Community based Community Health Workers: A Co-Supervisory Model building shared capacities, resources and service integration

Nonmedical determinants of health and community health contexts require fundamental adaptations in transdisciplinary practices, primary care infrastructure, and community based organizational capacities. Over the last two years Mayo Clinic Employee Community Health and the Intercultural Mutual Association have been working in partnership to address the needs of more than 300 children and adults with complex medical conditions in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

This presentation describes a community based Co-Supervisory Community Health Worker (CHW) Model, created by a certified Health Care Home and a community based non-profit organization. Patient-centered team based care integrating CHWs within service delivery and co-supervisory capacities will be discussed.  An overview of the referral and reporting pathways for direct and non-visit patient care coordination supports will be described.  Process outputs applied in CHW home visits, early intervention, and the care of complex medical conditions, provided the contexts informing best practices.

The review of co-developed lead CHW reporting and tracking tools, the collection of transdisciplinary team building skills, cultural narratives depicting significant patient experiences, and co-supervisory best practices, will be presented in partnership with a lead CHW. 

Co-Supervisory community based CHW services are the critical link in aligning primary care infrastructure with patient/family constructs, community based resources, and organizational capacities promoting health equity and whole person care.