Overcoming the disconnect between administrators and community health workers to improve job retention and program effectiveness

Across the nation public health programs are seeking successful strategies to reach diverse populations. In order to create effective public health programs at the local level, many health administrators employ community members as liaisons to the community. These community health workers (CHWs) are hired for their unique understanding of the experiences, language and culture of the communities they serve. Retaining CHWs can be challenging and yet it is a salient piece of successful health and human service programs. To avoid financial and opportunity costs, health administrators are overcoming barriers for retaining CHWs. This presentation highlights the collaboration between health administrators and CHWs to improve job retention and satisfaction in Massachusetts. Through regional discussions and employer forums, CHWs and health administrators are developing strategies to best support the organization's mission and each others' work. These strategies will be discussed with participants. These discussions were initiated by the statewide CHW professional association (Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers) and by the Community Health Worker Initiative of Boston, which is a 3 year program funded by Skillworks who's mission is to enable community health workers access to education and skills training leading to sustainable jobs, living wages and career pathways, while promoting policies that ensure appropriate employer funding to achieve these goals.