Birmingham, AL—The Birmingham-based, 501c3 nonprofit organization, ConnectionHealth, hosted a Kickoff meeting to establish a statewide Community Health Worker (CHW) Coalition designed to promote and support the CHW workforce in the state of Alabama using a multi-faceted approach.
The Alabama CHW Coalition Kickoff meeting provided in-person and virtual options for attendees. The in-person option was held at the Innovation Depot, Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday, March 17th. The Alabama CHW Coalition is comprised of Community Health Workers, state agencies, advocacy agencies, universities, and various community stakeholders with a collaborative goal to advance the conversation around the importance of sustaining this viable public health workforce. The next meeting will be held in Montgomery, Alabama.
News of the Coalition’s formation sparked interest and unified support from several other states with established statewide coalitions and associations. Representatives from the Mississippi CHW Association and the National Association of Community Health Workers attended the Kickoff in person. Additionally, the Executive Director of the Florida CHW Coalition joined the meeting virtually.
“It was our pleasure to attend Alabama’s Kickoff meeting. We want to provide any assistance that is needed to stand up the Coalition and the CHW Association. Alabama’s communities deserve it”, Kizmet Cleveland, CHW and President of the Mississippi CHW Association.
Community Health Workers, as espoused by the American Public Health Association (APHA), are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have an unusually close understanding of the community they serve. This trusting relationship enables CHWs to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.
“My Community Health Worker is the best thing that happened to me at UAB”, Jefferson County Resident and UAB Hospital Patient.
“Being a Community Health Worker is a rewarding profession. I have experienced a lot of trauma in my life and I know what it’s like to feel overlooked by our healthcare system. I believe that is why the people I help trust me to refer them to the best resources available. We empower each other to be our own advocates. It’s not always easy, but we find a way”, Alabama CHW, Black Belt Region.
The Alabama CHW Coalition has established the following priorities:
- Increasing awareness of CHWs and the workforce;
- Establishing a statewide CHW Association and Statewide CHW Registry;
- Developing a standardized CHW curriculum and core competency training; and
- Exploring the feasibility of a statewide CHW Certification and reimbursement for service
For more information about this topic or others, please contact the ConnectionHealth staff at info@connectionhealth.org