Creating a Native American Community Health Worker Training Program in Southwestern Colorado

COAHEC 2023 Networking Education and Research Conference session: "Creating a Native American Community Health Worker Training Program in southwestern Colorado" presented by Kate Hartzell, MA, MAT, MPH and recorded on September 23, 2023. CME Credit available through September 2024. One CME will be awarded after completion and submission of post session survey. 

This session explores the creation of a Community Health Worker training program in Southwestern Colorado. SWCAHEC developed an academic certificate that includes 12 credits of existing coursework in health sciences and a six-credit CHW subject-specific course paired with a community-based practicum as the degree keystone. The curriculum for both the CHW course and practicum include both Western and indigenous notions of health, wellness, and healing and measures both professional and culturally informed competencies. The process for program development included the participation of a Community Advisory Board and native project consultants to facilitate discussion of curricular elements related to health equity and culturally responsive care, care coordination in rural and tribal communities, and practicum placements in tribal clinics and health facilities.