Free Community Health Worker Classes
Interested in helping others, supporting the health of people in our community, and building your professional skills? HCC is offering two free classes in community health worker (CHW) training! These are funded through a federal grant by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). All tuition, course fees, and books are covered by the grant.
The goal of these courses is to train paraprofessionals as community health workers, building foundational skills and practices with a focus on integrating behavioral health and addiction/substance use into health and human service settings. For more information about CHWs and what they do, check out the videos at the bottom of this page!
start dates for remaining grant period
- September 8, 2020
- January 2021
Each start date includes two classes and a practicum (internship) across two consecutive semesters. See more information in the Timeline & Courses section below.
how to apply & enroll
For those interested in starting in September 2020, please complete this form and you'll receive more information from staff about next steps!
what will you gain?
- 64 hours core competency training which aligns with training requirements for State Certification for CHWs through the MA Department of Public Health (DPH)
- Health topics training (in behavioral health and substance use/addiction) which aligns with training requirements for State Certification for CHWs through DPH
- 125 hours of field experience towards the 2000 hours required for state certification for CHWS through DPH, with documented supervision in core competencies
- Training and skills sought by many employers
- Dedicated academic support and advising for degree advancement
- A professional group of peers and instructors, which offers a great networking opportunity for professional advancement
eligibility requirements
- High school diploma or GED/HiSET
- Application and acceptance into HCC
- Eligibility for college-level English (ENG 101). This can be done through completion of placement test or copy of transcripts of college-level English coursework.
- Complete HCC's CORI/SORI process prior to class registration
- Commitment to completing two classes over a nine-month period
- Passion for CHW role in health and human services
timeline & courses
These two courses were designed to meet the criteria for state certification via pending regulations through the MA Department of Public Health.
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September 2020 Start |
January 2021 Start |
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Fall 2020 Semester HTH 124: Core Competencies & Health Topics for CHWs
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Spring 2021 HTH 124: Core Competencies & Health Topics for CHWs
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Spring 2020 HTH 209: Practicum Class for CHWs
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Summer 2021 HTH 209: Practicum Class for CHWs
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upcoming information sessions
As part of the enrollment process, everyone MUST attend an information session. See list below of scheduled information sessions. Please complete this form to sign up for a date.
- June 18, 5 – 6 p.m.
- June 22, 11 a.m. – 12 noon
- June 25, 9 – 10 a.m.
- July 1, 3 – 4 p.m.
- July 6, 11 a.m. – 12 noon
- July 9, 5 – 6 p.m.
- July 15, 4 – 5 p.m.
- July 24, 2 – 3 p.m.
- July 28, 12 noon – 1 p.m.
- August 5, 1 – 2 p.m.
- August 10, 10 – 11 a.m.
- August 14, 10 – 11 a.m.
- August 20, 3 – 4 p.m.
- August 25, 11 a.m. – 12 noon
Contact
Liv Anna Homstead
Special Project Coordinator
lhomstead@hcc.edu
links
| Department Chair/HRSA Project Director | Rebecca Lewis | rlewis@hcc.edu | 413.552.2426 |
| Academic Certificate Coordinator | Janet Grant | jgrant@hcc.edu | 413.552.2445 |
| CHW Advisor | Liv Anna Homstead | lhomstead@hcc.edu | 413.552.2865 |
| Class Instructor (Saturday) | Kelly Lamas | klamas@hcc.edu | |
| Class Instructor (Saturday) | Aumani Harris | aharris@hcc.edu | |
| Class Instructor (M/W evening) | Angela Nunez-Vazquez | anunezvazquez@hcc.edu | |
| Class Instructor (M/W evening) | Stevaughn Smith | ssmith@hcc.edu | |
| CHW Tutor | Chrismery Gonzalez | cgonzalez@hcc.edu |
This project was supported by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) under M01HP31268 Behavioral Health Workforce Education & Training (BHWET) Program. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the US Government.
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CHWs make a difference
Community health workers make a real difference in the lives of their clients.
$1.6 million to train CHWs
HCC and area health centers received a $1.6 million HRSA award to train community health workers.
Welcome to FOH
Welcome to Foundations of Health at Holyoke Community College! Here's everything you need to know.
Career or Transfer?
Career or transfer – where do you want to go?
What's FOH Really Like?
Hear about the FOH program from recent grad Marielys.
CHW Careers
What kind of careers can you look for as a CHW?
-
CHWs make a difference
Community health workers make a real difference in the lives of their clients.
-
$1.6 million to train CHWs
HCC and area health centers received a $1.6 million HRSA award to train community health workers.
-
Community Health
Are you curious about a career as a Community Health Worker?
-
Welcome to FOH
Welcome to Foundations of Health at Holyoke Community College! Here's everything you need to know.
-
Career or Transfer?
Career or transfer – where do you want to go?
-
What's FOH Really Like?
Hear about the FOH program from recent grad Marielys.
-
CHW Careers
What kind of careers can you look for as a CHW?
-
Become a CHW
Are you looking for a job in healthcare helping others?
