CCR Recipients

Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (CCR) (CDC-RFA-DP21-2109) funds 67 organizations for three years across three components. Organizations could apply for either Component A or Component B funding. Organizations that were approved and funded for Component B were eligible to apply for Component C funding.

  • Component A focuses on building capacity for community health worker (CHW) efforts among 30 organizations that have some experience with CHWs and want to build capacity by expanding training and oversight plans.
  • Component B focuses on improving and expanding existing CHW efforts among 37 organizations with about 3 years of experience using CHWs.
  • Component C focuses on developing innovative approaches within 5 organizations to strengthen the use of CHWs through policy, systems, or environmental changes.

Comprehensive workplans that are tailored by and for each community will guide CHW efforts.

Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (CCR) Recipients

Learn more about CCR recipients’ programs to train, deploy, and engage CHWs in COVID-19 response efforts.

Alabama

Mobile County Board Of Health

Program Name: Mobile County Community Health Workers Coalition

Program Overview: The Mobile County Health Department is building the Mobile County CHW Coalition to increase the number of CHWs working in communities, provide a comprehensive, culturally appropriate CHW training curriculum, and collaborate with other CDC programs to link CHWs and their communities with COVID-19 mitigation measures. This program also works with health care providers to create marketing campaigns that promote referrals to CHW services in Mobile County communities with lower incomes.

Total Funding Amount: $3,250,000

Point of Contact: Stephanie Woods-Crawford

Alaska

Alaska Department of Labor And Workforce Development

Program Overview: The Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB) is partnering with the Alaska Primary Care Association (APCA) to provide health care training to participants who will graduate from a pre-apprenticeship health care training program and be eligible to become CHWs. In addition to training and deploying CHWs, AWIB and APCA will engage new community health centers, community-based organizations, and medical providers to hire CHWs to work in Anchorage, Mat-Su Borough, and Fairbanks communities with long-standing health disparities, which are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Total Funding Amount: $2,014,113

Point of Contact: Rut Ocasio-Lopez

Arizona

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System

Program Name: Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities

Program Overview: The Health Care Cost Containment System of Arizona, in partnership with the Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care, is establishing a train-the-trainer program and a program-to-program mentoring system to increase CHW workforce capacity and promote the integration of CHWs into health agencies with new CHW programs. This project focuses on tribal health care systems managed by five American Indian tribes and public health systems managed by the Indian Health Service.

Total Funding Amount: $6,000,000

Point of Contact: Kim Russell

Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corporation

Program Name: COVID-19 Response through Community Health Workers Capacity and Partnerships Across the Navajo Nation Project

Program Overview: The Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corporation is building on decades of CHW deployment across the Navajo Nation to hire and train additional CHWs to embed in tribally operated health programs. The program is implementing an integrated system of care management and data collection and improving public health communication methods. CHWs are also serving as resource navigators and conducting contact tracing and case investigation.

Total Funding Amount: $6,000,000

Point of Contact: Dollie Smallcanyon

Yuma County

Program Name: Yuma County CONNECT (CHWs, Outreach, Networking, Engagement, Collaboration and Training)

Program Overview: The Yuma County Public Health Services District is building a local community health worker community coalition to inform and unite CHWs and establish mentorship among CHWs. This project is providing education and linkage to community support services among local farmworkers, Hispanic and Latino communities, and others in Yuma County who are medically underserved.

Total Funding Amount: $2,548,515

Point of Contact: Annette Perez

Arkansas

Benton County Government

Program Name: Community Health Workers – Reaching Everyone to Achieve Community Health (CHW-REACH)

Program Overview: CHW-REACH is recruiting new CHWs in Benton and Washington Counties and creating an 80-hour CHW curriculum. Through solidified relationships with community-based organizations, CHWs are conducting outreach activities at food pantries, feeding programs, and other nonprofit partners that serve Marshallese, Hispanic, and Latino communities to distribute COVID-19 tests and information about COVID-19 vaccinations.

Total Funding Amount: $5,999,961

Point of Contact: Marcus Williams

California

Alameda County Health Care Services Agency

Program Name: Alameda County Health Coach Program

Program Overview: Alameda County is expanding and strengthening the Alameda County Health Coach Program (HCP), a state-approved apprenticeship program that trains, educates, employs, and mentors young adults, immigrants, and other residents as CHWs. HCP trains and employs CHWs from ethnically diverse and historically underserved communities to connect African American, Latino, Pacific Islander, and Mam-speaking residents from five neighborhoods within the county to COVID-19 response services.

