Louis D. Coccodrilli, MPH¹, Susan Goodman, RDH, DDS¹, and Lauren Spears, MPH². (1) Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Parklawn Bldg. Room 9-105, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-443-7774, lcoccodrilli@hrsa.gov, (2) Health Resources and Services Administration, ASPH Public Health Fellow, 5600 Fishers Lane, Parklawn Bldg. Room 9-105, Rockville, MD 20857

The Health Education and Training Centers (HETC) Program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HETCs are legislatively mandated to include training to prepare community health workers under Section 752 of the Public Health Service Act. Due to this unique mandate, HETCs are involved in a wide range of CHW activities along the U.S./Mexico Border and Florida, as well as in other urban and rural areas with populations with serious unmet health care needs.

In this session, HRSA representatives will discuss the activities of community health workers in and through HETCs, particularly along the U.S./Mexico border and Florida. Best practices of utilization and training of community health workers will be highlighted, as well as a discussion of next steps for CHWs within other federally funded programs. Panelists will discuss the potential impact of CHWs on the goal of reducing health disparities of underserved populations and as a critical community resource to serving the underserved through various federally supported programs, particularly HETCs

Learning Objectives:

• Describe border and non-border community health worker activities through the HETCs
• Articulate the legislative base and program requirements of the HETC Program
• Describe the variety of CHW training programs.
• Discuss the utilization of CHWs within HETCs, as volunteers and as employees

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employed by HRSA as Chief of AHEC Branch, which oversees the grants of the Health Education and Training Centers discussed in this presentation.