245645 Competencies and advocacy: A pilot community health worker training program in New Orleans

Monday, October 31, 2011

Ashley Wennerstrom, MPH , Community Affairs and Health Policy, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Benjamin Springgate, MD, MPH , RAND Corporation, New Orleans, LA
Community health workers (CHWs) are capable of reducing health disparities, decreasing healthcare costs, and supporting long-term disaster recovery in areas affected by natural and technological disasters. CHWs may benefit from training in core competencies that are vital to successful community engagement and education, but until recently there have been limited opportunities for competency-based training in Louisiana. In this presentation, we will describe the development and delivery of a pilot CHW training program that used popular education techniques to teach CHW core competencies, with an emphasis on advocacy. We will present qualitative and quantitative training participant feedback, and outline how training participants have applied skills to address community health and social concerns.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the results of a pilot CHW training program focused on CHW competencies and advocacy 2. Discuss the role of advocacy training in effecting improvements in health disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the co-director of the training program described.
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.

See more of: Promoting Healthy Communities Beyond the Health Care system
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