Welcome to the Washington Community Health Worker Training Program!
What are Community Health Workers?
Community Health Workers (CHW) are essential frontline public health workers and trusted community resources. They:
- Are also known as community health representatives, peer mentors, patient navigators, promotores de salud, lay health advisors, and many other names.
- Have a close understanding of the communities they serve. They may provide care in a patient’s first language.
- Act as a bridge between their community and health and social services.
- Help increase access to care and improve service delivery.
- Help address social isolation in communities.
- Empower communities through sharing information, helping them grow, and speaking up for their needs.
Community Health Worker Training Program
Our Community Health Worker Training Program equips community health workers (CHW) with essential knowledge and skills to support health equity and improve community well-being.
Our courses are for you to attend if you work or intend to work as a Community Health Worker, promotor de salud, patient navigator, peer counselor, or other similar positions. You do not need to be currently working in these positions.
All courses are free and delivered remotely, with most available in English and Spanish.
We offer training primarily for CHWs of Washington State. However, anyone who is interested in and can benefit from our program is welcome to take our courses. You do not need to be physically present or working in Washington State.
We provide a certificate of completion upon successful completion of the course. However, we do not have formal certification or credential processes; Washington State does not require formal certification of CHWs.
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Courses We Offer
- CHW Core Competency
- Health Specific Modules
- Pediatric CHW
CHW Core Competency Course
CHW Core Competency is a foundational course for aspiring CHWs. It covers fundamentals of CHW work. It equips learners with the knowledge, skills, and mindset required for key CHW functions, including community outreach, health communication, addressing social determinants of health, service navigation and coordination, cultural mediation, capacity building, and advocacy.
We offer this course quarterly. It is available in both English and Spanish (separate classes).
It is an 8-week course with two required webinars in the first and last weeks. The webinars have set dates and times, but the learners can choose one of two options. In between, individual modules roll out weekly with course activities and assignments. Learners need 2-4 hours per week to complete the course. Optional weekly office hours are also available for additional support. You can find the contents of this course in this document.
Register for this course. (Will be available soon!)
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Exciting news! The Washington Department of Health Community Health Worker Training Program is modernizing its CHW Core Competency curriculum to align with the CHW roles and competencies recommended by the National Council on CHW Core Consensus Standards (National C3 Council). The updated CHW Core Competency Course is expected to launch in July 2025—stay tuned for more details!
Health Specific Modules
Health Specific Modules (HSMs) are multiple short, specialized courses. They enhance CHWs’ understanding of specific diseases, health conditions, and public health topics such as cardiovascular health, breast cancer, and immunization. CHWs can select the modules most relevant to their work.
We offer HSMs quarterly with a rotating selection of topics. Learners can choose up to 3 modules per quarter. Many HSMs are available in both English and Spanish. Completion of the CHW Core Competency Course is encouraged but not required before enrolling in HSMs.
The learners will need 2 – 4 hours to complete each HSM. There is no required webinar for the HSMs; however, optional office hours are available for additional support.
We are revising and updating the HSMs, so only a limited number of modules are currently available.
Register for the Health Specific Modules. (Will be available soon!)
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Pediatric CHW Course
Pediatric CHW is a foundational training tailored for CHWs working with children, youth, and families. It covers core CHW principles while incorporating pediatric-focused topics, including early childhood relational health and K-12 mental and behavioral health.
This course consists of two parts. Part 1 is a 6-week foundational course, covering the same topics as the CHW Core Competency Course with language and content tailored for CHWs working with children, youth, and families. For Part 2, learners can choose one of the two specialized tracks depending on their focus area: (1) Early Childhood Relational Health or (2) K-12 Mental and Behavioral Health. Part 2 takes 3 weeks.
These trainings are entirely self-guided without instructor-led webinars. Learners need 2 – 4 hours per week to complete the course. Optional weekly office hours are also available.
Additionally, Pediatric CHW Course offers optional Learning Collaborative sessions (set dates and times) for the learners’ collective learning and networking.
This course is available only in English.
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