IN.gov - Skip Navigation

Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information.

Chronic Disease > Communities Partnership Program > Community Health Workers Community Health Workers (CHWs)

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.

A CHW also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.

- American Public Health Association
 
  Stock imageCHWs enable patients to adhere to provider recommendations by connecting patients to community-based resources. The literature points to CHWs as having a significant impact on:
  • reducing unnecessary hospital readmissions
  • strengthening patients self efficacy
  • increasing patient satisfaction
  • adherence to medication and provider recommendations
  • improving access and quality of care
  • enhancing social support

Social support is an indicator of health outcomes. Community health workers provide social support and greatly enhance personal and community health.

Common titles used to describe CHWs include but are not limited to - peer support technician, promotor(a) de salud, community health representative, lay health worker/advisor, certified recovery specialist, care coordinator, financial coordinator, care transition support specialist,  outreach worker, access worker, community health advisor, patient navigator, community mental health workers, and the like.

Models of Care Include:

  • Navigation
  • Care Coordination
  • Organizing/Peer Support
  • Outreach/Informing/Enrollment Agent
  • Member of the Care Delivery team

Why CHWs?

US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Standard Occupational Classification

  • 21-1094 Community Health Workers
Assist individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors. Conduct outreach for medical personnel or health organizations to implement programs in the community that promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health. May provide information on available resources, provide social support and informal counseling, advocate for individuals and community health needs, and provide services such as first aid and blood pressure screening. May collect data to help identify community health needs. Excludes "Health Educators" (21-1091)

Leveraging CHWs is one of many evidence-based practices known to improve population health. Indeed, the National Prevention Strategy, Institute of Medicine, U.S. Health and Human Services and others recommend integrating CHWs into the health care delivery system.

Evidence

Evidence to support the role of CHWs continues to grow. Our annotated bibliographies (below) help to understand the nature and impact of their work.

The Indiana State Department of Health's Role in Supporting CHWs

ISDH is deeply committed to supporting the role of CHWs. States with strong CHW systems advance care, reduce cost, and improve health outcomes. As a convener for supporting CHWs in Indiana, ISDH and its partners created the Community Health Worker Coalition of Indiana.

The Coalition's aim is to:

  • assess the needs of CHWs,
  • assess the receptivity of providers and third-party payers to support CHWs,
  • establish a network of CHWs to disseminate evidence-based practice,
  • provide a voice for CHWs and those who employ them; and
  • work towards the integration of CHWs into the healthcare delivery system.

Success in developing a sustainable system with community health workers is a direct result of our partners from all sectors of the community including community health workers and public and private entities.

Our current partners include:

American Health Network, Inc., Area Five Agency on Aging, ASPIN, Community Resources, LLC, Dia de la Mujer Latina, Inc., Esperanza Ministries, Goodwill Industries, Health Care Excel, Head Start, HealthLinc, Inc., HealthVisions Midwest, Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, Indiana Cancer Consortium, Indiana Health Care Association, Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Indiana Primary Health Care Association,  Indiana State Medical Association, Indiana University Department of Public Health, Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, IU Health, IU Health - Bloomington, Ivy Tech State College, Little Red Door Cancer Agency, Marion County Health Department, Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Mental Health America of Indiana, Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center - Purdue University Calument - Acadmenic Learning Center, Office of the Center of Wellness for Urban Women, Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County, Purdue University - Affecting Cancer Together, Purdue University -Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing - College of Health and Human Sciences, St. Vincent Hospital, Susan B. Komen, United HealthCare of Texas, University of Notre Dame - Institute for Latino Studies, Weiss Communications, Windrose Health Center, Wishard Hospital,

Indiana State Department of Health

Cardiovascular Health and Diabetes Section, Children's Special Health Care Services, Chronic Respiratory Disease Section, Comprehensive Cancer and Control, Division of HIV and STDs, Maternal and Child Health, Office of Minority Health, Office of Primary Care, Office of Women's Health, Office of Refugee Health

CHW Coalition

Are you a CHW in search of evidence-based resources, training, and networking opportunities? If so, join our coalition today by contacting Communities Partnership below.