Total Funding Amount: $2,196,600

Point of Contact: Emily K. Kaplan

County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency

Program Name: County of San Diego-Community Health Worker (COSD-CHW) Program

Program Overview: The COSD-CHW Program aims to elevate the work of CHWs across San Diego County by expanding an existing collaborative into a CHW Community Coalition. The coalition is planning activities to engage CHWs, implementing a regional CHW training program, and deploying new, full-time CHW Liaisons who coordinate outreach, education, and communication among CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $3,000,000

Point of Contact: Rosa Garcian

San Joaquin County Human Services Agency

Program Overview: The San Joaquin County Human Services Agency is embedding CHWs into 14 neighborhoods that are at increased risk for COVID-19. CHWs are conducting community outreach and partnership development activities, including health education, screenings, and referrals to medical care and services, to increase access to services and overcome barriers to care. The program builds on an existing CHW sustainability initiative, which investigates Medicaid reimbursement options for CHW-provided services.

Total Funding Amount: $2,983,938

Point of Contact: Monica White

Sonoma County Health Services Department

Program Overview: The Sonoma County Health Services Department is developing a standardized CHW training curriculum and building a community consortium of community clinics, hospital systems, community-based organizations, family resource centers, and health departments to guide, coordinate, and sustain the integration of CHWs into organizations and care teams. These efforts aim to increase vaccination rates among Sonoma County residents and improve uptake of health care services in communities with low health performance indicators.

Total Funding Amount: $6,000,000

Point of Contact: Martin Rivarola

Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency

Program Name: Tulare County Public Health CHW Training Program

Program Overview: The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency is working with partners to incorporate CHWs and other community partners into mass outreach efforts. Through an existing community coalition, CHWs will provide community education to people at high risk for COVID-19 exposure, infection, and illness, including those in rural communities and/or working in the farming or agricultural industry.

Total Funding Amount: $1,800,000

Point of Contact: Tiffany Swarthout

Tule River Indian Health Center Inc.

Program Name: Insaxo – Tribal Community Health Worker Project

Program Overview: Tule River Indian Health Center is working with a wide range of partners to establish a regional coalition and develop indigenous community health outreach teams to provide COVID-19 services, home-based health monitoring, and referral services. Outreach teams consist of CHWs, nurses, peer mentors, and indigenous volunteers and serve American Indian and/or Alaska Native residents of Tulare County.

Total Funding Amount: $1,050,000

Point of Contact: Eric Coles

United American Indian Involvement (UAII)

Program Name: Education and Implementation of Community Health Workers to Serve the American Indian Community in Southern California

Program Overview: Working in American Indian and Alaska Native communities across Los Angeles and Orange counties, UAII and its partners are hiring and training a new cohort of CHWs who will be integrated into UAII’s LA American Indian Health Project clinical care teams.

Total Funding Amount: $3,250,000

Point of Contact: Rene Short

Colorado

Northeast Colorado Health Department (NCHD)

Program Name: Trusted Connections of Morgan County

Program Overview: NCHD is hiring and training new CHWs to collaborate with community partners. NCHD is integrating CHWs into community sites to work with local employers, schools, and community housing organizations to support the COVID-19 response efforts and conduct community outreach among immigrants and refugees living in Morgan County. NCHD is also developing culturally and linguistically appropriate multimedia campaigns and working with partners to implement processes for CHW engagement and social and health care referrals.

Total Funding Amount: $1,137,500

Point of Contact: Michelle Pemberton

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)

Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC)

Program Name: CNMI CHCC Community Health Workers Project

Program Overview: CHCC is hiring and training new CHWs to collaborate with community partners and establish a comprehensive referral system between the CHW program and private clinics. CHCC is also creating and disseminating multimedia health campaigns through radio, newspaper, and television ads and social media posts to promote CHWs’ roles. A new community outreach plan will make community members aware of programs and services.

Total Funding Amount: $1,800,000

Point of Contact: Amber Mendiola

Delaware

Delaware State Department of Health

Program Overview: The Delaware Division of Public Health is expanding existing CHW efforts across the state and working toward statewide certification of CHWs. CHWs are supporting an active CHW association, in addition to conducting outreach in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. As part of this work, the Delaware Division of Public Health is conducting interviews with key partners to better understand how CHWs currently support programs across the state and standardize CHW data collection methods.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Laura Saperstein

Georgia

Georgia Department of Public Health

Program Overview: The Georgia Department of Public Health, Chronic Disease Prevention Section, is working with partners to build on efforts to provide training and community resources to CHWs across Georgia. This program includes the training and strategic placement of CHWs, media campaigns, community mini-grant opportunities, and workshops on the benefits and roles of CHWs for providers and community organizations.

Total Funding Amount: $9,750,000

Point of Contact: Kia Toodle

Guam

Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services

Program Overview: The Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services is coordinating with community partners to provide on-the-job training for CHWs to participate in COVID-19 vaccination and testing outreach activities. These include conducting patient history interviews and risk assessments, processing COVID-19 test results, and disseminating multicultural, multilingual prevention and education materials to residents across Guam, especially those who are medically underserved or experiencing homelessness.

Total Funding Amount: $1,800,000

Point of Contact: Patrick Luces and Alexis Silverio

Hawaii

Hawaii State Department of Health

Program Overview: The Hawaii Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division, is developing a statewide program to expand educational opportunities for students seeking to become CHWs. This program is providing continuing education and training for CHWs, creating opportunities for CHWs seeking leadership roles, and placing CHWs in social service, education, and cultural/ethnic organizations.

Total Funding Amount: $6,869,565

Point of Contact: Heidi Hansen-Smith

Illinois

Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH)

Program Overview: CDPH is enhancing and strengthening partnerships developed during the COVID-19 response and integrating CHWs from across Chicago into a centralized program for training, career development, and networking. CDPH is also evaluating mechanisms for CHW reimbursement, job placement, and skill building to inform policy recommendations that promote CHW sustainability.

Total Funding Amount: $3,000,000

Point of Contact: Ajanta Patel

Cook County

Program Overview: Cook County Department of Public Health is partnering with Cook County Health (CCH), a local health system, to establish a learning collaborative and expand the number and capacity of CHWs integrated into community-based organizations and CCH’s multidisciplinary care teams. The learning collaborative is also supporting CHWs’ outreach, education, and community engagement efforts in the communities most affected by COVID-19 across suburban Cook County.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Gina Barnett

Indiana

Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County

Program Overview: Through an expanded and strengthened county CHW program, the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County is working to increase access to health care services and adherence to health recommendations. The program is also working to improve communication and trust between community members and health care teams and reduce the need for emergency and specialty services. The program is creating a standardized CHW training curriculum, stationing CHWs at clinics, and establishing a community coalition that includes partners from a variety of community-based organizations.

Total Funding Amount: $1,916,196

Point of Contact: Alisha Jessup

St. Joseph County Department of Health

Program Overview: The St. Joseph County Department of Health is hiring and training additional CHWs who are developing strong working relationships with key partners and their communities, and collaborating with partners to provide health education, social needs assessments, and resource navigation to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. CHWs are focusing their efforts in African American, Latino, and rural communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, including households with lower incomes.

Total Funding Amount: $2,971,636

Point of Contact: Mark Fox

Kansas

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Program Overview: The Kansas CCR program is working with key partners to expand and sustain CHWs’ work with people at higher risk for COVID-19 and within communities most affected by COVID-19. The program is training CHWs to address disparities in access to COVID-19 services as well as risk factors for severe COVID-19 disease. A credentialing program and a mentoring program support CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $5,561,668

Point of Contact: Julie Sergeant

Kentucky

Kentucky State Cabinet for Health

Program Overview: The Kentucky State Cabinet for Health CHW Program, in collaboration with key partners, is increasing the number of CHWs in rural communities across the state and prioritizing communities at increased risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19. The program is promoting relevant training opportunities and skill development for CHWs, enhancing referrals for community and social services, and identifying and improving messaging gaps to create culturally and linguistically appropriate materials and messaging related to COVID-19.

Total Funding Amount: $9,128,957

Point of Contact: Laura Eirich

Louisiana

Louisiana Department of Health

Program Name: Community Health Ways (CHWays) Program

Program Overview: The Louisiana Department of Health is expanding its existing CHW pilot program across the state. The program is facilitating peer-to-peer learning among CHWs, developing a regional outreach plan, and creating a communications and media campaign. These efforts support CHWs, who are integrated into regional public health units, as they conduct health-related social needs screenings in African American communities and communities with lower incomes and link community members to health and social services.

