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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

E. Lee Rosenthal, PhD¹, Donald E. Proulx, MEd², Nancy E. Collyer², Durrell J. Fox³, Yvonne Lacey⁴, and Linda Scheu, MPH⁵. (1) Department of Health Promotion-College of Health Science, University of Texas at El Paso, 1101 N. Campbell Street, El Paso, TX 79902, (915) 747-8233, elrosenthal@utep.edu, (2) Arizona Area Health Education Centers Program, University of Arizona, 1830 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 136, Tucson, AZ 85719, (3) New England HIV Education Consortium, 23 Miner Street, Floor G, Boston, MA 02215-3318, (4) Berkeley Department of Health and Human Services, 1767 Alcatraz, Berkeley, CA 94703, (5) Pima Prevention Partnership, 2525 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85716

This presentation will share lessons learned in an ongoing collaborative project funded by the US Department of Education (FIPSE). The three-year grant supports the development of a community of practice collaborative whose aim is to generate Best Practice guidelines for college-supported Community Health Worker (CHW) education. The CHW National Education Collaborative is a partnership of a majority CHW Advisory Council; 22 institutions of higher education including six core technical assistance providers, a cadre of expert consultants, and project staff from the University of Arizona Area Health Education Centers and the University of Texas, El Paso. In this session, presenters will lead a dialogue about emerging issues in CHW education. Specifically, one of the project's CHW Co-Directors will provide an overview of the project's progress to-date and an Advisory Council Co-Chair will highlight a key document produced by the Council to guide project partners. In the Key Considerations document to be presented, three overarching considerations and ten Best Practice considerations are identified. Overarching considerations emphasize that: CHWs should be integrated at all levels of leadership in CHW educational programs; colleges should integrate CHW-NEC identified Best Practice appropriate to the local setting, and colleges should implement ongoing advocacy and sustainability activities. Ten other considerations identified by the Council are organized around seven Best Practice areas that include: Workforce Assessment and Market Development; Institutional Climate and Program Development; Curriculum Design; Instructional Approaches; Recruitment and Retention; Evaluation; and Sustainability. Best Practices recommendations are intended to guide both new and established CHW educational programs.

Learning Objectives: