Community Health Workers

CHASM works closely with national, state, and local agencies and community-based organizations across the country to advance the profession of Community Health Workers (CHW).

"A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A community health worker also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy." - American Public Health Association, Community Health Workers. Published 2009.

CHWs as a lifeline - Bernice B. Rumala, Teresa Campos-Dominguez, Rumana S. Rabbani, Sergio Matos.

The following links contain more information and examples of CHW in action.

• My Journey as a CHW, Journal of Ambulatory Care Management [PDF] - Abdul Hafeed bin Abdullah
• It's In My Veins: Exploring the Role of an Afrocentric, Popular Education-Based Training Program in the Empowerment of African American and African Community Health Workers in Oregon [PDF] - Arika Bridgeman-Bunyoli, MPH, BA; S. Renee Mitchell, MBA; Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, BA, CHW; Ty Schwoeffermann, BA; Toliver Phoenix, CHW, AA; Cat Goughnour, MSc, BA, CHW
• Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere (STRYVE) [PDF] - Noelle Wiggins, Sharon Vanace, Archana Ranjith, Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, 2017; CDC
• At Sokoto House in Wilmington, Community Healing Is Led By the Community [PDF] - Wilmington Star News
• Global and Local Community Health Workers as a lifeline for communities facing inequities in the midst of COVID-19 and beyond [PDF] - Bernice B. Rumala, Teresa Campos-Dominguez, Rumana S. Rabbani, Sergio Matos

CHW Affiliates & Training

National

• American Public Health Association (APHA)
  - Community Health Worker section
  Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, Co-Chair, Policy Committee
  Rumana S. Rabbani, Co-Chair, Policy Committee
  - National CHW Racial Equity Summit, 2022
  Rumana Rabbani - Principal Investigator, co-Chair
  Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, co-Principal Investigator, co-Chair
• National CHW Association
  - CHW Identity, Leadership, & Organizational Capacity, Johnson & Johnson Grant
  Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, (one of 9) Principal CHW
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
  CDC Initiative to Advance CHWs in Violence Prevention
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars program
  vRumana Rabbani, RWJF HPRS, cohort 4, Principal Investigator
  Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, co-Principal Investigator
  CHW Sustainable & Equitable Payment, 2014-present
• Common Indicators, Advisory Board
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
  Rumana Rabbani, Evaluator/Data Analyst
• Community Health Worker Southeast Regional Network
  Rumana Rabbani, Summit Planning Committee

State and Local

• NC CHW Association
  Rumana Rabbani - Co-chair
  Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah - Advisory Board
• NC Community Health Worker Work Group: NCAHEC, NCDHHS, ORH, OMH
• NC CHW Clinical Integration workgroup
• NC ECHO trainings
• NC Advanced Medical Homes
• CHW Readiness tool
• CHW Roles
• ECHO trainings
• Equity and Inclusion, MAHEC
• Presenters, CHW NC Summit, Oct 2021
• Racial Equity & CHW Cultural trainings