Assessing capacity of community health workers: Current roles, best practices, and the way forward

Background: Community health workers (CHWs), in their delivery of culturally competent care, play an integral role in promoting the health of communities. Many states have successfully utilized CHWs to reduce health disparities and promote health among low-income communities. Connecticut, in contrast, has a fragmented CHW workforce that is poorly understood. Southwestern Area Health Education Center (SWAHEC), Inc. seeks to understand CT's CHW workforce in comparison to CHW initiatives in other northeastern states.

Objectives: To understand the definition and scope of practice for CHWs in CT and identify models of utilization from other states that can be applied to the CHW workforce in CT in order to enhance their capacity to improve the health of vulnerable communities.

Methods: We will conduct key informant interviews with CHWs in CT. Questions about activities, reimbursement, and met and unmet training needs will be used to understand the scope of practice of CHWs in CT's larger health care system. Quantitative analyses of existing data will be performed to describe CHW characteristics. We will review published manuscripts and policy briefs from other states and interview representatives from CHW associations in NY, RI, and MA to understand the successful organization and maintenance of established CHW networks.

Results: Characteristics, roles, and scope of practice of CHWs in CT will be described quantitatively and qualitatively. Reports and experiences of established CHW associations will be used to identify best practices. This information will enable policy makers to better support and utilize CHWs in health care, social services, and public health.