Applying our 25 years of experience serving older adults and other high-acuity Community Health Workers transform lives and uplift California’s most vulnerable communities. Partners’ online CHW training program is designed to equip the community health workforce with the knowledge and skills to address the Social Determinants of Health and make a tangible difference in health care. With California facing a critical shortage of CHWs, there’s never been a more urgent need for dedicated frontline public health workers. Partners’ online CHW training aligns with California’s certification pathway.
In 2018, Partners developed an in-person CHW curriculum for Blue Shield of California (BSC) to expand the healthcare workforce. This training has since transformed into an asynchronous, online course. Partners’ staff developed the CHW curriculum with Rush University’s Center for Health and Social Care Integration (CHaSCI).
Partners’ CHW Training Course aligns with the National C3 Project Core Competencies, preparing participants for state certification. Following certification, CHWs will be able to bill Medi-Cal for Heath Related Social Needs (HRSN) services. Additionally, we now offer a Spanish CHW Training to provide bilingual support to participants.
Lesson Modules to Choose From
MODULE 1—INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER
1-1: Who are Community Health Workers? (C3 Skills: n/a)
1-2: Community Health in Context (C3 Skills: 11.1, 11.6)
1-3: Insurance, Benefits and Resources (C3 Skills: 1.8, 6.5, 6.6, 8.3, 11.7, 11.8)
1-4: Community Health Worker Care Coordination Process (C3 Skills: 3.1, 3.3, 4.5)
MODULE 2—COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE BASE
2-1: Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility (C3 Skills: 1.4, 1.5, 2.6)
2-2: Health and Chronic Conditions (C3 Skills: 11.2)
2-3: Medication Adherence (C3 Skills: n/a)
2-4: Health Behavior Theories and Health Behavior Change (C3 Skills: 4.2, 11.3, 11.5)
2-5: Social Risks and Social Needs (C3 Skills: 4.1, 4.2, 6.8, 7.2, 11.1)
2-6: Caregiving (C3 Skills: 10.2, 10.3)
2-7: Stress and Trauma (C3 Skills: 7.1)
2-8: Mental Health and Substance Use (C3 Skills: 11.2, 11.4)
2-9: Memory Loss (C3 Skills: n/a)
2-10: Grief and Resilience (C3 Skills: 2.1, 4.4)
MODULE 3—COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
3-1: Education Skills (C3 Skills: 1.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.6, 8.2)
3-2: Advocacy Skills (C3 Skills: 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3)
3-3: Research and Evaluation (C3 Skills: 6.8, 9.5, 10.1, 10.2)
3-4: Communication and Engagement (C3 Skills: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6)
3-5: Boundaries and Self-Care Skills (C3 Skills: 9.10)
3-6: Conflict Resolution Skills (C3 Skills: 2.5, 9.10)
3-7: Crisis Intervention Skills (C3 Skills: 2.5)
3-8: Documentation Skills (C3 Skills: 1.6, 1.7)
MODULE 4—COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER BEST PRACTICES
4-1: Care Team Dynamics (C3 Skills: 2.4, 3.1, 3.4, 6.7, 9.10)
4-2: Field Work and Home Visits (C3 Skills: 3.2, 3.5, 8.1, 9.6)
4-3: Telephonic Care (C3 Skills: 9.4)
4-4: Community Health Workers’ Code of Ethics (C3 Skills: 5.2, 9.1, 9.3, 9.7)
4-5: Safety, Risk and Privacy (C3 Skills: 1.7, 9.4, 9.7, 9.8)
CHW Training Course Descriptions
These 23 training courses will help learners enhance their knowledge and improve occupational skills to prepare them for the workforce.
MODULE 1—INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK
1-1: Who are Community Health Workers? (C3 Skills: n/a)
This online course will help prepare the learner for work as an entry level Community Health Worker by providing overarching background information regarding the variety of roles and responsibilities of CHWs.
1-2: Community Health in Context (C3 Skills: 11.1, 11.6)
This lesson provides foundational information regarding the various systems within the United States’ health care system that influence health outcomes and quality of life of diverse communities.
