impact in healthcare both locally and across Florida. With the help of stakeholders including St. Petersburg College, The Florida Association of Community Health Centers, Citrus Health Network, Connect Familias, among others, MDC-MC recently received two Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to implement training of paraprofessionals through two distinct programs: 1. Project Community Health Worker (CHWMA); and 2. Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET). Tuition, fees and testing will be paid through the respective grant programs. Although ambitious, training will begin as soon as spring 2015.
Parallel to this effort, the Florida Certification Board (FCB) will be implementing CHW certification through an examination and evaluation of skills and work experience. However, prior to requiring an examination, existing CHWs will be afforded an opportunity to participate in a one-year grandparenting process that is planned for January 1, 2015 (subject to change), which will allow a CHW to earn a certification without having to take the written FCB exam. Minimum standards may include a combination of specified and documented work and/or volunteer experience, and letters of recommendation. The School of Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) at MDC-MC, a unit that aims to make higher education more accessible to meet community needs not served by traditional college programs, is well poised to offer the training beginning spring 2015 for current CHWs to qualify for certification.
The focus of Project BHWET is to strengthen the workforce by incorporating new behavioral health curricula that focus on the prevention and treatment of behavioral health conditions of at-risk children, adolescents, transitional-age youth, and their families. Through the MDC-Medical Campus and CEPD, the projects will train over 1,000 CHWs and BHTs over a three year period, leading to eligibility for a statewide credential that will not only reap benefits for the healthcare community, but also help such professionals seek gainful opportunities in the near future. To learn more about these initiatives, call (305) 237-4177.