Total Funding Amount: $6,349,035

Point of Contact: Colleen Arceneaux

Maine

Maine Department of Health and Human Services

Program Name: Maine’s Initiative to Enhance Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities

Program Overview: The Maine Department of Health and Human Services is expanding its existing CHW program by enhancing its training for CHWs and creating new communications campaigns. Campaigns created for the general public seek to raise awareness about CHWs, and campaigns created for community organizations, primary care offices, and other medical providers describe the services that CHWs offer. The program is also helping community and health care organizations integrate CHWs into care teams.

Total Funding Amount: $2,987,094

Point of Contact: Emily Theriault

Maryland

Maryland Department of Health

Program Name: CHW Improving Health and Resilience Project

Program Overview: The Maryland Department of Health, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control is educating, supporting, and deploying CHWs to assist in the COVID-19 response in three rural counties: Allegany, Dorchester, and Somerset. The program is building on its current CHW certification program to establish certifications related to COVID-19 and health equity and increase the number of CHWs with state certification. The program is also developing and implementing specialty training resources for CHWs; topics include health equity, community resilience, and COVID-19.

Total Funding Amount: $1,800,000

Point of Contact: Kristi Pier

Prince George’s County Fire/EMS

Program Name: Community Health Integrated Service System (CHISS)

Program Overview: CHISS is placing CHWs at health and social service facilities across Prince George’s County to expand the COVID-19 prevention services offered within the communities most affected by COVID-19, including African American communities and Latino communities. CHWs are conducting vaccine outreach and education, administering client assessments, and facilitating referrals for COVID-19-related clinical services and supportive social services.

Total Funding Amount: $8,999,586

Point of Contact: Ernest Carter

Massachusetts

Boston Public Health Commission

Program Overview: The Boston CCR program is engaging community partners through a learning collaborative intended to expand and enhance the role of CHWs in clinical and community organizations and systems. The program is deploying CHWs to strengthen community resilience in five Boston communities, with a focus on engaging families and supporting young children. The program is updating its CHW training curriculum, assessing and filling CHW training gaps, and disseminating culturally and linguistically relevant materials related to COVID-19 prevention.

Total Funding Amount: $8,915,790

Point of Contact: Katie Keating

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Program Overview: In collaboration with its partners, MA CCR is working with 10 primary care sites in nine cities that have experienced a higher rate of COVID-19. CHWs are working with primary care providers to re-engage patients in primary care, coordinate care, and address patients’ COVID-19 and health-related social needs.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Erica Marshall

Mississippi

Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH)

Program Name: Integrating Community Health Workers Into the Public Health System, Mississippi Community Health Worker Bureau

Program Overview: MSDH is integrating CHWs into public health systems across all nine public health districts to expand existing CHW-led, COVID-19 mitigation and prevention resources and services. CHWs are linking clients to social support, clinical services, temporary housing, transportation, and resources to address food insecurity. The project is engaging with the regional COVID-19 Community Advisory Board and a local community college. In partnership with the college, MSDH is piloting a CHW Certification Program.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Felisa Wilson-Simpson

Missouri

St. Louis County

Program Overview: The St. Louis County Department of Health is bringing together organizations in the St. Louis region to build on existing CHW-driven work. The program is hiring more CHWs and investing in sustainable models that place CHWs in medical and nonmedical settings. CHWs’ efforts are focused in the St. Louis Promise Zone, an area that includes parts of North St. Louis City and North St. Louis County, where many residents are at increased risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19 and chronic diseases.

Total Funding Amount: $14,134,989

Point of Contact: Damon Broadus

Washington County Ambulance District

Program Name: Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network

Program Overview: The Washington County Ambulance District is using an existing Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network to expand on mobile health services for adults in Washington and St. Francois counties. The model aims to enhance community outreach efforts, credential CHWs, and foster the placement of dual-credentialed community paramedics in EMS agencies across the state.

Total Funding Amount: $3,250,000

Point of Contact: Justin Duncan

Montana

Partnership Health Center

Program Overview: Partnership Health Center is working with community partners in neighborhoods with lower incomes to create a state CHW/Peer Support Coalition, develop referral pathways, and train CHWs on community organizing, collaborative screening, and motivational interviewing. The project is also exploring opportunities to integrate CHWs into rural clinics, community centers, schools, and other settings.

