Community Health Worker Student-Based Workforce Survey of Sonoma County: Challenges, Benefits, & Results

Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) Community Health Worker (CHW) Leadership Team has conducted a student leadership based survey (2011-2012) of Sonoma County community health organizations and agencies as well as their employees with the focus on examining how working CHWs are being utilized by their community and to improve the curriculum for training CHWs. The survey examines; CHW titles, positions, roles, the populations CHWs serve (i.e. rural, urban, ethnic, economic status,) the health issues being addressed, skills needed and necessary for CHWs, and services CHWs provided their community. The survey also collected information regarding the demographics of employed CHWs, and analyzes what skills and outreach strategies need to be taught to SRJC CHW students to tailor fit them for employment in existing and underutilized segments within their own community. The surveys were conducted in an open focus group settings, which yielded both employers, and employees from diverse working backgrounds in community health with vastly important networking, community and capacity building opportunities. This survey also provided CHW students with invaluable contact and networking with potential future employers and exposing students to the roles of existing CHWs. It is our intention to discuss the process, challenges, value, and results of this survey and to share the leadership building capacity of CHW students, in addition to educating Sonoma County's workforce on CHWs and their scope of practice.