Community Health Worker Certification
Certification
The CHW Association of Delaware is currently advocating for CHW Certification. We believe CHWs should possess a set of core skills to effectively meet the demands of their positions. CHWs in DE should be able to demonstrate each of the nationally recognized core competencies. The CHW Core Competency training covers each of these core skills.
Why should Delaware offer a voluntary certification credential for Community Health Workers?
There is great value in promoting voluntary certification of CHWs. Voluntary certification would not only define scope and standards for CHWs in Delaware but would also ensure CHW focus on non-clinical social determinants of health; and can provide specific modules, such as trauma informed care, or opioid awareness and prevention to advance population health as part of the curriculum or recertification requirements. We believe that without such standardization, the likelihood of CHWs reaching their full potential in the Delaware health care continuum is greatly diminished.
Payors, hospital and health systems, community partners, providers and community health workers themselves, all see the value of standard training and voluntary certification that can create a unique workforce shown to improve health outcomes while reducing healthcare costs.
While the value of community health workers is evident, the training and voluntary certification has advantages and disadvantages, which are outlined below:
How can Delaware support CHWs?
Certification
DPH, ChristianaCare, and Del Tech all have CHW training programs.
Considerations:
- Create ‘legacy’ pathway for existing CHWs
- Establish a certification program
- Identify regulatory board
- Establish curriculum (validate existing training programs)
Sustainable Funding
Possible mechanisms include:
- State Medicaid policy actions
- CHW expenditures covered by health plans
- Bundled payments and other alternative payment structures
- Internal financing by providers
- FQHC prospective payments
- Blended or braided funding
Self Empowerment
- Promoting self-actualization and self-advocacy among community health workers
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANATAGES
While the value of community health workers is evident, the training and voluntary certification has advantages and disadvantages, which are outlined to the right:
Clearly, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The disadvantages of training and voluntary certification have been discussed and can be mitigated by using the following approaches:
- Create an efficient and streamlined process for training and certification. Enable standards for training and allow private entities and vocational programs to operate approved training programs. Maintain a database of certified CHWs, but allow employers to adhere to their own HR policies and procedures for hiring.
- Some states believe the costs and requirements of certification is a deterrent to community members working in this space already. Voluntary certification is the key to addressing perceived barriers. CHWs are not required to be certified so those who perceive certification as a barrier will not need to be certified.