Total Funding Amount: $1,800,000

Point of Contact: Laurie Francis

Yellowstone City-County Health Department

Program Name: Resilient Yellowstone

Program Overview: The Yellowstone City-County Health Department is drawing upon an existing, collaborative group of partners to develop a cohort of certified CHWs to build trusting relationship with lower-income communities and Native American residents, and identify community health needs. The Resilient Yellowstone project is embedding CHWs in clinical, community-based, and place-based organizations. The program is also creating a statewide CHW Association and launching a digital resource-sharing platform to house a catalog of CHW tools and information, including a toolkit of best practices and messages for use by CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $1,784,857

Point of Contact: Melissa Henderson

New Jersey

Atlantic County Department of Human Services

Program Overview: The Atlantic County Department of Human Services is expanding its Hope One Mobile Unit, which provides outreach to residents experiencing homelessness who have recently survived an overdose. CHWs are integrated into local agencies that support residents to access COVID-19 services and vaccinations. They offer assistance managing chronic illnesses and providing services to address social determinants of health.

Total Funding Amount: $1,950,000

Point of Contact: Timothy Reed

New Jersey Department of Health (NJDH)

Program Overview: NJDH is expanding its CHW training curriculum to include additional competencies and integrating CHWs into new settings where CHWs have never worked. NJDH is also collaborating with key partners to create a CHW learning collaborative and identify a documentation system for CHWs to use. CHWs are conducting community outreach and referring clients to clinical and social resources.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Karen Farrior

New Mexico

Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board

Program Overview: The Tribal CCR Program is supporting CHW certification efforts and integrating CHWs into tribal health care teams in the Indian Health Service Albuquerque Area. CHWs are developing and disseminating culturally tailored communications products and providing client referral and navigation services to American Indian communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Total Funding Amount: $3,000,000

Point of Contact: Kevin English

County of Doña Ana

Program Name: Agentes de Cambio: Building COVID-19 Resilience in Doña Ana County with Promotores de Salud

Program Overview: The County of Doña Ana Health and Human Services’ Agentes de Cambio program is expanding their current CHW efforts. The program has created a COVID-19 Community Corps to share information about COVID-19 with communities across the county and educate clinical and nonclinical organizations about the roles and skills of CHWs. The program is also harnessing existing CHW expertise to design an online CHW curriculum and provide peer mentoring to new CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $1,936,770

Point of Contact: Jamie Michael

New York

City of Syracuse

Program Name: CHWs Accessing Resources for Equity in Syracuse for COVID-19 (CARES for COVID-19)

Program Overview: The City of Syracuse’s CARES for COVID-19 program is working with key partners to train CHWs in fentanyl overdose prevention. CHWs are conducting door-to-door outreach, hosting large-scale health education events, and participating in pop-up vaccine clinics. Using social media, CHWs are sharing COVID-19 messages in communities throughout the city, focusing on households with lower incomes.

Total Funding Amount: $1,799,436

Point of Contact: Ocesa Keaton

County of Schenectady

Program Name: COVID-19 Response and Equity Advancement Through Engagement of Schenectady CHWs (CREATES CHWs)

Program Overview: The CREATES CHWs project is recruiting and hiring new CHWs to work in communities across the county, including areas with lower incomes, African American communities, Hispanic communities, and Latino communities. The program is creating a CHW training curriculum and internship program to strengthen the CHW workforce. To promote vaccination, CHWs are delivering COVID-19 education and conducting outreach. The program is also developing a mobile app-based data tracking system to document the work of CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $1,949,275

Point of Contact: Natalie Prehoda

North Carolina

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Program Overview: In collaboration with key partners, the North Carolina Office of Rural Health is expanding CHW training opportunities and standardizing their CHW training curriculum. The program is also establishing a state CHW Association to guide the CHW certification process. CHWs integrated into health systems support a wide range of COVID-19 services, including testing, vaccinations, and social services, in the communities most affected by COVID-19.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Margaret Sauer

Public Health Authority of Cabarrus County

Program Name: Cabarrus Health Alliance CHW Program

Program Overview: The Public Health Authority of Cabarrus County is building on countywide efforts to prevent serious illness and deaths from COVID-19 by integrating CHWs into new organizations, improving CHW documentation processes, and developing a toolkit of resources for CHWs to use during community outreach events. CHWs are working to increase their communities’ use of community resources and clinics and increase community participation in COVID-19 testing and vaccination campaigns.

