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Community Health Outreach Community Health Outreach Workers in - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Community Health Outreach Community Health Outreach Workers in - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Community Health Outreach Community Health Outreach Workers in SBHCs Workers in SBHCs Technical Assistance and Training Panel Jordan Hampton Kay Fangerow Aisha Moore Laura Brey Community Outreach Workers Community Outreach Workers
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Background Background
Community Outreach Workers
“community members who work almost exclusively in community settings and who serve as connectors between health care consumers and providers to promote health among groups that have traditionally lacked access to adequate care.”
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Background Background
CHW programs have existed since the
1960’s
Role has numerous job titles Used to fill gaps in health care system Often used with underserved communities Growing response to health care disparities Natural helpers or “change agents”
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Roles Roles
Extension of Primary Care Insurance Enrollment Advocacy/Community Organizing Health Education Cultural Broker Translator
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Outcomes Outcomes
Access
– Improved access to care through primary and secondary prevention outreach efforts – Using CHWs to enroll qualified consumers in Medicaid and SCHIP has been more successful than media campaigns
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Outcomes Outcomes
Quality
– CHWs can assist patients with keeping appointments, providing translation, and arranging transportation to facilitate compliance and follow-up – through outreach CHWs can educate the community about health conditions and encourage them to take preventive measures, go for screenings, or seek treatment
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Outcomes Outcomes
Cost
– Only small number of studies available – the average costs of services provided by CHWs are significantly lower than services at the next highest level in delivery system – In Maryland, Medicaid clients who were served by a CHW cost $2700 less on average
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Obstacles Obstacles
Lack of clear definition of a workforce Absence of standardized curriculum and
certification
Broad range of compensation structures
from salaried, providing stipends, to volunteer
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Community Health Workers in SBHCs Community Health Workers in SBHCs
Function as primary extension agents or
community organizers
Are generally paid at least a stipend and
are not volunteers
There is no standardized training
curriculum
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Questions Questions
What is their function? What is their title? How was it created? How long has the position existed? How are they funded? What value if any have they brought to
your centers?
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Questions Questions
What are their qualifications? How are they evaluated? How are they trained? Do you have a curriculum for training? Constraints or challenges? Suggestions for ways to move forward?
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Results
- Bilingual staff helps with
- utreach to limited English
proficient populations
- Trained translators help
patients adhere to doctors orders
- Hiring staff from the community
served increases family and youth engagement
Improves cross cultural communication
CHW programs have existed since the 1960’s Role has numerous job titles Used to fill gaps in health care system Often used with underserved communities Growing response to health care disparities Natural helpers or “change agents”
Background
To describe how Community Outreach Workers are used in School Based Health Centers.
Purpose
Design: Qualitative Formative Research, Purposive Sample Setting/Participants: NASBHC staff identified programs with COWs Procedure: Telephone interviews lasting 35 minutes were conducted. Analysis: Constant comparative method used to look for recurring themes. Limitations: Data are from a limited number of respondents. Only key informants with successful programs were interviewed.
Methods
Community Outreach Workers go by many names and serve many functions. They add value to centers by increasing access, improving the quality of care and providing culturally appropriate services. They maximize the impact of the services provided by “expanding the walls” of the clinic through outreach to the surrounding community.
Conclusions and Implications
Transportation Translation Social Services Support Needs Assessment Grassroots Advocacy Health Education Family Engagement Increase awareness in the community Makes home visits Makes presentations
Provides value added (non- billable) services
Document the need for the position. Identify the various training curricula Create a job description for the position Identify diversified funding sources for the position Write the position into the your next grant
Recommendations
Improves access to care and the quality of care Encourages eligible families to sign up for health insurance Increased compliance with referrals