1-3: Insurance, Benefits and Resources (C3 Skills: 1.8, 6.5, 6.6, 8.3, 11.7, 11.8)
In their roles across the care continuum, Community Health Workers often assist clients in navigating various healthcare and social services. This lesson provides an overview of health insurance, government-funded benefits and programs, and other community resources that are important to be aware of in order to effectively help people of all ages navigate care and to increase access to resources.
1-4: Community Health Worker Care Coordination Process (C3 Skills: 3.1, 3.3, 4.5)
This lesson provides a basic overview of the typical care coordination process a Community Health Worker engages in as they manage a case that has been assigned to them—from the initial engagement with the patient, through the care coordination process, and the termination of a case.
MODULE 2—COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE BASE
2-1: Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility (C3 Skills: 1.4, 1.5, 2.6)
Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve as crucial liaisons between healthcare providers and the communities they support. This lesson is designed to enhance their cultural competency and cultural safety skills, enabling them to provide person-centered care that respects and appreciates diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and values.
2-2: Health and Chronic Conditions (C3 Skills: 11.2)
Community Health Workers often work with individuals who have chronic conditions that require either short-term or ongoing care management. This lesson provides basic information regarding some of the more common conditions, their causes and more importantly, what interventions CHWs use to help address their clients’ needs.
2-3: Medication Adherence (C3 Skills: n/a)
Community Health Workers often work with individuals who struggle with medication management. This lesson provides background information regarding medication adherence and the risks involved in non-adherence, as well as strategies for CHWs to use to support their participants while staying within scope of practice.
2-4: Health Behavior Theories and Health Behavior Change (C3 Skills: 4.2, 11.3, 11.5)
Understanding and influencing health behaviors is foundational to the role of a Community Health Worker (CHW). Through this lesson CHWs will gain a nuanced understanding of the root causes behind harmful health behaviors, empowering them to provide effective support to individuals as they navigate towards healthier choices.
2-5: Social Risks and Social Needs (C3 Skills: 4.1, 4.2, 6.8, 7.2, 11.1)
This lesson provides foundational information on how an individual’s social context, living conditions, and social determinants of health can impact their healthcare outcomes and quality of life.
2-6: Caregiving (C3 Skills: 10.2, 10.3)
Community Health Workers often work with their participants’ caregivers. This lesson provides an overview of the role of caregivers and how the CHW can provide the caregivers support in order to better support the participant.
2-7: Stress and Trauma (C3 Skills: 7.1)
The individuals that CHWs work with often have a history of trauma which can impact their emotional and physical wellbeing. This lesson describes the impact that stress can have on the individual, how to identify when a client is experiencing chronic stress and how the CHW can support them in order to help improve their healthcare outcomes and quality of life.
2-8: Mental Health and Substance Use (C3 Skills: 11.2, 11.4)
Community Health Workers often support individuals who have a history of mental health or substance use issues which can impact both their emotional and healthcare outcomes. This lesson offers information regarding mental health challenges and substance use, exploring how they interact with and affect healthcare.
2-9: Memory Loss (C3 Skills: n/a)
Individuals who experience memory loss can have difficulties managing their health that can impact their health outcomes. This lesson explains some of the causes and signs of memory loss as well as how the CHW can support someone experiencing memory loss.
2-10: Grief and Resilience (C3 Skills: 2.1, 4.4)
It is important for Community Health Workers to understand the grief process and the internal resilience that individuals use to persevere. This lesson explores the concept of resilience and techniques CHWs can use to help their clients understand their own grief and build their own resilience.
MODULE 3—COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
3-1: Education Skills (C3 Skills: 1.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.6, 8.2)
A key component of the work that Community Health Workers engage in is providing health education to the individuals they work with. This lesson explores validated informational resources that are available to CHWs and specific techniques CHWs can use to disseminate health education to their clients without overstepping the bounds of the patient-CHW relationship.