Total Funding Amount: $2,286,202

Point of Contact: Sue Yates

Ohio

County of Jackson

Program Name: Community Health Worker Community Resilience Project

Program Overview: The Jackson County Health Department is partnering with Ohio University to identify CHWs’ training needs and offer new trainings for CHWs. CHWs are engaging with community coalitions and building new partnerships with organizations that serve older residents, people with substance use disorders, and people living with chronic illness in 11 counties across Ohio. CHWs are also leading and participating in community education events, including fall prevention courses, health fairs, awareness walks, vaccination clinics, and communications campaigns.

Total Funding Amount: $4,396,526

Point of Contact: Kevin Aston

Franklin County Board of Commissioners/Public Health

Program Name: Building Capacity in Franklin County, Ohio among CHWs for Equitable COVID Response and Resilient Communities

Program Overview: Using the Certified Pathways HUB training model, Franklin County Public Health is training new CHWs to support the residents of Franklin County who are at a higher risk for poor health outcomes from COVID-19. The program is establishing new partnerships with local organizations and promoting the work of CHWs using evidence-based and culturally appropriate messaging. CHWs are gaining skills to support the COVID-19 public health response, including contact tracing, data collection, and proper use of personal protective equipment. CHWs are also supporting the scheduling and follow-up for community members’ vaccine appointments and clinical referrals.

Total Funding Amount: $3,250,000

Point of Contact: Lindsey Rodenhauser

Ohio Department of Health

Program Overview: Using the Certified Pathways HUB training model, the Ohio Department of Health is expanding its existing CHW program to address health disparities magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is developing a robust CHW training plan and identifying additional partner organizations to support clients’ social and health-related needs. In addition, the program is piloting a mapping tool to identify the communities most affected by COVID-19. Once identified, CHW-led services are deployed to these communities.

Total Funding Amount: $16,087,468

Point of Contact: Ava Johnson

Oklahoma

Cherokee Nation

Program Name: Cherokee Nation Public Health Ga-Du-Gi: A Community Health Worker Initiative

Program Overview: The Public Health Ga-Du-Gi Initiative is coordinating with Cherokee Nation language and culture programs to hire Cherokee speakers as CHWs and expand the reach of current CHW services. By hosting activities that are traditional to Cherokee culture, CHWs are promoting connection to the Cherokee culture and fostering engagement among people who live within the Cherokee National Reservation. CHWs are also participating in mobile COVID-19 vaccination events, conducting community outreach and health campaigns, and linking clients to clinical and social services.

Total Funding Amount: $5,766,150

Point of Contact: Lisa Pivec

Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes

Program Name: Expanding and Further Integrating Community Health Representatives in Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Community Health Services

Program Overview: The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are expanding their existing program and partnerships to more effectively deploy community health representatives (CHRs) throughout the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal service area. CHRs are conducting COVID-19 testing, vaccine administration, and coordinating referral services for people who live in remote areas, including tribal elders and community members with chronic diseases. The program is also developing a database to bring together data from several tribal agencies.

Total Funding Amount: $1,048,477

Point of Contact: Melissa Hamilton

Oklahoma State Department of Health

Program Name: Oklahoma Community Health Workforce Initiative

Program Overview: In collaboration with the Oklahoma Public Health Association’s CHW Caucus, the Oklahoma State Department of Health is establishing two new partnerships: the Oklahoma CHW Community of Practice and the Oklahoma Association of CHWs. These new partnerships are helping to standardize data collection, documentation processes, and referral systems among CHWs and partner organizations. These partnerships are also facilitating the sharing of educational and communication materials, which can be tailored to specific communities, across organizations.

Total Funding Amount: $300,000

Point of Contact: Cathy Billings

Oregon

County of Lane

Program Name: Lane County Community Health Worker Integration for Improved Resiliency and Equity

Program Overview: Several departments within Lane County Health and Human Services are collaborating to assess CHW training needs, develop effective trainings, and ensure that CHWs can be certified. CHWs are collaborating with community health centers, primary care teams, and other partners that serve communities with lower incomes, Hispanic and Latino communities, and others most affected by COVID-19. CHWs are linking clients to health care services and other community resources, including food pantries.

