The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health, in partnership with Everyday Life Consulting, will offer a Community Health Worker (CHW) certification training program in Houghton starting in mid-June. The training consists of 12 days of in-person instruction on the nationally aligned competencies, and includes one day of mental health first aid instruction.
This opportunity is being offered for $250 per person, deeply discounted from the standard rate of $1,625, thanks to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant. The required student textbook and workbook, a National Community Health Worker certificate and lifetime access to virtual learning labs and the NCHW registry are included in this cost. Training will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following dates: June 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28; and July 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26.
“Community Health Workers have been an emerging workforce nationally to support access to care, said Shannon Lijewski of Everyday Life Consulting, a Michigan-based firm that has trained CHWs across the country. “They come from the communities they serve, usually sharing identities, geography or experiences with their clients/patients. This allows CHWs to be uniquely qualified to relate with and provide support to individuals in their community. Our rural areas are facing provider and resource access barriers. CHWs in rural areas where health services are limited—particularly culturally competent and individualized services—are able to act as that bridge to care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the workforce is growing faster than average at about 12%.”
Unlike other programs, the NCHW curriculum covers all 11 core competencies, plus mental health first aid, adverse childhood experiences and Diversity Equity Inclusion. This training also aligns with the standards of the C3 Project Core Competencies for Community Health Workers, as well as many state certification programs and recognized best practices.
CHWs act as a bridge between the community and public services. They provide leadership, peer education, support and resources to support community empowerment. They are uniquely qualified to build on strengths and address unmet health needs in their neighborhoods. Organizations with successful CHW programs build valuable connections in the communities they serve.
For more information and to register for NCHW training, click here.