The Tufts COHERE training program for “upskilling CHWs” is aimed to provide more training for currently practicing CHWs. This CHW continuing education track will cover Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (data analytics and assessment skills; policy development and program planning skills; communication skills; health equity skills; community partnership skills; public health sciences skills; management and finance skills; leadership and systems thinking skills) to enhance the ability of current CHWs to promote the health of their communities and achieve health equity. Specific topic areas for applying these competencies include social determinants of health, cultural awareness, health literacy, emergency preparedness, health equity, COVID-19 prevention, and vaccine hesitancy. Through a mix of didactic and active learning activities, trainees will reflect on the ways these topics relate to their work in health care.

The program consists of 40 hours of training delivered over 16 weeks, culminating in a certificate of completion from Tufts Public Health Programs. We will aim to train a cohort of 10 trainees annually, who will 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 inaugural program schedule from January to May 2023 is outlined below:

16 live sessions will occur on 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 a $3,750 stipend to compensate for time and travel for each trainee for the year. Furthermore, COHERE trainees will be mentored by program leadership and receive assistance identifying potential internship sites and opportunities to complete 1,000 internship hours. Mentors will be identified based upon trainees’ interests.

Applications for the Spring 2023 session are now closed.

Please email any questions, to cohere@tufts.edu