Total Funding Amount: $2,633,193

Point of Contact: Teresa Roark

Pennsylvania

Allegheny County Health Department

Program Name: Allegheny County Health Department Community Health Workers

Program Overview: Allegheny County Health Department is centralizing and expanding the county’s existing CHW programs to serve county residents who are most affected by COVID-19. The program is hiring and training new CHWs, creating a COVID-19 CHW training curriculum, and developing more comprehensive data collection systems. The program is also engaging a community coalition to support CHW-led community outreach and education activities, including those to clinical care providers. CHWs are leading and informing many of these efforts.

Total Funding Amount: $7,952,961

Point of Contact: Barbara Nightingale

Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Program Overview: The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is collaborating with partners, including Temple University, to offer a CHW certification program and secure workspaces for CHWs in 10 Philadelphia neighborhoods. CHWs are working with community partners to develop individualized, neighborhood-based outreach and public health response plans that promote resources to address housing needs, food insecurity, childcare, vaccine access and information, and access to health care resources.

Total Funding Amount: $2,998,305

Point of Contact: Cheryl Bettigole

Puerto Rico

Municipio De Canóvanas

Program Overview: The Canóvanas CCR program is building additional partnerships to expand and strengthen an existing community coalition. The program is also developing a training curriculum and certification program for CHWs. CHWs are teaming up with social workers and nurses to conduct home visits, individual health assessments, and health education campaigns in communities with lower incomes.

Total Funding Amount: $1,050,000

Point of Contact: Hommy Apellaniz

Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust

Program Name: Training, Deploying, and Engaging Community Health Workers to Improve COVID-19 and Chronic Disease Management Response in Puerto Rico

Program Overview: Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust is collaborating with community partners to identify communities where CHW services are not available and fill those gaps. To provide CHWs with comprehensive training, the program is assessing CHW training needs, updating CHW training materials to include information on COVID-19, and creating a virtual learning community for CHWs and CHW programs. The program is also evaluating the long-term sustainability of integrating CHWs into health care management teams.

Total Funding Amount: $8,999,162

Point of Contact: Marianyoly Ortiz-Ortiz

Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)

Ministry of Health and Human Services

Program Name: Building Resilience to COVID-19 in the RMI through Better Mental Health Outreach and Response

Program Overview: RMI’s Ministry of Health and Human Services is collaborating with partners to broaden the reach of mental health services throughout the RMI by training and deploying a team of CHWs to conduct mental health-related activities across the community, including education, outreach, individual screenings, and referrals. The program is also creating an awareness campaign to provide health education and inform the community about the role of CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $1,050,000

Point of Contact: Mailynn Langinbur

Republic of Palau

Palau Ministry of Health

Program Overview: The Palau CCR Project is strengthening its partnerships with state and national agencies to better support and sustain the work of CHWs in communities at higher risk for poor health outcomes from COVID-19. In collaboration with partners, the program is training new CHWs from across Palau. CHWs are working in communities to identify residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination and conduct COVID-19 education campaigns.

Total Funding Amount: $1,050,000

Point of Contact: Bailechesel OJ Tumechub

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Health

Program Overview: The Rhode Island Department of Health’s Division of Community Health and Equity is training and certifying CHWs to support COVID-19 response and recovery efforts across the state. The program is creating a statewide CHW learning collaborative and developing pathways for CHWs to sit in state leadership positions. The program is also piloting the integration of CHWs as members of the Health Systems Transformation Project, which embeds CHWs into teams that build partnerships between clinics, community health teams, and community members.

Total Funding Amount: $16,250,000

Point of Contact: Randi Belhumeur

Tennessee

Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County

Program Overview: The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County is establishing partnerships to hire and train CHWs and exploring opportunities for a CHW credentialing program. CHWs are working with health clinics to make referrals to services for health-related and social needs and partnering with local organizations to address opioid use in communities at higher risk for poor health outcomes as a result of COVID-19. The program is also providing coaching and resources to other CHW programs in the state, including a resource guide and toolkit for CHW programs and education campaigns for partners and community members to promote the roles and work of CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $3,000,000

Point of Contact: Fonda Harris

Texas

City of Austin, Austin Public Health

Program Name: Chronic Disease Community Health Workers: Train, Deploy, and Engage

Program Overview: Austin Public Health is expanding existing CHW programs throughout the city of Austin and Travis County. Austin Public Health is hiring new CHWs and creating career ladders for CHWs. The program is also developing COVID-19 awareness and chronic disease prevention campaigns, including social media posts, radio spots, and brochures. CHWs are establishing partnerships in community, clinical, and affordable housing settings with a focus on communities with lower incomes, Black or African American communities, and Latino or Hispanic communities. CHWs are conducting outreach and education at schools, food banks, and laundromats, among other locations.

