"Nothing About Us Without Us": Insights from State-level Efforts to Implement Community Health Worker Certification

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Public Health Policy
• Workforce Development

Background:

• Community Health Workers (CHWs) are increasingly integrated into healthcare teams.
• Several states are developing or have implemented CHW certification processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather insights on CHW certification processes and lessons learned from states considering or developing them.
• To identify best practices for CHW workforce development and certification.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with 41 stakeholders (CHWs, employers, state health officials).
• Data collected from seven states that had considered or developed CHW certification between April and September 2017.

Main Results:

• Key considerations for certification include training, education, experience-based certification, community representation, and preventing marginalization.
• Strategies for CHW leadership in decision-making and workforce development were highlighted.
• Best practices include using national models, standardized training, supporting CHW leadership, and stakeholder education.

Conclusions:

• Developing CHW certification requires careful consideration of multiple factors to ensure an effective and equitable workforce.
• Implementing best practices can support robust CHW workforce growth and development.