Social Determinants of Health 101: Understanding the Basics
Nora is an active, healthy 27-year-old single mother. She became pregnant while in nursing school and stopped attending to care for her baby. Her child’s father left three years later. Nora works full-time as a paraprofessional at a local elementary school while her child is in school, so she doesn’t have to pay for childcare. […]
How Expert CHWs Address Root Causes of Health Outcomes
No action, behavior, or outcome exists in a vacuum. There are always other factors that lead to health behaviors or outcomes. This concept is known as a root cause. Root causes “are the underlying reasons that create the differences seen in health outcomes.” Root causes can be visualized as a tree. Leaves are specific outcomes, […]
Leadership Paths: How to Make a Successful CHW Career
Community health work is a critical, rewarding field. It is also incredibly diverse, attracting workers from all walks of life. These dedicated workers bring unique passions, diverse perspectives, and countless valuable skills. But one question frequently arises for new community health workers (CHWs): How do they get leadership roles in community health? There are countless […]
How Trusted CHWs Can Address Food Security
Food is essential to fulfilling biological and psychological needs and providing the energy and nutrients people need to live and thrive. Yet, unfortunately, more than 34 million Americas are food insecure. The USDA defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” There are two critical […]
The Professional Connection Between Community Health and Social Work
Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly essential amidst the pandemic, economic struggles, housing market challenges, and more. The Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance defines CHWs as “trusted, knowledgeable frontline health personnel who typically come from the communities they serve.” Additionally, the American Public Health Association explains that CHWs: Interestingly, the CHW definition and responsibilities are […]
Staying motivated in your career
Motivation can be hard to maintain, especially for CHWs. These strategies can help. Motivation keeps us moving. But motivation can be easy to lose, especially when we’re overwhelmed, overworked, and facing more stressors than ever before. For Community Health Workers (CHWs), there is the added stress of being a frontline worker and the emotional toll […]
4 Reasons to Add CHWs to Your Pharmacy Team
Most healthcare consumers – 66% of US adults – use prescription drugs. As a result, researchers estimate that Medicare users see their pharmacists twice as often as their primary care providers. Others estimate that 9 in 10 US citizens live within 5 miles of a pharmacy. But despite the importance of the pharmacy, it’s an […]
How Tiktok can bring more awareness to CHWs
Tiktok is a relatively new social media platform that has gained a ton of popularity over the last few years. You are either on Tiktok or you’ve at least heard of it, as this form of making and sharing videos has changed the way we interact online. This new platform has changed the way information […]
What CHWs can do for LGBTQ+ clients
Members of the LGBTQ+ community face health disparities caused by discrimination and social stigma. But Community Health Workers (CHWs) can play a role in addressing these community members’ unique needs. LGBTQ+ folks represent all races, religions, ethnicities, education levels, and career fields. But the discrimination they face can lead to poor job opportunities, inadequate medical […]
5 ways Community Health Workers address Social Determinants of Health
Social determinants of health, (SDOH), “are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks” (Healthy People 2030). Some SDOH include pollution in the environment, access to food, safe and affordable housing, and more. Public […]
