1. What is a CHW?
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are members of their communities, whose role is to connect other community members to health care systems, state health departments and social services. CHWs are advocates for their community and play an important role in improving the quality of, and access to health care, providing cultural understanding and enhancing communications between communities and healthcare services.
2. How does one become a MA state certified CHW?
There are two pathways to become MA state certified CHWs:
- The Work Experience Pathway which requires applicants to document at least 4,000 hours of CHW work over the past 10 years. Volunteer (not paid) work can be included in the 4,000 hours. This pathway will be available until June 30, 2023, and there is no training requirement for this pathway.
- The CHW Training and Work Experience Pathway which requires the applicant’s successful completion of a Board Approved CHW Education and Training program as well as demonstration of at least 2,000 hours of CHW work over the past 10 years
3. Is Tufts COHERE a Board Approved CHW Education and Training program?
Yes! Tufts COHERE program is approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Boards of Certification of Community Health Workers as a certified training program as of August 2022.
4. What format will the training program be offered?
The training sessions are a mix of virtual and in-person sessions. In addition, there will be asynchronous learning activities and projects assigned outside of live sessions.
5. What are the details of the training program?
- Track 1: New CHWs consists of 80 hours of training delivered over 16 weeks between February to May. The trainees participate in virtual and in-person training sessions for 5 hours per week. This is typically 2-hours in the evening during the week (e.g. Wednesdays 6-8 pm) via Zoom and 3-hours on Saturday mornings 9am-12pm. First and 3rd Saturdays will be in-person and the remaining Sat are on Zoom. Detailed training schedules will be posted.
- Track 2: Upskilling CHWs consists of 40 hours of training delivered over 16 weeks between February to May. The trainees participate in virtual and in-person training sessions. These sessions will typically occur for 2-hours in the evening during the week (e.g. Wednesdays 6-8 pm) via Zoom or 3-hours on Saturday mornings 9am-12pm. First and 3rd Saturdays will be in-person and the remaining Sat are on Zoom. Detailed training schedules will be posted.
6. Where will in-person sessions take place?
The in-person training will be held on the Tufts University School of Medicine campus on Harrison Avenue in Boston, MA. We are accessible via MBTA—South Station (red line), Tufts Medical Center (orange line), Boylston (green line), and silver line that stops in front of Tufts Medical Center.
7. Is there financial assistance for this program?
Yes, tuition will be covered by Tufts University for the 2024 program. There will also be a stipend for each trainee. For more information, visit the specific webpages for each track.
8. What are the stipend eligibility requirements?
Due to the nature of the training program’s funding, to receive a stipend you must be a citizen of the US or a foreign national having a visa permitting permanent residence in the US.