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 is racially, ethnically, and linguistically representative of 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 live sessions for the January to May 2023 cohort includes one weeknight Thursdays (6-8pm) via zoom and Saturday mornings (9am-12pm) via a mix of zoom and in-person sessions. (Specific dates will be detailed later.) Orientation will be on January 26th 2023, the first day of class is January 30th and the last day of classes will be May 20th, 2023.
There will be $7,500 stipend for each trainee for the year. 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.
Applications for the Spring 2023 session are now closed.
Please email any questions, to cohere@tufts.edu