CHW National Library

An article from the American Journal of Public Health. Provides a general overview of the integral role of CHW in the health care work force. Topics include: contributions of CHW in the U.S., characteristics of successful CHW programs, barriers to expanded use of CHW, and recommendations for strengthening and expanding use of CHW.

A journal article from Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. Describes the development of a CHW research agenda by and for the field. Research areas include: CHW impact on health status, CHW cost effectiveness, building CHW capacity and sustaining CHW on the job, funding options, CHW as capacity builders, and CHW promoting real access to care.

An article from the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. Provides a basic general overview of how the role of CHW address the many patient- and system-related barriers currently experienced in ambulatory care practices.

An article from the American Journal of Public Health. Attempts to further the vision of public health as a benefit to the community by encouraging three actions: (1) promote awareness and appreciation of the uniqueness of CHW and support their roles in bringing community perspectives and priorities into the process of improving health care systems, (2) promote the integration of CHW in the full range of health care delivery and population health programs, and (3) implement a national agenda for CHW evaluation research and develop comprehensive policies to enhance the sustainability of the CHW workforce, with CHW leadership in guiding policy recommendations.

An article from the American Journal of Public Health. Shares the experience in Massachusetts in which a collaboration between CHW leaders across the state and public health allies achieved health objectives through alliance building and organizing, legislative advocacy, and education in the context of opportunities afforded by health care reform.

An article from the American Journal of Public Health. Provides an overview of how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has furthered the role of CHW.

An article from the Journal of Community Health. Presents results from the 2010 National CHW Advocacy Survey in an effort to strengthen understanding of CHW and their integration into the health care delivery system. Advocates for CHW field to be considered a health profession rather than an intervention.

An article from the Journal of Community Practice. Discusses the idea that the way CHW are trained influences the roles they play, using the combined training method at the Community Capacitation Center in OR as an example. Maintains that efforts to integrate CHW into health and social service systems may be less effective if they fail to support the role of CHW as agents of social change.

A report by The Urban Institute. Highlights the roles CHW play and the services they offer, documents CHW achievements and success, describes the obstacles and challenges to hiring CHW, discusses the increased opportunities for CHW under health care reform, and offers next steps for training and growing the CHW workforce.

A report published by The Urban Institute. Assesses the benefits and challenges of expanding CHW employment; catalogs how the ACA and other reform efforts have allowed further opportunities for sustainable employment of CHW; explores CHW implications of workforce issues, insurance enrollment needs, affordability and accessibility of services, and changes in approaches to public health and prevention; and highlights promising CHW opportunities in the public and private sectors.