MINNESOTA COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ALLIANCE

2023 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: HRSA COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TRAINING PROGRAM THIS PROJECT STARTED IN MAY OF 2023 WITH THE HIRING OF STAFF. A PROGRAM MANAGER, STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST AND FIELD EXPERIENCE/APPRENTICESHIP COORDINATOR WERE HIRED. THE PROGRAM ENGAGED IN OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT AND PROVIDED OVER 50 SCHOLARSHIPS TO INDIVIDUALS TO GAIN THE CHW CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN THE FALL OF 2023. OUTREACH AND EDUCATION WERE PROVIDED TO EMPLOYERS ABOUT THE REGISTERED CHW APPRENTICESHIP. IN 2023, TWO ORGANIZATIONS BECAME A REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP SITE, AND ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS BEGAN AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. STAFF PRESENTED AT A MINNESOTA TRIBAL HEALTH DIRECTORS MEETING ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP AND APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES. MINNESOTA DEPT. OF HEALTH BOLD PROJECT THE ALLIANCE COMPLETED THE BOLD MODULES ON DEMENTIA PREVENTION AND TREATMENT AND CREATED VIDEO RECORDINGS OF THE FIVE BOLD MODULES FEATURING A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER AS PRESENTER. MINNESOTA REGIONAL HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK THIS PROJECT INCLUDED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH EQUITY ASSESSMENT AND A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. BOTH OF THESE PROVIDED STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR THE ALLIANCE TO BUILD UPON AND LED TO THE RECRUITMENT AND HIRING (IN 2024) OF A NEW, FULL-TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THE PROJECT ALSO CONNECTED THE ALLIANCE TO THE HEALTH EQUITY REGIONS ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH SPECIFIC REPRESENTATIVES TO PROMOTE CHW TRAININGS AND EVENTS AND THE WORK OF THE ALLIANCE. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, NEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH A COMMUNITY HEALTH BOARD IN DULUTH, MN AND THE RED LAKE TRIBAL NATION WERE ESTABLISHED. MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES VOICES OF HEALTH EQUITY PROJECT ALLIANCE STAFF WORKED WITH THE PROJECT COLLEGES AND A PLANNING COMMITTEE TO IMPLEMENT A RURAL CHW CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER 2023 WITH 150 PARTICIPANTS IN BEMIDJI, MN. THIS PROJECT ALSO PROVIDED OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO EMPLOYERS ADDING CHWS AND PROVIDED SOME SUPPORT FOR THE CHW EDUCATION COMMITTEE. MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AS THEY CREATED AN OFFICE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INCLUDED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS, USE OF AND ASSISTANCE IMPLEMENTING THE MINNESOTA CHW CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM, AND TRAINING FOR CHWS, NEW SUPERVISORS AND ORGANIZATIONS STARTING CHW PROGRAMS. PILLSBURY UNITED COMMUNITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO THE TWIN CITIES CHW HUB LOCATED AT PILLSBURY UNITED. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INCLUDED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS AND TRAINING FOR CHWS, NEW SUPERVISORS AND ORGANIZATIONS STARTING CHW PROGRAMS. SERVICE DELIVERY IN 2023 THE ALLIANCE HIRED A PART TIME ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND A NEW REGISTRY MANAGER. THESE NEW POSITIONS INCREASED THE ALLIANCE'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES SUCH AS ACCESS TO STAFF, INFORMATION, AND WEBINARS, THE CHW REGISTRY WITH CORRESPONDING POSTS AND DISCUSSIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION POSTS AND CHW TOOLS AND RESOURCES. A MONTHLY EMAIL NEWSLETTER REACHES OVER 800 PEOPLE, OUR REGISTRY OVER 150 PEOPLE, AND MONTH TO MONTH WEBSITE TRAFFIC IS OFTEN OVER 3,000 VIEWS. CHW CIRCLE THE CHW CIRCLE IS A PEER LEARNING CIRCLE THAT MEETS MONTHLY ON ZOOM AND IS ATTENDED BY CHWS FROM ACROSS MINNESOTA. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE AT THE MONTHLY CIRCLE IS ABOUT 20 CHWS AND OVER 100 CHWS RECEIVE INFORMATION AND FOLLOW UP MATERIALS FROM THE EVENT. OVER 200 CHWS WERE SERVED BY THE CIRCLE IN 2023. RECORDINGS OF PRESENTATIONS ARE POSTED ON THE ALLIANCE WEBSITE SO CHWS WHO COULD NOT ATTEND CAN ACCESS THEM. CHW SUPERVISOR ROUNDTABLE THE CHW SUPERVISOR ROUNDTABLE MEETS FOUR TIMES A YEAR ON ZOOM. THIS IS A PEER LEARNING CIRCLE AND PROBLEM-SOLVING GROUP. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE IS 15 CHW SUPERVISORS FROM ACROSS MINNESOTA AND 200 SUPERVISORS RECEIVE THE INFORMATION AS WELL AS FOLLOW UP MATERIALS. PRESENTATIONS ARE RECORDED AND POSTED ON THE ALLIANCE WEBSITE SO SUPERVISORS WHO COULD NOT ATTEND CAN ACCESS THE INFORMATION. CHW EDUCATION COMMITTEE THIS IS A COMMITTEE OF THE FACULTY FROM THE VARIOUS POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS OFFERING THE MINNESOTA CHW CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM. THEY MEET MONTHLY DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO REVIEW AND OVERSEE THE STANDARDIZATION OF THE CURRICULUM ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. THE COMMIT CONSISTS OF MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE SCHOOLS, CHWS AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES.