Community Health Workers

The North Carolina Community Health Workers (CHW) section provides a dedicated area for community health workers and allies to access information at the local, state and national levels. It also serves as the home for the North Carolina CHW Alliance and a compendium of resources, events and news about opportunities for certification, core competency training and specialty training offerings.

NC CHW Training

  • NC CHW Standardized Core Competency Training (SCCT): Standardized, 9 competency CHW training delivered by community colleges in North Carolina. Learn more about SCCT and which colleges offer this course at the North Carolina Community Health Worker Association’s (NCCHWA) website.
  • North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Advanced Speciality Training: Ongoing professional development training resources for CHWs to sharpen specific skills. Learn more and access these trainings on AHEC’s website

NCCHWA is North Carolina’s professional home for CHWs. For additional information on CHW certification in the state, please visit the North Carolina Community Health Worker (NCCHWA) certification web page.
 

What is a Community Health Worker?

“A frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A community health worker also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.” American Public Health Association Community Health Worker Section.

CCR 2109 CHW Grant

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Office of Rural Health (ORH) and its partners have advanced the role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in providing comprehensive, culturally sensitive care while promoting health equity and community resilience under the CCR 2109 grant. Advancements have been made in the CHW workforce through training and certification, strategic deployment to address COVID-19 and broader health needs, and engagement in FQHCs and underserved communities.

High-Level Grant Deliverables 

Full List of CCR 2109 Deliverables

NC CHW COVID-19 Initiative

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) selected seven vendors to hire and manage over 400 Community Health Workers, who were deployed statewide to connect North Carolinians affected by COVID-19 with needed services and support.
CHW Program Profile (English language version)
CHW Program Profile (Spanish language version)
Community Health Worker Study - Case Studies on Care Resource Coordination in COVID-19: Link

NC Community Health Worker Final Report and Stakeholder Recommendations, May 2018

See information about NC CHW's roles, standard competency expectations, training standards, certifications and stakeholder recommendations.

Contact

Moneka Midgette: Moneka.Midgette@dhhs.nc.gov