A practical guide to becoming a community health worker
Foundations for Community Health Workers provides a practical and comprehensive introduction to essential skills for professionals in community health roles. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a greater need than ever for compassionate community health workers trained in the core competencies and guiding principles that can empower individuals to lead healthy lives. With an emphasis on social justice, cultural humility, and client-centered practice, this book offers a solid background in professional skills and their application. Real-life case studies and quotes from community health workers illustrate the challenges and successes that learners will face on the job. Readers will also gain skills in conflict resolution, group facilitation, community organizing, trauma support, and more, equipping them to enter the public health field with confidence and safety.
Learn about the public health field and the skills needed to become a community health worker Gain skills in interacting with people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances Develop a background in client interviewing, community advocacy, and facilitating community health trainings Read case studies from real community health workers
This book, in its updated Third Edition, is a valuable introduction and reference for anyone working toward a career as a community health worker.
Acknowledgments ix Contributors xi About the Companion Website xiv Introduction xv Part 1: Community Health Work: the Big Picture 1 1. The Role of Community Health Workers- Serving with Skills and Compassion 3 Darouny Somsanith and Susan Mayfield-Johnson 2. The Evolution of the CHW Field in the United States: The Path We Walk-The Mountains We Climbed 29 E. Lee Rosenthal, Paige Menking, Floribella Redondo-Martinez and J. Nell Brownstein 3. An Introduction to Public Health 65 Rama Ali Kased and Savita Malik 4. Promoting Health Equity 91 Amie Fishman and Pau I. Crego Part 2: Core Compentencies for Providing Direct Services 113 5. Guiding Principles: Self-Awareness, Ethics, Professional Boundaries and Teamwork 115 James Figueiredo and Marilyn Gardner 6. Behavior Change and Person-Centered Practice 147 Tim Berthold 7. Practicing Cultural Humility 165 Alberta Rincon and Pau I. Crego 8. Conducting Initial Client Assessments 189 Tim Berthold and Lorena Carmona 9. Person-Centered Counseling and Motivational Interviewing 219 Tim Berthold and Darouny Somsanith 10. Case Management 259 Tim Berthold and Cristina Arellano 11. Conducting Home Visits 299 Tim Berthold and Francis Julian Montgomery Part 3: Enhancing Professional Skills 329 12. Stress, Health, and Self-Care 331 Tim Berthold 13. Conflict Resolution 355 Tim Berthold 14. Professional Skills: Getting a Job, Keeping a Job, and Growing on the Job 377 Jimmy Ly and Thelma Gamboa-Maldonado Part 4: Applying Core Competencies to Key Health Issues 403 15. Health Care is Reentry: Promoting the Health of People who have Experienced Incarceration 405 Amie Fishman and Joe Calderon 16. Chronic Conditions Management 439 Tim Berthold, Lorena Carmona, Mattie Clark 17. Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living 485 Tim Berthold and Jill Tregor 18. Supporting Survivors with Trauma 521 Tim Berthold Part 5: Working with Groups and Communities 569 19. Community Health Outreach 571 Thelma Gamboa-Maldonado 20. Facilitating Trainings 599 Jill Tregor and Joe Calderon 21. Group Facilitations 625 James Figueiredo 22. Research, Evaluation and Dissemination of Findings 655 Lily K. Lee, Julie St. John, J. Nell Brownstein, Pennie Jewell, Lisa Renee Holderby-Fox 23. Community Organizing 687 Rama Ali Kased, Larry Salomon, Savita Malik C3 PROJECT CHW ROLES AND COMPETENCIES REVIEW CHECKLIST 711 C3 ROLES AND SKILLS CHECKLIST 717 VIDEO INDEX 719 INDEX 729
Tim Berthold, MPH, is a consultant who has worked closely with community health workers and promotores de salud for over 35 years. He supervised CHW/P/Rs in public health settings in the United States and internationally and served as a faculty member and program coordinator for the CHW certificate program at City College of San Francisco. Darouny Somsanith, MPH, started her career as a CHW and is currently the coordinator of the CHW certificate program at City College of San Francisco. She has been a trainer and workforce advocate for CHW/P/Rs for over 20 years and is deeply committed to supporting the growth of a public health workforce that is culturally diverse and responsive to the needs of our marginalized communities.
Reviews for Foundations for Community Health Workers
“As a Community Health Worker working in diverse programs for 25 years, I’ve had many opportunities to apply the information within the Foundations for Community Health Workers to inform my CHW-focused grant writing, program development and training... I’m thrilled to see this book continue to contribute to CHWs’ collective movement for self-determination, self-actualization, respect and equity.” —Denise Octavia Smith, MBA, CHW, PN Executive Director, National Association of Community Health Workers “The textbook provides a valuable competency- centered tool that embraces all that the C3 Project promotes - supporting a comprehensive curriculum for both learners and educators in community-based and formal educational settings.” —The Community Health Worker Core Consensus Project (C3
