Project Grant T2946686

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM - ADDRESS: 766 NORTH WATERMAN AVE, SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92410-4435 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: ALEX FAJARDO CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: 909-884-3735 EMAIL ADDRESS: ALEXFAJARDO@ELSOLNEC.ORG WEBSITE ADDRESS: WWW.ELSOLNEC.ORG FUNDS REQUESTED: $3,000,000 THE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNITY-BASED COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM (ICB-CHWTP) SUPPORT THE CLINICAL PRIORITIES OF THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA) OF EXPANDING THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE THROUGH THE TRAINING OF NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS (CHWS) AND HEALTH SUPPORT WORKERS AND TO EXTEND THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF CURRENT CHWS TO ADDRESS HEALTH INEQUITIES. GEOGRAPHIC REGION: THE PROGRAM WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH ENCOMPASSES THE COUNTIES OF ORANGE, RIVERSIDE, AND SAN BERNARDINO. THE COUNTIES SHARE COMMON DEMOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND ARE DESIGNATED MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS WITH MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS WHO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL AND HEALTH INEQUITIES. NEEDS: A) MENTAL HEALTH BARRIERS TO SERVICE UTILIZATION. B) HIGH PREVALENCE FOR PREVENTABLE CHRONIC DISEASE. C) LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF CHW PRINCIPLES AND COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS: CENTRAL TO THE SUCCESS OF CHWS IS HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF "CULTURAL HUMILITY" AND BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE HISTORY OF CHWS GLOBALLY AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE UNITED STATES. D) LACK OF INVESTMENTS IN COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. E) FRAGMENTED FEE-FOR-SERVICE HEALTH CARE FINANCE AND DELIVERY. F) MISTRUST OF HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS AND INSTITUTIONS: COMMUNITIES HAVE A MISTRUST OF INSTITUTIONS DUE TO THEIR HISTORICAL EXCLUSION. G) PRE-PANDEMIC HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES. H) SOCIAL, SAFETY NET, AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS HAVE LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO ENGAGE CHWS. PROPOSAL: ICB-CHWTP WILL TRAIN 255 ELIGIBLE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO COMPLETE CREDENTIALING AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER THROUGH A) FOUNDATIONAL CHW TRAINING OR B) ADVANCED CHW TRAINING, WITH 22 TRAINEES WHO WILL ENROLL IN T HE 1-YEAR EL SOL REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. EXAMPLE OF OBJECTIVES: ? BY MONTH 12, 75 PERCENT CHWS WILL REPORT INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-EFFICACY, IN CORE CHW COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS, SUCH AS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, GROUP FACILITATION, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, CONSENSUS BUILDING, AND INFORMAL/POPULAR EDUCATION METHODOLOGY, AS MEASURED BY PARTICIPANT SURVEYS. ? BY THE END OF THE PROJECT, 85 PERCENT OF CHWS WILL REPORT INCREASED CAPACITY TO PRESENT ON PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO COVID-19 PREVENTION AND VACCINATION, AS MEASURED BY PARTICIPANT SURVEYS. ? BY THE END PROJECT, 10 COMMUNITY PARTNERS WILL FORMALIZE OR REAFFIRM THE CHW COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE, WHICH WILL SERVE AS A NETWORK OF SUPPORT AND REFERRALS IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES, AS MEASURED BY MOU OR AGREEMENTS. ? BY THE END OF THE PROJECT, 50 PERCENT OF LEADERS OF THE HEALTHCARE PARTNERS WHO ACCEPT A CHW FOR FIELD PLACEMENT WILL INDICATE INTENT TO INCORPORATE CHWS AS PART OF THE "CARE TEAMS," AS MEASURED BY KEY INFORMANT SURVEYS/INTERVIEWS. METHODOLOGY: THE APPRENTICESHIP REQUIRES 160 "CORE DIDACTIC TRAINING HOURS" PLUS 140 "DIFFERENTIAL TRAINING HOURS" AND A MINIMUM OF 2,000 HOURS OF ON-THE-JOB LEARNING. THE TRAINING PROGRAM IS BASED ON PRINCIPLES OF ADULT AND INFORMAL LEARNING, DIALOGUE EDUCATION, CONCIENTIZACION, AND INCLUDES A COMPETENCY PORTFOLIO AND CULMINATING ACTIVITY SUCH AS A COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE USING A SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL MODEL AND SPECTRUM OF PREVENTION. THE COMPETENCY PORTFOLIO ALLOWS CHWS TO COLLECT ARTIFACTS THAT DEMONSTRATE THEIR DEMONSTRATION OF CORE CHW SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES.