Community Health Worker

Mission 

The mission of the Malcolm X College Community Health Worker Program is to educate students to enter the field as knowledgeable and culturally competent CHWs. The program seeks to equip graduates with skills to provide compassionate and holistic advocacy to facilitate improved health care outcomes to members of the communities they serve.                                                                                                         

Program Outcomes

• Communicate with a diverse patient population using effective oral and written communication.
• Understand the fundamentals of epidemiology.
• Identify the role nutrition plays in health.
• Understand common mental health issues.  

Program Eligibility

Students must either have a college-level English course completion reflected in their transcripts or take the MXC Read-to-Write placement test and achieve a placement of English 96 or higher.                                                                                                      

Step 1:    Attend an Info Session          

To help you make an informed decision about the CHW program, we offer several information sessions each month. We encourage you to register for an upcoming session to understand the program and what it entails. If you choose to pursue the CHW certificate, the next step is to activate your student account by enrolling at MXC.     

          

Step 2: Become a City Colleges of Chicago – Malcolm X College Student     

         If you are new to MXC, please apply at apply.ccc.edu or contact the MXC Admissions Office           

         for  guidance. If you’re a former or current CCC MXC student, please reach out to the Admissions       

         Office to verify that your student account is active and that you’re eligible to enroll in CHW classes.     

         Ensure you complete all application requirements, such as submitting previous transcripts and proof       

         of residency, to avoid any delays in your registration process.     

                                                                               

         

Step 3: Submit Proof of College-Level English Course Completion OR Complete Read-to-Write       

             Exam​              

If your submitted transcripts show that you have completed a college-level English course, you may be eligible to bypass the placement requirement. However, if you have not completed such a course, you must take the Read-to-Write (RTW) placement test and place into English 96 or higher. To confirm your eligibility to skip the placement test, please consult an Academic Advisor.     

Please be aware that it typically takes about 72 hours to receive your results after completing the RTW placement test. Therefore, it’s advisable to complete the test as soon as possible.     

 

Step 4: ​  Explore Scholarship and Financial Aid Options      

  

Please reach out to the Financial Aid Office to assess your eligibility for financial aid. For inquiries about payment plans, direct your questions to the Business Services Office. We also recommend looking into the scholarship opportunities listed below. Most of these scholarships are external and require you to take additional application steps.      

*Note that if you qualify for more than one of these scholarships, you must select only one to accept.     

    

Opioid Crisis Response Focus      

• This scholarship and apprenticeship opportunity offers tuition, books, a stipend, and provides access to employment opportunities. It’s designed for students with personal experience in mental health, substance use disorders, and recovery.     

• Participating in this program is an excellent pairing with the Certified Recovery Support /Peer Recovery Specialist (CRSS/CPRS) program.     

• To apply, submit a Statement of Interest and complete the FAFSA.     

• For any questions, you can contact Dr. Gloria West at gwest4@ccc.edu     

    

    

Chicago CHW Health, Educating, Resourcing, Opportunity (H.E.R.O) Project               

• This scholarship and apprenticeship opportunity offers tuition, books, and provides access to employment opportunities. It is specifically aimed at students who are entering the community health worker profession for the first time.     

• To apply, please submit an application through CHW Connect and schedule an intake session with Envision. Note that completing the FAFSA is not required for this opportunity. 

 

• If you have any questions, please contact Ava Salonis at as201@uic.edu or visit CHW CONNECT at https://oceanhp.uic.edu/programs/chwconnect/  

 

     

Friend Health’s CHWTP – Transforming, Expanding and Diversifying the CHW Workforce on the South Side of Chicago               

• This scholarship and apprenticeship opportunity offers tuition, books, and provides access to employment opportunities. It’s tailored for South Side community students seeking careers in federally qualified health clinics (FQHC) or community behavioral health settings.     

• To apply, set up an interview with Keturah and complete the required success survey. Note that completing the FAFSA is not required for this opportunity.     

• If you have any questions, please contact Keturah Pryor at kpryor@friendhealth.org.    

 

     

Illinois Community Health Worker Help: Guide: Thrive (HGT)               

• This scholarship and apprenticeship opportunity offers tuition, books, and provides access to employment opportunities. It is specifically aimed at students who are entering the community health worker profession for the first time.     

• Note that completing the FAFSA is not required for this opportunity.     

• Contact Stephanie Standish at sstandish@ipha.com  with questions.     

     

Proyecto Carmen CHW Training Program               

• This scholarship and apprenticeship opportunity offers tuition, books, and provides access to employment opportunities. It is specifically aimed at students whose primary language is Spanish and would like to complete the program in a bi-lingual format.      

• Note that completing the FAFSA is not required for this opportunity.     

• Contact Karol Suarez at karol.s@latinoalzheimersalliance.org with questions.    

 

  

Healing Arts Chicago 

• This scholarship and apprenticeship opportunity offers tuition, books, a stipend, and provides access to employment opportunities. It’s designed for artists interested with mental health, substance use disorders, and recovery.     

• Participating in this program is an excellent pairing with the Chicago Mental Health Clinics.     

• To apply, submit an Interest Form. Can this form hyperlink Interest Form   

• Note that completing the FAFSA is not required for this opportunity.     

• Do you want to learn more about participating in or partnering with Healing Arts Chicago? Fill out our Interest Form to get updates.

      

​Step 5: Register for CHW Courses

           

Reach out to Interim Director Dr. Gloria West  at gwest4@ccc.edu with your full name and student ID # to request an email detailing your course assignment. Afterward, contact the Advising department to be officially designated as a CHW student and to get help with the registration process.            

Step 6: Purchase Your Textbooks ​          

    

Ensure you complete this process at least several weeks before classes begin to allow sufficient time for shipping. If you have a scholarship with a book voucher, make sure to follow the instructions carefully to redeem it.                                                                         

            

Step 7: Attend Orientation Days                                                                                            

             

           Orientation takes place once each semester, where you’ll be introduced to the program and get  

           prepared for a successful term. The date and time will be given to you upon registration.

           Completion Requirements       

                

           •  To obtain the Community Health Worker Basic Certificate, students must achieve a grade of

              ‘C’ or higher in the following courses: CHW 120, CHW 121, CHW 125, CHW 130, and CHW 132.

           •   Please note that registration for CHW 132 is only permitted after successfully      

               completing at  least       

               CHW 121. Additionally, CHW 132 cannot be taken in the first semester because students must      

               be assessed before they are placed at a site.     

          •   Students typically complete the Community Health Worker certificate in 2 to 3 semesters. All      

               five CHW courses are offered during the Fall and Spring semesters, and usually, the           

               introductory  course is also available over the Summer. However, please check the current      

               course schedule for availability as offerings may vary.      

                                                                               

Complete the Interest Form​ or email Dr. Gloria West at gwest4@ccc.edu​ for more information.                                                                            

CHW 120: Community and Public Health (Formerly Public Health and the Study of Disease and Epidemics)                           
This course is designed to introduce students to public health and community health as it relates across different communities and health concerns. Students will learn the history of public health and how to navigate the systems and organizations involved. Topics covered include the distribution of health outcomes with a particular emphasis on health inequities, outbreak investigation, the impact of history, and social determinants of health. Writing Assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course. 

CHW 121: Introduction to Community Health Work                       
This course introduces students to the profession of community health work and its role in public health and the healthcare system. Students will learn and practice the core skills and competencies of community health workers. They will gain an understanding of their role, their scope of practice, and the types of services they provide, including how they interact with other health personnel and resources.  Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course.                                     

CHW 125: Nutrition, Movement, and Health Basics (Formerly Nutrition, Exercise, and Disease)         
This course will provide students with the information necessary to promote healthy lifestyle modifications and health promotion. Students will gain knowledge about identifying the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and disease. They will learn approaches to treating disease through diet modification, and inclusion of physical activity to divert the development or progression of disease. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course. 

CHW 130: Mental Health Care (Formerly Mental Health Issues)                             
This course will provide an overview of mental health care on the community and individual level. Students will cover mental health illnesses, mental health care of various populations, and the social determinants they face. They will learn about the more prevalent mental health illnesses in the U.S. and how to support individuals who are experiencing them. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course.                                           

CHW 132: Field Experience                                       

This course provides students the opportunity to practice and apply their community health worker core skills and competencies in the field. Students will receive ongoing mentorship and feedback throughout their fieldwork. This allows students to gain real life, hands-on experience while integrating themselves into the workforce. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course.                            

     

CHW Core Competencies

(Adopted from the Community Health Worker Core Consensus Project) 

1. Communication Skills
2. Interpersonal and Relationship-Building Skills
3. Service Coordination and Navigation Skills
4. Capacity Building Skills
5. Advocacy Skills
6. Education and Facilitation Skills
7. Individual and Community Assessment Skills
8. Outreach Skills                   
9. Professional Skills and Conduct                   
10. Evaluation and Research Skills                   
11. Knowledge Base