Southwestern AHEC has the opportunity to return to a successful program it last conducted in Bridgeport in 2004. Under a contract with the Community Health Center Association of CT (CHC ACT), Community Health Outreach Workers will be trained to be integral members of the health care delivery team, providing appropriate services to underserved clients and diverse communities, such as immigrants.

The overall goal of this initiative is to increase the percentage of eligible children who are enrolled in HUSKY, the State’s Medicaid program for children. Community Health Workers (CHWs) who are familiar with the community and can present the HUSKY opportunity in a family-friendly manner are often most successful in meeting this goal.

Some of the specific objectives of the Community Health Outreach Worker training curriculum are to:

• Develop effective communication, advocacy, and culturally appropriate outreach and enrollment services.
• Learn data collection and documentation procedures.
• Learn to develop goals and treatment planning necessary to impact communities served.
• Become familiar with community agencies as referral sources and collaborative partners.
• Develop teamwork skills.

Southwestern AHEC’s Community Health Worker Curriculum further developed when serving as a Technical Assistance partner in the Community Health Worker National Education Collaborative, www.chw-nec.org from 2005 – 2007. This allowed us to participate in sharing best practices for educating Community Health Workers with others across the USA.

Carl Rush, Consultant - Community Resources, LLC, E. Lee Rosenthal, Ph.D, MS, MPH, Assistant Professor, University of Texas, El Paso, and Yvonne Lacey, Promotores in California working on the framework for education of Community Health Workers

Graduation of the Community Health Worker Class of 2003 with Mentors