The Coalition is divided into 10 districts throughout Indiana. See the district map to find your district and contact information for the representative in your district. To get more information about the coalition and CHWs in your area, please contact your district representative. If there is no representative listed for your district, please contact the CHW Project Coordinator at 317-233-7209 or kzimmerman1@isdh.in.gov for more information.

For more information, view the Indiana CHW Brochure or visit the CHW Website.

The Community Health Worker Coalition meets from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. For details, please email kimmerman1@isdh.in.gov or call 317-233-7209.

Also, connect with the Coalition on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IndianaCHW

Community Health Worker's Symposium

** SAVE THE DATE **

2013 Community Health Worker's Symposium

When: September 5, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Indiana Government Center

402 W. Washington Street

Indianapolis, IN  46204

Registration information coming soon!

For more information, please contact Kelli Zimmerman at 317-233-7209 or kzimmerman1@isdh.in.gov

    CHW'S Symposium Brochure 2012

CHW'S Symposium Presentations

On Monday, Oct. 15th, ISDH and the Indiana Community Health Worker Coalition hosted a state-wide CHW Symposium. The attached presentations were given during the symposium. We hope they are as informative to you as they were for those able to attend in person.

Carl Rush, M.R.P. is one of the leading academics in CHW policies and initiatives throughout the nation. Mr. Rush presented on the national landscape related to current policies that encourage CHWs. He also touched on several studies that have shown a return on investment for creating CHW initiatives. View Carl Rush presentation.

Lee Rosenthal, Ph.D. has worked on CHW policy and legislation for more than 20 years. Dr. Rosenthal has worked with many states to help assess their CHW populations as a first step to integrating CHWs into their health care systems. Her presentation includes the results of Indiana's state-wide assessment. View Dr. Rosenthal's presentation.

Sherry Gray and Jane Clawson of St. Vincent run a highly successful CHW driven program to address pre-natal and infant care in the Pathways model. This presentation outlines the program and successes they have seen as a result. View presentation. 

Bruce VanDusen of the Division of Mental Health and Addictions and Martha Levey of ASPIN have created a billable peer-support program for those struggling with mental illness and substance abuse issues. To learn more about this program and how these organizations have bridged the gap between primary and behavioral health care, view their presentation.

Windrose Health Network, Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County, and Esperanza Ministries have formed a unique model working together to address the health disparities in Johnson County. View the presentation to learn more about each organization's contribution and the use of CHWs to address their need.

The Marion County Health Department has a well-developed and long-standing asthma education program that uses CHWs. View MCHD presentation.

Health Visions Midwest has been working in the East Chicago region for years and has used CHWs in many initiatives to great effect. View HVMW presentation.

 

Resources and Trainings

** If you know of any trainings or events. please post them on the INCHW Facebook Page **

National CHW Organizations

  • CDC "Promoting Policyand Systems to Expand Employment of CHWs" - 6 session e-learning flyer
  • Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center (DTTAC) "CHWs: Policy and Systems Strategies for Improving the Prevention and Management of Chronic Diseases Among Disparate Populations" - 6 webinar modules & handouts
  • American Association of Community Health Worker (contact: Durrell Fox, dfoxnehec@aol.com or Pam Chapman, pam.chapman@spectrum-health.org, Co-chairs
  • CHW National Education Collaborative
  • American Public Health Association, CHW Section

    • *List of national resources are courtesy of the Massachusetts Health Care Workforce Center

    For assistance, please contact: Kelli Zimmerman, CHW Project Coordinator at 317-233-7209 or kzimmerman1@isdh.in.gov .

     

    Stay Connected

    You are leaving the IN.gov website. By clicking OK, you will be taken to a website that is not affiliated with the State of Indiana and may have different privacy and security policies. The State of Indiana is not responsible for, and does not endorse, guarantee, or monitor content, availability, viewpoints, products, or services that are offered or expressed on this non IN.gov portal website.