Community Health Worker Initiative
This component relies on a team of three community health workers (CHWs). The effectiveness of CHWs (also known as lay health workers, promotoras de salud, community health advisors, etc.) in implementing health promotion initiatives has been amply demonstrated. Unfortunately, CHWs are commonly hired for a particular grant-supported research project and are laid off at the conclusion of the project. By contrast, the CERP CHW team represents a permanent component of the CERP's infrastructure for collecting information and launching community-based participatory research projects.
The CERP CHWs are trained using MSM curriculum currently in use to train CHWs across Georgia in a variety of (mostly cancer-related and HIV risk reduction) initiatives. In addition, the project is informed by our lessons learned from CHW programs being conducted in our Community Voices sites across the nation. They may receive additional training in preparation for individual research projects. They are supervised by a master's-level health educator in the CERP Secretariat and a report on their activities is submitted to the CERP Steering Board at each meeting. They are generally trained for a particular project or program, such as AIDS outreach workers or promoting cancer screening. The effectiveness of CHWs in implementing health promotion initiatives has been amply demonstrated.[i][ii]
During the last two years, the CHWs also worked throughout Fulton County, primarily at senior citizen centers, through a partnership with the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness. This initiative resulted in at least 116 individuals receiving colorectal cancer screening. In the proposed funding period, the CHWs will expand their reach through our partnerships with a variety of CBOs, churches, and healthcare providers.