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

Abstract #120863

Durrell Fox, BSBA, New England HIV Education Consortium & Boston HAPPENS, 23 Miner Street Floor G, Boston, MA 02215, 617-262-5657, dfoxnehec@aol.com and Lisa Renee Siciliano, LSWA, Massachusetts Community Health Worker Network, 4 lancaster terrace, worcester, MA 01609.

CHWs in Massachusetts have become increasingly active in legislative advocacy as well as in health care access and public health coalitions. The Massachusetts Community Health Worker (MACHW) Network reached a milestone with the successful filing of its first CHW authored legislation (House #2751) entitled, An Act Providing For Investigation And Study By The Department Of Public Health Relative To Community Health Workers (Also known as THE CHW bill). On June 1, our legislation had a favorable hearing from the MA legislatures Joint Committee on Public Health. The primary authors were two CHWs.

CHWs can mobilize to transfer some the advocacy skills they employ every day to assist their clients to advocating for resources to sustain CHWs. That way we will be able to continue to provide valuable community wellness and public health services. We have the power to change the public health and human service delivery systems in our state. Because of the role we play in the community, we have a unique vantage point and view of these systems. We must continue to share this knowledge with policy makers and community gate keepers so these systems can be shaped to better fit the needs of our clients and communities.

Learning Objectives: We will discus

• An example of CHW led legislative initiative that can be replicated across the country.
• Development or legislation and policy initiatives.
• How legislative and policy initiatives are critical to the growth and development of the CHW workforce
• Working with CHWs to find creative ways to build health and human services access and public health advocacy into their regular activities and vocabulary.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development,

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