KS Community Health Worker Coalition

education provider

Learn how your training or educational course can become part of the Approved CHW Training Program below!

CHW training programs are now required to become Approved CHW Training Programs through an application process approved by the Kansas CHW Coalition (KCHWC).

The KCHWC, in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), currently operates a standard CHW training program to support the certification.

KCHWC will review and approve qualifying education/training program applicants.

Requirements

Type of Institution

Eligible institutions include non-profit organizations, health clinics, public institutions, for-profit organizations with an emphasis on education, and institutions of higher learning.

Total Number of In-Class Hours

The KCHWC requires a minimum of 100 hours of classroom instructions. This can include a combination of in-person and online instruction. Applications that offer fewer than 100 hours of classroom instruction will automatically be rejected.
 
Any organization that works with CHWs can apply to deliver the KCHWC Curriculum. The curriculum can be found here. The course is based on the Foundations for Community Health Workers, 2nd Edition by Tim Berthold. (NOTE: It is anticipated that the Foundations textbook will be updated to a new edition and translated into Spanish.)
 
The KCHWC Scope of Practice as established in Kansas, is listed here.

Total Number of Service Learning Hours

The Kansas CHW Coalition requires a minimum of 60 hours of service learning. Please include the total number of service learning hours and methods of collection, tracking, and assessment. Applications that offer fewer than 60 hours of service learning will automatically be rejected.

Online vs. In-Person Instruction

Applicants will need to be able to provide a detailed description of how students are engaged through the online and in-person meetings.

NOTE:

  • In-person courses are the traditional format. The instructor and students will both be in the physical classroom space, although some homework and supplemental course materials may be offered through an online learning system.
  • Online courses (also known as in-person remote) are where some or all students will be physically present in the online classroom and the instructor will offer live stream presentations remotely. Classroom instructions will take place during the assigned class time, although some homework and supplemental course materials may be offered through an online learning system.

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous

If your course is online, you will need to describe whether the course will be taught asynchronously or synchronously. Synchronous instruction is required for 95% of the 100 hours of instruction, either in-person or online. The remaining 5% may be taught asynchronously.

NOTE:

- Synchronous online courses are those in which the instructor and students meet regularly online in real-time meetings for lectures or other activities. The course may be supplemented with other online activities and materials, but the majority of students' seat time is offered through synchronous meetings.

- Asynchronous online courses are those in which students are rarely, if ever, required to meet in a synchronous setting and instead complete asynchronous learning activities and engagement on their own time. Some synchronous online office hours or group meetings may be included in this course, but the majority of materials will be available to students through online learning sites.

- Asynchronous/synchronous combination online courses include a mix of synchronous and asynchronous activities for students to complete. For example, students may have a once-per-week synchronous meeting with the instructor as a group via Zoom but then spend the remaining amount of their course seat time completing other online activities as individuals or in groups. In this course format, there is roughly half-and-half split between synchronous and asynchronous activities.

Assessment of Competencies

Applicants will need to provide a detailed description of how students are assessed for their understanding of the Kansas CHW Core Competencies. The KCHWC Core Competencies are listed here.

Renewal

CHW education/training programs must be reapproved through application annually. Each approved education/training provider will be contacted 60 days before they are due for renewal. Instructions will be forwarded at that time.

Textbook

CHW-approved training programs will be required to utilize the Foundations for Community Health Workers, 2nd Edition textbook by Tim Berthold. Programs must use the textbook in total. 
 
Note: It is anticipated that the Foundations textbook will be updated to a new edition and translated into Spanish. Approved training programs will be given a minimum of 90 days to change to the new edition or translated edition when it becomes available.

Required Content

CHW-approved training programs will be required to cover all of these topics:

- Who are CHWs
- Introduction to Public Health
- Self-Awareness
- Conflicts & Boundaries
- Background on the U.S. Health Care System
- Care Management
- Chronic Disease Management
- Facilitating Community Health Education Trainings and Critical Awareness
- Understanding Behavior Change
- Advocacy
- Promoting Health of Formerly Incarcerated People
- Group Facilitation
- Health Outreach
- Professional Communication Skills
- Conflict Resolution Skills
- Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism
- Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living
- Understanding Trauma and Supporting the Recovery of Survivors
- Documentation and Medical Abbreviations
- Practicing Cultural Humility
- Health for All
- Stress Management & Self-Care
- Conducting Client Interviews
- Community Diagnosis.

Note: Additional module topics can be added.

Final Project

Students are required to complete a capstone project or presentation at the completion of the course. The final projects will be assessed by the course instructors. Applicants will need to be able to describe the final project requirements and assessment.

Instructor/Trainer

Instructors for each training organization must successfully complete the KCHWC Train-the-Trainer course or equivalent. KCHWC approves equivalent courses.

The January 2022 list of KCHWC instructors will be included by KCHWC and will not be required to complete the Train-the-Trainer course but will be required to complete the refresher training if they have not facilitated the course or portions of the course in the previous five years.

New instructors must have been working/volunteering in a CHW or related field for at least two years.

Reciprocity

To reduce barriers for CHWs working and living on the Missouri-Kansas state line, the certification process will recognize the Missouri CHW credential, which is based upon the same KDHE-endorsed training program.

The KCHWC will explore the recognition of certifications for other neighboring states as they become available.

Questions?

For more information, please contact us at KSCommunityHealthWorkers@gmail.com.