Celebrating the Roles of Community Health Workers

Public Health Out Loud

National Community Health Worker Awareness Week is August 26-30, 2024 but in truth, Community Health Workers, or CHWs, could easily be celebrated all year. That's because they serve as trusted community leaders, expert problem solvers, and culturally competent subject matter experts-- often bridging the gap between their community's needs and important health or social services. In this episode, Dr. Philip Chan sits down with certified CHWs Rachel Young of the Rhode Island Alliance for Community Health Worker Employers, and Kinzel Thomas, from Family Services-RI.

As we celebrate, commemorate, and collaborate with CHWs for National CHW Awareness Week, there's no better time to discuss the CHW profession's impact, what unique skills CHWs bring to care teams, certification, and why their roles are so important in clinical or community settings.

For more information and support, we also recommend:

• Video for Employers: Rhode Island CHWs ~ Your Bridge to Better Health
• Rhode Island Alliance for CHW Employers: ripin.org/allianceforchwemployers/
• Family Services-RI: familyserviceri.org/
• Rhode Island Department of Health, CHW Program: health.ri.gov/chws
• Community Health Worker Association of Rhode Island: chwari.org/
• Caring Careers-RI: caringcareers.ri.gov/
• National Association of Community Health Workers: nachw.org