Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110680

Marlynn May, PhD, School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University, 1103 University Drive, Suite 200, College Station, TX 77840, (979) 458-1328, marlynn@tamu.edu

The current literature on CHWs contains no systematic, national overview appraising the nature and extent of state supported CHW certification and training in the U.S.. To address this, the Texas A&M Southwest Rural Health Research Center conducted a survey of fifty U.S. states to measure the extent and nature of CHW training and certification programs. The survey identified states with broad-based, state supported CHW certification and training programs. Program selection was based on six criteria designed to include into the study programs with a regional or greater scope, and state support and involvement. Seventeen states were identified, three with state sanctioned training and certification programs and fourteen with state supported systematic training-only programs. Telephone interviews were conducted with key personnel in each of the seventeen states. Interview topics included questions regarding program goals and foci, the populations served, program history and development, the administrative and program structure and organization. Findings detail program scope and goals, service objectives, target populations served, structure and content of training curricula and certification requirements, trainer qualifications, funding bases, modes of evaluation and identify diverse stakeholder rationales for why certification is important for the future. Policy implications are discussed. Participants will be able to identify and articulate the characteristics of CHW certification, take away a perspective on why certification and training are important for different stakeholders, and evaluate their own CHW training and certification in the context of others' programs in the U.S.

Learning Objectives:

• identify and articulate the characteristics of CHW certification and training
• gain a clear perspective on why CHW certification is important, from multiple stake holder perspectives
• be able to evaluate one's own CHW program in context of other programs across the U.S.

Keywords: Community Health Planning, Community-Based Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation