Academic

El Paso Community College’s Community Health Worker Certification Course and Community Health Worker Continuing Education Opportunities help educate students to serve as a bridge and liaison between individuals who seek health care and those who provide it. The program offers a certification of completion after 1 year of theoretical courses and practical community work.

The National Community Health Worker Training Center within the Center for Community Health Development, Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, has a Community Health Worker/Promotora program that consists of a 160-hour Certification Course. The course incorporates 2.5 hours per week of real-time class sessions, for a total of 60 hours. The other 100 hours are individual study, assignments and hands-on experience. Courses are designed for both online and in-person certification, and for both English and Spanish speakers.

Northwest Vista College in Texas offers a Community Health Worker Certification Program via distance learning. All six courses leading to state certification are available online. Each course is 8 weeks long (Flex Semester), and courses are offered year-round. No prerequisites are required and there is no set sequence of classes, so students can join at the beginning of each new semester.

Based in Ohio, The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences Community Health Worker Certificate Program consists of 10 courses (120 contact hours) and 175 hours of practical experience. The program introduces students to community health concepts, resources and skills essential to CHWs. Students who complete this certificate program are eligible to be certified by the Ohio Board of Nursing as a Community Health Worker.

The Rhode Island College (RIC) Community Health Worker Certification Program provides specialized training for professionals and volunteers while helping the state develop an in-demand skilled workforce. The 12-week training program at RIC includes 6 weeks of classroom instruction and 6 weeks of experiential learning through a 100-hour internship in an approved facility. To be eligible for the program, students must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent degree.

Two educational institutions have joined together in partnership with the Temple University Health System to develop a curriculum and offer effective training for CHWs. The 5-week training program, at 30 hours per week, moves learners through a process from acquiring knowledge, to analyzing underlying constructs, to applying and synthesizing learned materials, to being self-evaluative

The University of Hawaii, Maui College, Community Health Worker Program prepares individuals to work as unlicensed members of health and social services care teams to provide care for individuals in community-based settings. The certificate consists of 17 credits that afford practical information on disease treatment, medications, pharmacology, and community action, among other key areas.

The City University of New York hosts multiple CHW training programs at its LaGuardia, Hostos and Kingsborough campuses. These programs are designed to help CHWs develop core competencies around contemporary health issues such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and chronic illness. The programs range from 100 to 120 hours and include an internship, case management support, literacy and basic skills support, and job search assistance.

Lorain County Community College has designed a short-term technical certification program for CHWs. This 19-hour program prepares graduates to function as advocates for patients in the community by assisting them in accessing health and support services. Program graduates are eligible to apply to the Ohio Board of Nursing for a certificate to practice as a Certified Community Health Worker.

Berkeley City College offers both an Associate in Arts Degree and Certificate of Achievement for Community Health Workers. The program consists of 32 or 33 credits and is targeted at individuals interested in working in the community health field as well as county social services employees. The program provides paraprofessional classes that incorporate theory and active learning activities that simulate everyday experiences in the work-world.