Who IS a Community Health Worker?

(from website http://machw.org)

MDPH Definition of a Community Health Worker

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a public health outreach professional who applies his or her unique understanding of the experience, language and/or culture of the populations he or she serves in order to carry out one or more of the following roles: 

·         providing culturally appropriate health education, information and outreach in community-based settings, such as   homes, schools, clinics, shelters, local businesses, and community centers;

·         bridging/culturally mediating between individuals, communities and health and human services, including actively building individual and community capacity;

·         assuring that people access the services they need;

·         providing direct services, such as informal counseling, social support, care coordination and health screenings; and 

·         advocating for individual and community needs.

A CHW is distinguished from other health professionals because he or she:

·         is hired primarily for his or her understanding of the populations and communities he or she serves;

·         conducts outreach a significant portion of the time in one or more of the categories above; and

·         has experience in providing services in community settings.