Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline workers striving to promote the health and well-being of the community members they serve through outreach, education as well as social support and case management that help folks manage the healthcare system.  CHWs help bridge the gaps in healthcare access and delivery by serving as a trusted cultural link between a community and its healthcare system.  They form a safety net that protects the most vulnerable in our communities by helping remove barriers to health care – whether it be information, translation services, or trust building. They perform an array of functions from vaccine education to dispelling mis-information to  health screening and promoting  efficient self management of chronic conditions. As resource providers and patient care navigators, they are key members of healthcare delivery and management teams.

Integrating CHWs into the public health and healthcare delivery systems increases access to care by supplying appropriate workforce resources to historically underserved and underinsured communities. CHWs are often members of the community served and they are some  of the best ways to tackle health inequity and health disparities. Community and Faith based organizations can significantly impact the health of the community they are targeting  by availing the services of CHWs. Some of the prime areas that CHWs can significantly impact include Health equity, Maternal Health and Birth outcomes, Mental Health and substance use Nutrition, Physical Activities and Chronic Disease Management, Immunizations and Alignment of State and Community Health Planning.

The New Jersey Department of Health recognizes that CHWs have emerged as one of the most vital actors in healthcare delivery today. The NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) has established the Colette Lamothe-Galette (CLG) Community Health Worker Institute (CLGCHWI) to create a standardized community health worker training and certification program, resulting in a robust CHW workforce.  CLGCHWI works with Community Colleges across New Jersey providing CHW training to eligible candidates. Jennifer and Krithicka have been approved by CLGCHWI to teach the course through Raritan Valley Communiuty College. Hand in Hand Healthcare Solutions is also the USDOL authorized sponsor of CHW registered apprenticeships.

We have outreached extensively and have established solid relationships with various Community Based Organizations (CBO)  and Faith Based Organizations (FBO)  vested in CHWs. We are also engaged actively in the CHW Hub Certification, Education and Curriculum Committee and State-wide employment committee that comprises  of the key stakeholders in the State of New Jersey building the framework for CHW education, training and employability.  Our goal is to build a strong army of CHWs in New Jersey facilitating  training  and development that will also  take into account unique, underserved populations such as Veterans , LGBTQ+.