A Community Health Worker's Perspective on Working with Community Leaders in Miami-Dade County to Promote Equal Access and Progressive Policies

Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Miami, as in other parts of the country, function in a number of different capacities. They work directly with underserved populations to find ways in which to connect them to health care and other social services. They also can help to influence policy because of their real-time experience. This presentation will focus on the importance of relationship-building among residents, community health centers, and policy makers. To this end, the presenter will provide a CHW's personal account of how they are working in the community to connect people to care and services, as well as how they are building a CHW Network which is helping to inform local and national policies. One of the areas discussed will be the potential for and the manner in which CHWs in Miami-Dade are collecting data as part of their work with Community Voices Miami's CHW project and the HealthConnect program. Finally, the presentation will address the leadership role that CHWs are playing in the development of a three-level curriculum for CHWs.