3-2: Advocacy Skills (C3 Skills: 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3)
Appropriate advocacy is a core to effective Community Health Work. This lesson illustrates the various approaches to advocacy both on the individual level and on a systems level.
3-3: Research and Evaluation (C3 Skills: 6.8, 9.5, 10.1, 10.2)
While Community Health Workers primarily engage directly with individuals and communities, this lesson underscores the importance of data and research skills in Community Health Work. CHWs will explore how these skills improve healthcare quality, address health trends, and tackle the root causes of poor health outcomes.
3-4: Communication and Engagement (C3 Skills: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6)
Effective Community Health Workers utilize their communication and engagement skills with every patient. This lesson describes the three main skills required to achieve effective communication and engagement with patients: building rapport, active listening, and responding to challenging statements.
3-5: Boundaries and Self-Care Skills (C3 Skills: 9.10)
Community Health Work can be challenging for many reasons, and in order to provide the best care possible, it is crucial for CHWs to practice effective self-care. This lesson delineates the personal and professional boundaries that CHWs maintain in order to foster reasonable, safe, and supportive relationships with their clients, as well as how to respond when a client pushes those limits.
3-6: Conflict Resolution Skills (C3 Skills: 2.5, 9.10)
Due to the challenging nature of the work, Community Health Workers often find themselves in situations where conflict arises. This lesson helps to prepare the learner by addressing conflict they are may encounter as a CHW. Further, it also illustrates concrete skills for dealing with conflict when it arises, either when working with patients or with colleagues.
3-7: Crisis Intervention Skills (C3 Skills: 2.5)
One of the challenges Community Health Workers commonly face is how to effectively support people in crisis. This lesson reviews the types of crises CHWs are likely to encounter as well as best practices and appropriate ways to respond to a crisis within the scope of the CHW work.
3-8: Documentation Skills (C3 Skills: 1.6, 1.7)
Accurate and thorough documentation is a cornerstone of effective healthcare delivery. This lesson highlights the critical role of documentation in ensuring continuity, accuracy, and quality of patient care. Participants will learn how to document interactions, interventions, and observations efficiently and comprehensively, ultimately improving patient outcomes and healthcare communication.
MODULE 4—COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER BEST PRACTICES
4-1: Care Team Dynamics (C3 Skills: 2.4, 3.1, 3.4, 6.7, 9.10)
Advocates for the increased use of Community Health Workers in the health care continuum generally believe that CHWs are most effective when they are fully integrated into multidisciplinary care teams. This lesson illustrates how CHWs can be integrated into a larger care team and fulfill their role effectively among other professionals with varying degrees of education and licensure.
4-2: Field Work and Home Visits (C3 Skills: 3.2, 3.5, 8.1, 9.6)
A common and essential aspect of Community Health Work is fieldwork and conducting home visits. This lesson provides an overview of the typical processes and protocols that CHWs follow that help to keep them safe while in the field.
4-3: Telephonic Care (C3 Skills: 9.4)
Historically, CHWs have worked primarily in in-person settings. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, many CHW programs have adapted to include virtual and remote services. This lesson discusses the techniques CHWs use to provide services appropriately, effectively, and ethically via telehealth as well as the specific challenges that are likely to arise.
4-4: Community Health Workers’ Code of Ethics (C3 Skills: 5.2, 9.1, 9.3, 9.7)
Working at the intersection of social services and healthcare, it is crucial for CHWs to have a working understanding of the ethical challenges that may arise and the ethical guidelines they must adhere to. This lesson discusses the Community Health Worker Code of Ethics and the core values adopted by the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) and provides a framework for CHWs, their supervisors, and the care team to discuss ethical issues that arise in the course of work.
4-5: Safety, Risk and Privacy (C3 Skills: 1.7, 9.4, 9.7, 9.8)
Privacy, safety, and risk issues occur frequently in the field of healthcare, and especially in community health work. This lesson reviews expectations for reducing, mitigating, and addressing these risks within the scope of the CHW work.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please email our team at trainingsupport@picf.org.