Is CHW certification beneficial? What Texas CHWs say in preliminary evaluation findings

The Texas Department of State Health Services Promotor(a) or Community Health Worker Training and Certification Program has certified CHWs, instructors, and training programs for over a decade. Prior to 2015, the program collected data related to certification and renewal rates, curricula, and initial certification and continuing education courses. However, the program had not collected data in regards to the actual benefit of certification for CHWs, residents served by CHWs, or employers of CHWs. Given the growing rate of certified CHWs in Texas (and nationally) and the number of employers hiring  CHWs, there is a need to understand if and how certification of CHWs makes a differences in terms of perceived benefits, patient outcomes, salary, etc. In light of the lack of information regarding the potential benefit of CHW certification, a workgroup developed and tested an evaluation tool, which the program office developed, tested, and implemented in the spring of 2015. This presentation will highlight: 1) the format and process to complete the evaluation tool (online, voluntary, CHWs are requested to complete the survey when filling out their recertification application every two years); 2) information collected on the evaluation tool; 3) preliminary findings based on data collected from the new evaluation tool; and 4) how the findings will be used for program improvement.  This presentation will build on information presented on CHW certification in Texas and past evaluation data collected and then set the tone to hear about CHWs’ perceptions of the benefits and negative aspects of CHW certification in Texas.