Enhancing Program Outreach and Impact through CHW Partnerships

As Community Health Worker (CHW) programs become increasingly present and continue to evolve throughout the country, a variety of models and compensation options have emerged, including staff and volunteer CHW programs.  While each type of program has its benefits and unique considerations, health and social programs can draw on both staff and volunteer CHWs to build community capacity and increase program outreach, communication, and awareness.  Creating a multi-level, synergistic partnership between CHWs expands program services by supporting staff CHWs to focus on direct service responsibilities (such as one-to-one support and education) and volunteer CHWs to conduct outreach and program promotion.

This partnership model can be mutually beneficial by allowing staff CHWs to strengthen their leadership abilities and build upon organizational and communication skills as points-of-contact for volunteer CHWs, and by enabling volunteer CHWs to gain community-based outreach experience while fostering their professional development.  In this session, MHP Salud will highlight the collaboration between staff CHWs and volunteer CHWs in two of its Community Health Worker programs that work to prevent sexual and domestic violence in underserved Latino communities.  Additionally, participants will engage in discussion on how to replicate the model in their own program or community.  MHP Salud CHWs will actively contribute to the development of the presentation and at least one CHW will co-present to share their experiences working within this model.