Supervision and Support of CHWs

This presentation will focus on the breadth of supervision responsibilities that managers of Community Health Workers (CHWs) have.  Many times CHWs are more connected to their community than the organization they represent.  While CHWs function independently in the field, it is crucial for managers to establish frequent, quality supervision and support with their CHWs in order for the overall program to be successful.  CHWs communicate to the organization, through their supervisor, what the needs, barriers, and assets are in the community they serve and represent.  This crucial information is what guides on-going program implementation and strategic planning.  CHW supervisors must establish trust and maintain open communication channels and frequent supervisory meetings with their CHWs to ensure information flows in both directions.  Input from the CHWs impact managerial expectations and the ability to meet programmatic goals and objectives.

During this presentation we will cover key topics and items managers should address during weekly supervision meetings with CHWs as well as monitoring and evaluation tools to access CHWs in the field.  Through the review of case-studies, we will troubleshoot typical issues and challenges CHWs and CHW managers face in their work.  We will also discuss the importance of CHW support and recognition to aid and improve retention rates of CHWs.