218863 CHWs :Essential Educational Partners

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Joanne L. Calista, MS, LICSW , Executive Director, Central Massachusetts Area Health Education Center, Inc. (CM AHEC), Worcester, MA
The Central MA Area Health Education Center's Outreach Worker Training Institute (OWTI) implements a unique training model, based upon Community Health Worker (CHW) participation in all aspects of program design. In particular, the OWTI implements trainings that include a CHW co-trainer in all of its courses. CHW trainers are primarily OWTI graduates. The OWTI maintains that the participation of CHW trainers enhances the richness, authenticity, diversity, and quality of the trainings. In addition, this model serves as an professional development venue for CHWS. OWTI program evaluations have consistently indicated that this model is viewed positively by CHW participants, CHW trainers, health specific trainers, and CHW employers. This presentation will outlines the strengths of a CHW co-training model, identify specific methodology utilized in the course, and outline strategies to develop and support CHW co-training teams. If accepted, the presentation would be co-presented with an OWTI CHW graduate who oversees men's health programs at a MA community health center.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the specific benefits to CHW course partcipants of utlizing CHW team teaching methodology. 2. Identify 3 strategies to effectively implement CHW team teaching methodology.

Keywords: Certificate Program, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As director of the Central MA AHEC, Inc., I have partcipated in the development, implementation, and evaluation of CM AHEC's Outreach Worker Training Institute (OWTI), which utilizes a CHW team instructing methodology.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4175.0: CHW Curricula That Provides Skills Strategies and Methods to Combat Social Injustices Affecting the Health of our Communities