CHW-NEC Key Considerations: Unlocking Opportunities

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CHW-NEC Key ConsiderationsUnlocking
Opportunities Providing the Key to Success

• Developed by the National Advisory Council
• of the CHW - NEC
• Presented by Durrell Fox,
• Advisory Council Co-chair
• December 1, 2006 El Paso, TX

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• Presentation Overview
• Background on Key Considerations Development
• Advisory Council Roles
• Key Considerations
• Integrating Key Considerations in Your Program

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Key Considerations grew from need to add some
guiding principles to accompany best practices

• As advisory council began to gel (15 members from
  across the country made up of CHWs, allies and
  partners) we helped develop best promising
  practices menu
• We discussed ways to highlight-drive home certain
  items within the best practices

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CHW-NEC Advisory Council Role

• The role of the Advisory Council is to help
  advise project partners in these various stages,
  so that their CHW college-supported educational
  programs are truly responsive and representative
  of the past, present, and future of CHWs, as well
  as community and employer needs.
• All project partners in the Community Health
  Worker National Education Collaborative (CHW-NEC)
  are at various stages in the implementation and
  evaluation of their CHW curriculum for their
  respective institutions of higher education.

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Overarching Key Considerations

• The Advisory Council had three overarching Key
  Considerations the Council
• -promotes CHWs at all levels of leadership in
  CHW educational programs
• integrating CHW-NEC best practice approaches
• -advocacy and sustainability activities
  throughout program life cycle

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• Four Stages of Program Evolution Encompass the
  seven Best Practice Areas Key Considerations
  fall within these areas
• I. Program Development
• II. Program Implementation
• III. Program Evaluation
• IV. Program Maintenance

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I. Program Development

• A Workforce Assessment and Market Development
• Community health workers (students) need external
  support for education especially from current and
  future employees.

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I. Program Development

• B Institutional Climate and Program
  Development
• 2. College-supported education for CHWs must
  take into account various student/faculty
  backgrounds and integrate these into program
  design and anticipate the impact their education
  will have once they graduate.

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II. Program Implementation

• C Curriculum Design
• 3. Offering a diverse curriculum/teaching style
  for both community and classroom experience is
  essential, as well as promoting core CHW skills.
  

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II. Program Implementation

• D Instructional Approaches
• Focusing on effective instructional
  approaches that engage students becoming CHWs and
  CHWs becoming students is key.

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II. Program Implementation

• E Recruitment and Retention
• There are various personal barriers to address
  especially during the orientation process in
  order to assure student success.
• Life and work experience needs to be
  honored...seek opportunities to give credit where
  credit is due.
• Career building incentives must be varied and
  need to lead to other opportunities.

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III. Program Evaluation

• F Evaluation
• 8. Evaluation processes are needed and they must
  be multilevel and ongoing.

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IV. Program Maintenance

• G Sustainability
• Sustainability efforts are needed and must
  address student and institutional needs in
  college-supported educational programs.
• Policy and advocacy are an integral part of
  developing and implementing successful CHW
  educational programs. Skills in these areas
  should be developed in faculty, staff, and
  students both to promote the educational program
  and the well being of the communities served by
  the CHWs.

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• Moving Forward
• How do the Key Considerations meet your practice
  and expectations?
• How can colleges integrate Key Considerations
  into their programs?

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Promoting Key Considerations

• How can the CHW-NEC best promote and support the
  adoption of these Key Considerations by your
  colleges?