Total Funding Amount: $4,297,695

Point of Contact: Stephanie Helfman

City of San Antonio

Program Overview: The Bexar County Metro Health CCR Project, in collaboration with partners, is promoting career development for CHWs. The project’s CHW Training and Technical Assistance Hub, which is guided by a CHW-led steering committee, provides tuition assistance to encourage enrollment in CHW certification programs and offers mini-grants to support community-based organizations that are integrating CHWs into their COVID-19 response efforts. The program is also establishing referral systems to connect residents who are detained or incarcerated to care and working with partners to develop a comprehensive communications plan to disseminate COVID-19 messaging in communities at higher risk for poor health outcomes from COVID-19.

Total Funding Amount: $7,200,000

Point of Contact: Junda Woo

Harris County

Program Name: Before Always Has an After: Navigating Beyond the Pandemic

Program Overview: Harris County Public Health is partnering with regional CHW training institutes to create a comprehensive CHW training curriculum and provide internships and job shadowing opportunities for CHWs to build a broad set of skills and knowledge. The program is supporting CHWs to get community resource navigator certification and developing a COVID-19 ambassador program to increase the reach of COVID-19 educational messages. CHWs are providing health education, resource navigation support, and clinical referrals to residents with lower incomes and those who are at higher risk for poor health outcomes from COVID-19. CHWs are also developing new partnerships with community-based organizations and local businesses to host health education events.

Total Funding Amount: $9,749,492

Point of Contact: Jill TenHaken

Virginia

Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI)

Program Name: Community Health Workers for a Healthy Virginia

Program Overview: IPHI is formalizing a CHW training curriculum to facilitate CHW certification and continuing education. The program is creating a toolkit for partners who are hiring CHWs into their programs and providing technical assistance and mentorship to partners who have recently integrated CHWs into their programs. IPHI is also testing sustainable financing models for CHW programs, which can be replicated by others.

Total Funding Amount: $13,019,685

Point of Contact: Michael Royster

Washington

Seattle and King County Public Health

Program Name: King County Community Health Worker – COVID Approach to Recovery and Evaluation (CHW-CARE) Project

Program Overview: King County CHW-CARE Project is creating a comprehensive CHW training plan and fostering peer learning among CHWs to ensure that culturally and linguistically fluent CHWs are available to serve their communities. The project is formalizing agreements with key partners to sponsor and send CHWs to trainings and forming a diverse Training and Technical Assistance Team, led by experienced CHWs, to guide the professional development and training of CHWs.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Jan Capps

Washington State Department of Health

Program Name: Care Connect Washington

Program Overview: The Washington State Department of Health is collaborating with key partners to better reach rural North Central and South Central regions of the state that lack access to health care services. Care Connect Washington is working with partners to create referral management systems and establishing educational and career pathways to strengthen the CHW workforce. The program is also reconvening a cross-agency workgroup with state partner agencies and expanding a successful, CHW-led community outreach program to Hispanic and Latino communities.

Total Funding Amount: $16,250,000

Point of Contact: Maria Courogen

Wisconsin

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Program Name: Red Cliff Elder Community Health Workers

Program Overview: The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is expanding CHW services among the American Indian communities on and near the Red Cliff reservation. CHWs are participating in community events and conducting in-person outreach and health education, especially among community elders. The program is facilitating connections and learning opportunities for CHWs to gain knowledge of the Indian Health Service system and resources available to community members. The program is also cross-training CHWs and emergency medical technicians to provide transportation to area hospitals, basic life support assistance in emergencies, and advanced life support.

Total Funding Amount: $1,050,000

Point of Contact: Diane Erickson

Wisconsin Department of Health

Program Overview: The Wisconsin Department of Health, in collaboration with its partners, is building a library of COVID-19 resources and creating a comprehensive COVID-19 training curriculum for CHWs and CHW supervisors. Trained CHWs are being deployed to communities across southwest Wisconsin that are at higher risk for poor health outcomes from COVID-19. The program is also devising a culturally relevant marketing and communications plan to share COVID-19 information and developing software to standardize CHW documentation.

Total Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Point of Contact: Mary Pesik