The Tufts COHERE training program for new trainees will leverage the 10 Massachusetts core CHW competencies required for CHW certification to build a robust CHW workforce that improves the linguistic capacity and representation of marginalized communities within the City of Boston. COHERE trainees new to the CHW field will work individually and collaboratively during and after learning sessions to self-reflect, discuss, and practice their knowledge base and context. Additional areas of reflection and practice are public health, social determinants of health, cultural awareness, health literacy, emergency preparedness, health equity, Covid-19 prevention and vaccine hesitancy, HIV prevention, nutrition and food security, mental health, and health across lifespan.
The program consists of 80 hours of training delivered over 16 weeks to help trainees become certified CHWs. We will aim to train a cohort of 45 trainees annually to participate in virtual and in-person training sessions. In addition, there will be asynchronous learning activities assigned for completion outside of the live sessions.
The schedule for the 2024 program will be similar to the January to May 2023 cohort, which included one weeknight (6-8pm) via zoom and Saturday mornings (9am-12pm) via a mix of zoom and in-person sessions. (Specific dates will be detailed later.)
There will be $7,500 stipend available for each trainee for the year. Stipend eligibility requirements are detailed under FAQs.
COHERE trainees will have mentors to provide advice on future public health career goals and identify potential internship sites and opportunities to complete the 2,000 internship hours. Mentors will be identified based upon trainees’ interests. After completing the full training program, trainees will also have the opportunity to apply for Track 3: BEMS Apprenticeship Program for the following year. Teaching, coaching, and mentoring involves developing clear, culturally competent learning objectives and curricula, providing comprehensive resources and training opportunities for COHERE trainees, modeling the process of effective learning, and conducting a process and outcomes evaluation whether learning occurred among recipients.
Eligibility requirements: 18 years or older
Applications for the Spring 2024 session are now open! They are linked on the COHERE home page
Please email any questions, to cohere@tufts.edu