Lessons Learned from a Community-Academic Initiative (CAI): The Development of a Core Competency-Based Training for CAI-Community Health Workers

Despite the demand for a growing community health worker (CHW) workforce, little published information exists on training programs that prepare CHWs involved in community-academic initiatives. The NYU Prevention Research Center (PRC) developed a standardized CHW training program that aims to build core competencies and specialization skills and prepare CHWs to address health disparities within underserved communities.

The first segment was delivered by a CHW and included lessons that fostered the following core competencies: (1) CHW role and history; (2) communication skills; (3) interpersonal skills; (4) informal counseling; (5) service coordination; (6) capacity building skills; (7) advocacy skills; (8) technical skills; and (9) organizational skills. The second segment provided specialization training on research and disease-specific skills. CHW will present this abstract.

A 23% improvement in confidence was seen across all roles, tasks, and core competencies. Improvements in confidence were supported by the qualitative results of an open-ended assessment, in which four themes emerged: (1) Transferability of Skills; (2) Training Changed Approach to Work; (3) Popular Education Methodology was Beneficial; and (4) Overall Satisfaction with Training. Evaluation results from the specialization segment indicated usefulness of the content and improved project-specific skills. Challenges included participant attrition, which was addressed through continuous feedback between partners.

This program demonstrates that a standardized training with a core competencies framework: (1) builds capacity of the CHW workforce; (2) enhances CHWs' ability to negotiate clients' health and social issues by contextualizing community needs and assets; and (3) fosters understanding of CHWs' role in a multidisciplinary community-academic research team.