Community Health Worker Training & Apprenticeship Placement Program
Who are community health workers & what do they do?
Community Health Workers (CHWs) play crucial roles in promoting and supporting the health of individuals, families, and communities. They are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have close understanding of the communities they serve.
This relationship allows them to be a link between health/social services and the community, to facilitate access to services, and to improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. CHWs build trusting relationships with their clients and help to conduct assessments, make referrals, offer health education, navigate complicated systems, and advocate for client’s needs.
Addressing Health Disparities Seminar
Community Health Workers: A Sustainable Workforce for Health and Business
September 9th, 2023
The goal of the conference is to increase knowledge, skills, and ability of individuals in academia, health professionals and community members in addressing health disparities as it relates to the role and value of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in healthcare organizations and beyond.
What is CHW-TAPP?
Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Human Resources and Service Administration and sponsored by Creighton University’s Center for Promoting Health and Health Equity (CPHHE) and the Department of Health Sciences’ Multicultural and Community Affairs (HS-MACA), the Community Health Worker – Training Apprenticeship and Placement Program (CHW-TAPP) is:
- A new registered apprenticeship program, certified by the Department of Labor, a certificate recognized as a national health credential. Apprenticeship is a paid work and learning experience.
- Designed to strengthen community connections to healthcare providers and the healthcare delivery system.
- Improves health outcomes, including connecting at-risk individuals to local resources, social supports, care coordination, and home and community- based services.
The program’s purpose is to expand the public health workforce through training new and existing community health workers (CHWs) by extending their knowledge and skills.
Our program focuses on training and employment, through registered apprenticeships and placement. Individuals trained through the program will acquire knowledge, skills, and expertise to respond to health needs and public health emergencies in underserved communities.
What does the training consist of and how long does it take to complete the training?
The training consists of a 11-week online learning course. Participants will acquire core competences for Community Health Workers (CHWs) regarding public health and health services that follow state, local, and federal guidelines. They will also receive training on job readiness and workforce development during the initial training. Their knowledge will increase regarding chronic diseases and social determinants of health related to minority and underserved communities. This course prepares individuals with the basic CHW skills and knowledge with a focus on the core competencies set by public health entities.
- Dates: January 18, 2024 – April 4, 2024
- Meets 2 days a week (5:30pm - 8:30pm)
- 2 hour/week of homework/education
- All classes will be online
- Data Analysis & Entry Training and Chronic Disease Education
- Meets twice a month for 6 months (April - September)
- Meets on the 2nd week and 4th week of every month
- Annual Addressing Health Disparities Seminar (last Saturday in April)
- Community Health Worker Conference (second Friday of September)
Participants will receive a stipend up to $3,500 per year during their participation in the program, with completion. Participants will also receive an additional amount up to $1,600 to cover miscellaneous expenses, for childcare, travel, subsistence. & etc. for one year and will be provided a laptop.
Apprenticeship
CHW-TAPP also provides classroom learning and “on the job” training through field placement in community-based and community-focused organizations for some of its participants. Participants will receive a stipend during classroom instruction and paid wages from their employer during the apprentice phase.
Limited spots are available. Participants selected for the apprenticeship must be placed in a full-time paid, apprenticeship position at a Nebraska CHWTAPP site.
The registered apprenticeship requires completing 2,000 hours within one year. Participants who complete the apprenticeship will receive a certificate from the Department of Labor. Trainees may be able to continue beyond the one-year apprenticeship at employing agency’s discretion. The registered apprenticeship position will require a driver's license (or a state identification).
Stipend and Compensation ($7,500 of Support)
For the CHW Trainings (initial 10-week training, 6-month continued education and conferences), participants receive:
- Up to $3500 as a stipend
- Up to $1,600 for miscellaneous expenses (childcare, gas, travel, food, etc.)
- A new laptop
- An accredited Certificate of Completion from Creighton University
Those selected to participate in Apprenticeship and Placement Program will receive:
- job/apprenticeship placement at a health institution or community site
- Continued education by the apprenticeship site
- Starting pay of $16/hour
- Entry level position into the Nebraska healthcare delivery system
- Opportunity for permanent job placement within the organization
How To Apply
- Online here.
- We accept applications on an ongoing basis.
Eligibility Requirements
- High school diploma or GED
- Participants must at least be able to read English at the 7th grade level
- A valid driver's license and access to a vehicle may be required for some positions in the Registered Apprenticeship
- Trainees must be a United States citizen or a foreign national with a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States (Green card holder)
- Commitment and completion of the program within one year
Contact us
We look forward to your participation in our Community Health Worker Training Apprenticeship Program.
E-mail us at PhilipLomneth@creighton.edu or phone at 402.280.3833.
This webpage is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $ 2,996,074. Eighty (80) percent of project expenses are covered by HRSA funds, with an additional twenty (20) percent of the project financed by Creighton University’s support of the Health Sciences-Multicultural and Community Affairs and the Center for Promoting Health and Health Equity. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
