A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted bridge between people and the health and social service systems. You help neighbors understand their health, get to care, and solve barriers like transportation, food, insurance, and housing. Your power is trust and communication, not a clinical license. Most CHWs are hired with a high school diploma plus training, and lived experience in the community counts for a lot. A CHW certificate helps, and a few states require certification or set formal standards (Texas, for example, has state certification, while others like Minnesota and Massachusetts ha
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Stage 1 of 4 · about 8 weeks
Learn the CHW role and its core competencies (the C3 Project roles), basic health literacy, active listening, and how to find local resources. Practice explaining health ideas in plain language, and map 20 services in your area (clinics, food banks, Medicaid office, 211).
Understanding the CHW role and the C3 Project core roles
Employers hire people who know what a CHW is and is not. If you can name the roles and show where your own experience fits, you stand out in interviews from day one.
Health literacy and plain-language explanation
Many adults struggle with health information, and confusion leads to missed medicines and appointments. Explaining clearly is a daily core task of the job, so you build the habit first.
Active listening and respectful communication
Clients share real needs only when they feel heard and not judged. Listening is the top skill in the occupation data and the base for everything you do later with clients.
Finding and mapping local resources
A CHW's most useful tool is knowing exactly where to send someone. A client with a real need and no working phone number gets nowhere, so accurate local knowledge makes you valuable fast.
Then 3 more stages (about 88 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 10 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.