Arizona Community Health Worker Workforce Coalition
The Arizona Community Health Worker Workforce Coalition is a network of organizations collaborating with the Arizona Community Health Worker Outreach Network (AzCHOW) to support the sustainability of the Arizona CHW workforce. The Coalition is comprised of CHWs, including Promotores de Salud, Community Health Representatives, Community Health Advisors and other related titles, and the University of Arizona, State and Local Health Departments, Community Health Centers, and Area Health Education Centers.
CHW Voluntary Certification:
On April 30th, 2018, Arizona’s 23rd Governor, Doug Ducey, signed Community Health Worker (CHW) Volunteer Certification HB2324 legislation into law. The bill’s passage represented another step in a long journey initiated by the Arizona CHW Association (AzCHOW) and the Arizona CHW Workforce Coalition to unify, support, and build recognition for CHWs. AzCHOW sought feedback from CHWs and Community Health Representatives around the state to ensure consensus for voluntary certification. After considering several alternative options to establish voluntary certification, the coalition engaged allies in the health care and public health care arenas in the effort to pursue the legislation, which marks an important stage in establishing the sustainability of the workforce. It has been a 4-year journey of collaboration and effort that has brought this great success to the persistent work of many. Although there are extensive policy efforts to build health equity and address the social determinants of health, few focus on the importance of supporting a workforce largely responsible for addressing health disparities within the health care system. Over the past year, the Arizona Department of Health Services has convened a CHW Advisory Board responsible for defining the Voluntary Certification Process.
Below are a list of resources that CHWs and organizations may find useful:
- A STEP BY STEP GUIDE PDF GUIDE IS available for DOWNLOAD to help prepare your organization for CHW training program approval
- A training program info sheet (infographic) is available for display and download here.
- Also the latest version of AzCHOW's CHW training program approval guidelines can be found here.
- Finally a Frequently Asked Questions about CHW Voluntary Certification through the Arizona Department of Health Services document is available here.
- Tambien en Español
Contact: Kathyrn Tucker MPH Email: KMTUCKER@email.arizona.edu
Check out our infographic on Community Health Workers in Arizona! Download the PDF
Additional Resources
- Connect with Arizona Professional CHW Association (AzCHOW) here!
- To access a list of the CHW Workforce Assessment year by year visit the link here.
- A CHR/CHW integration plan can be found here.
- CDC Featured Success Story on CHW Voluntary Certification and the AzPRC
National Conference on State Legislators Report: Incorporating Community Health Workers into State Health Care Systems: Options for Policymakers Download the Report
Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Assistance Secretary for Planning and Evaluation: Community Health Workers: Roles and Opportunities in Health Care Delivery System Reform. Download the Brief
Contact
In light of today’s changing health care world we believe now is our opportunity to identify the road map to support this vital workforce in Arizona. For more information on the Coalition please contact Jill DeZapien Dezapien@arizona.edu