Community Health Worker workforce development
The Community Health Worker Workforce Development Initiative (formerly the Health Navigator Workforce Development Initiative) aims to define competencies and standardize training for unlicensed Community Health Workers (CHW), introduce voluntary credentialing and a CHW Registry, and engage partners to promote sustainability of the CHW workforce in Colorado
In 2023, CDPHE adopted the umbrella term “Community Health Worker” for the workforce in Colorado. CDPHE, together with a group of stakeholders, revised the Health Navigator core competencies to a new set of 8 (eight) Community Health Worker core competencies. Those working in these roles may also be known as promotores de salud/promatora, patient navigators, health navigators, or resource navigators, among others.
What does this mean to me?
The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) has launched Certemy, a new credentialing platform that will host the CHW registry for both current and new CHWs in Colorado. If you're a current Health Navigator or Community Health Worker and were previously listed on the Health Navigator Registry, you can now access the new Community Health Worker Registry
If you’re a current Health Navigator or Community Health Worker, you can create a profile on Certemy using the following steps:
- Navigate to the Certemy system login page (opens in a new window) using any web browser on your phone or computer and bookmark this page.
- Create Password: click on Forgot Password then provide the email that is on file with CDPHE. An email will be sent to you (make sure to check your inbox and spam folders) where you can create a password. After changing your password, navigate back to the login page and proceed to sign in.
Note: If your email address is not associated with an account, CDPHE may have an outdated email address for you. Please email cdphe_colorado_chw@state.co.us with your name and current email address so that your account can be updated on the backend.
- Update your profile: Once logged in, select “Update Profile” on the left side of your screen. Please upload any documentation you have related to your credential, such as training certificate(s), work experience attestation form (if you submitted one previously), and/or Health Navigator assessment certificate from CAPE if applicable. Please do not complete the revalidation phase.
- Access your CHW credential certificate: Your CHW credential certificate will be located under the “Digital Wallet” tab.
The CHW credential is valid for 5 years. Prior to the expiration of your credential, you will have to revalidate your credential by logging in and updating your profile information. CDPHE created individual accounts based on the original credential issue date, to the best of our ability. For example, if you received the HN credential on February 1, 2023, then your credential will expire on January 31, 2028 and you’d need to log in and complete the revalidation step in order to be issued a new CHW credential certificate and to continue to be listed on the public registry.
Please contact us at cdphe_colorado_chw@state.co.us for questions or concerns.
A community health worker (also known as a patient navigator or resource navigator) is a member of the health care team who helps individuals overcome barriers to quality care. They address barriers including access to health care, insurance or lack thereof, poor health literacy, transportation, child care and more.
Community health workers usually are trusted members of the community they serve and have an unusually close understanding of the community served, often due to shared lived experiences.
Community health workers build effective working relationships with their patients, helping to support, educate and assist patients to navigate the complex healthcare system. To navigate this system, community health workers need to work effectively with both patients and multidisciplinary care providers and community partners. They need to be able to identify their patient’s physical, emotional, and cultural needs and help them access appropriate resources to meet these needs.
Community health workers have a good understanding of the health resources available in their communities in order to refer their patients to the best resources available to them.
Research indicates that patient navigation provided by unlicensed community health workers reduces health disparities, improves patient engagement with their health, enables patients to get the care they need, improves health outcomes and reduces health care costs.
Community health workers are employed by health care delivery systems including primary care, specialty care, and managed care as well as local public health agencies. Typically they are HIPAA-covered entities or maybe HIPAA hybrid agencies where only some programs in the system are HIPAA-covered (e.g., some local public health agencies may be HIPAA hybrids).
Examples of agencies that are part of the healthcare system include:
- Individual health clinic (includes provider-owned clinic).
- Community-based organizations.
- Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
Community health center. - Hospital and hospital networks.
- Integrated health systems - health systems focus on the continuum of care, from wellness and preventive services to urgent care, inpatient care, outpatient care, hospice, health plan offerings, and more.
- School-based clinic.
- Safety net clinic or hospital.
- Rural health center.
- Local public health agency.
- Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) and Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) – in Colorado, Regional Accountable Entities (RAEs).