State Certification Board

Aimed at promoting excellence in asthma education, the National Asthma Educator Certification Board offers certifications and recertifications for Asthma Educators. The Board offers 7-year certifications through an examination process and 5-year recertifications by continuing education credit. More information on testing and continued education may can be found on their website.

The Oregon State Government offers an 80-hour certification training course focused on neighborhood wellness programs and medical care teams. Certifications are available through more than 60 hospitals, 180 clinics and 15 Coordinated Care Organizations that work closely to hire and certify CHWs.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) provides certification and training programs for CHWs and instructors. The programs consist of more than 160 hours of continuing education training materials and distance learning certification courses. All programs are approved by DSHS.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) provides certification and training programs for CHWs and instructors. The programs consist of more than 160 hours of continuing education training materials and distance learning certification courses. All programs are approved by DSHS.

The Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction and the Indiana State Department of Health have approved a training and certification process for Indiana Integrated Care Community Health Worker and Certified Recovery Specialist Programs. Interested individuals must meet specific criteria and complete a 3- to 5-day training with a final examination. Upon completion, participants will be certified and eligible for employment in Indiana-based health care environments.

The Ohio Board of Nursing certifies Community CHWs through approved CHW training programs. Applications and information on the program approval process can be found on the Board’s website.

The Washington State Department of Health: Community Health Worker Training is a free 8-week training session. It includes a combination of online and in-person training designed to strengthen the common skills, knowledge and abilities of the CHW. The training is offered four times a year in seven regions around the state. Through the training program, Washington State has provided core competency training to more than 330 CHWs, and health-specific training to more than 60 CHWs.

Board of Certification of Community Health Workers (CHWs) was established within the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services to help integrate CHWs into the health care and public health systems. The Board establishes standards for education, training, programs and certification renewal.

The Alaska Community Health Aide Program Certification Board (CHAPCB) was developed in the 1990s in response to numerous tribal health concerns in rural Alaska. Through its training centers and clinical skills preceptorship, CHAP now consists of a network of approximately 550 Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) in more than 170 rural Alaska villages. There are four sessions of CHA training, each of which lasts 3 to 4 weeks and will lead to certification by the Certification Board.