
Community Health Workers
Community Health Workers (CHW) services are preventative health services to prevent disease, disability, and other health conditions or their progression; to prolong life; and promote physical and mental health. CHWs may include individuals known by a variety of job titles, including promoters, community health representatives, navigators, and other non-licensed public health workers, including violence prevention professionals.

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Health Education
1. Promote the beneficiary's health or address barriers to physical and mental health care, including providing information or instruction on health topics. The content of health education must be consistent with established or recognized health care standards. Health education may include coaching and goal setting to improve a beneficiary's health or ability to self-manage health conditions.
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2. Provide screening and assessments that do not require a license and that assist a beneficiary to connect to appropriate services to improve their health.
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3. Serve as a cultural liaison or assist a licensed health care provider to create a plan of care, as part of a health care team.
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Health Navigation
1. Access health care, understand the health care system, or engage in their own care.
2. Connect to community resources necessary to promote a beneficiary's health; address health care barriers, including connecting to medical interpretation or transportation services
4. Outreach and resource coordination to encourage and facilitate the use of appropriate preventive services.
5. Help to enroll or maintain enrollment in government or other assistance programs that are related to improving their health if such navigation services are provided pursuant to a plan of care.
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6. Individual support or advocacy that assists in preventing the onset or exacerbation of a health condition or preventing injury or violence.
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Asthma Preventive Services
CHWs may provide CHW services to individuals with asthma, but evidence-based asthma self-management education and asthma trigger assessments may only be provided by asthma preventive service providers who have completed either a certificate from the California Department of Public Health Asthma Management Academy, or a certificate demonstrating completion of a training program consistent with guidelines of the National Institute of Health's Guidelines for the diagnosis and Management of Asthma.
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Violence Preventive Services
CHWs provide evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive preventive services provided for the purpose of reducing the incidence of violent injury or reinjury, trauma, and related harms and promoting trauma recovery, stabilization, and improved health outcomes.
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Supervision Requirements
CHW services require a written recommendation by a physician or other licensed practitioner of the healing arts within their scope of practice under state law. The recommending licensed provider does not need to be enrolled in Medi-Cal or be a network provider within the beneficiary's managed care plan. Other licensed practitioners who can recommend CHW services within their scope of practice include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, podiatrists, nurse midwives, licensed midwives, registered nurses, public health nurses, psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, dentists, licensed educational psychologists, licensed vocational nurses, and pharmacists.
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CHW Minimum Qualifications
CHWs must have lived experience that aligns with and provides a connection between the CHW and the community or population being served. This may include, but is not limited to, lived experience related to incarceration, military service, pregnancy and birth, disability, foster system placement, homelessness, mental health, conditions or substance use, or being a survivor of domestic or intimate partner violence or abuse and exploitation. Lived experience may also include shared race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, or cultural background of one or more linguistic, cultural, or other groups in the community for which the CHW is providing services. Supervising providers are encouraged to work with CHWs who are familiar with and/or have experience in the geographic communities they are serving.
Ways to Become a Community Health Worker
CHW Certificate
A certificate of completion, including but not limited to any certificate issued by the State of California or a State designee, of a curriculum that attests to demonstrated skills and/or practical training in the following areas: communication, interpersonal and relationship building, advocacy, education and facilitation, individual and community assessment, professional skills and conduct, outreach, evaluation and research, and basic knowledge in public health principles and social determinants of health, as determined by the supervising provider. Certificate programs shall also include field experience as a requirement. A CHW Certificate allows a CHW to provide all covered CHW services described in this document, including violence prevention services.