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Community Health Worker Certificate (CHW)

2020-2021

Type: Career, Certificate (C1)

Open Admissions

Division: Health and Human Services



The Community Health Worker Certificate Program provides educational instruction to prepare Community Health Workers to serve as frontline outreach advocate and liaison service providers linking individuals and community to facilitate access to health and human services and improve the value and quality of cultural competence in human service care delivery.

Community Health Workers work in clinic and community based settings providing individual, familial and community outreach, health education, informal counseling, social support, direct care coordination, advocacy and case management for service and referrals that establish and promote individual and community self-sufficiency and health capacity.
The Community Health Certificate Program also incorporates education in the core competencies accredited by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for state certification.

Students interested in participating in an academic program that involves working with children, the disabled, or the elderly, or which includes a clinical affiliation, internship, or field placement with a private or public healthcare provider, will be required to undergo criminal background checks, including a national as well as local check (i.e. Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Record Information (SORI)). Depending on the contents of these criminal background check(s), a student's participation in an academic program that involves working with children, the disabled, or the elderly or which includes a clinical affiliation, internship or field placement with a private or public healthcare provider may not be allowed, and therefore may impact a student's ability to complete program requirements. Furthermore, please note that eligibility to participate in the program and/or clinical affiliation, internship or field placement as a result of screening requirements, such as criminal background checks, is not a guarantee of eligibility to sit for professional credentialing examination(s) or employment upon graduation.

If you have questions related to program admissions or applications, please contact info@northshore.edu or call 978-762-4188.

If you have advising related questions, please contact humanservices@northshore.edu or call 781-477-2150.

First Year

Fall

CMP101Composition 1

3
HUS101The Human Services Worker

3
SOC106Introduction to Sociology

3
HUS109Introduction to Community Health Worker

4
PSY102Introduction to Psychology

3
Total Credit Hours:16

Spring

HUS102Helping Skills in Human Services

3
HUS130Life Changes and Crisis: Adaptation and Intervention

3
HUS137Field Placement & Seminar 1 for Human Services Practitioner

3
HUS105Introduction to Public Health

3
Total Credit Hours:12
Program Note
Communication and Mathematics proficiency required to graduate.
See guided pathway sheets for advising information specific to your area of focus.

Total Credit Hours: 28



Program Student Learner Outcomes
  • Identify most essential/fundamental health conditions facing CHW's or related work in communities.
  • Define the role of a Community Health Worker as it relates to education, advocacy and healthcare coordination for individuals, families, and communities regarding specific health topics for vulnerable populations.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the core competencies related to Community Health Workers.
  • Provide informal counseling and social support designed to initiate and uphold trusting relationships and to develop capacity building strategies to enhance the interests of individuals, families, and the community.
  • Use key public health concepts and approaches in systematic solving of health care and public health problems. 
  • Create connections and navigating barriers between vulnerable populations and accessing the healthcare system.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the ability to work with diverse, multidisciplinary wrap- around care teams including compliance with reporting, record keeping, and documentation.
  • Improve quality of healthcare for individuals and families struggling with chronic medical, mental health and substance abuse issues.

Occupational Skills required
  • Active listening
  • Empathy
  • Intercultural competency
  • Actively seeking to help people
  • Social perceptiveness
  • Oral communication
  • Documentation
  • Ethical decision making
  • Complex problem solving
  • Judgement and decision making

Experiential Learning Required in Program
  • HUS 137 Field Placement & Seminar 1 for Human Services Practitioner

Experiential Learning Optional in Program
  • HUS 130 Life Changes and Crisis: Adaptation and Intervention

Most Common Linked Occupation Title – All Education Levels
  • Counselor and Case Manager

Most Common Linked Occupation Title – Associate’s or Less
  • Community Health Worker and Social and Human Services Assistant

Average Annual Growth (10-Year Projection)
  • US - 0.50% - 1.8%
  • Boston MSA – 1.00% - 2.1%
  • Essex County – -0.50% - $2.1%
  • Boston MSA Average Entry-Level Wages (2016) – $24,600 - $28,200
  • Boston MSA Median Wages (2016) –  $32,200 - $37,700