Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Community Health Workers: Making it Real Kathy Burgoyne, Ph.D.

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 “ What should health and health care in America look like? And how do we foster new thinking and breakthrough initiatives that will get us there from where we are today?” Fannie E Ripple Foundation

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 What is Health ? “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” World Health Organization

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Making Healthy Choices the Easy Choices Social Circumstances: Housing Education Employment Health Care Access to services Safety Sidewalks Availability of Healthy Food Systems and Policies Matter

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Relationships Matter Quality Social Connections Family Friends Community Culture Peer support programs are emerging as highly effective and empowering ways for people to manage health issues.

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Supporting Health by Building Connections Between Neighbors Between Neighbors and Systems Between Systems and Policy makers Between Neighbors and Policy Makers

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 The Glue: Community Health Workers frontline workers who help individuals and communities to improve their health trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community serve a unique position to engage individuals and populations that professionals have difficulty reaching. founded on natural helping systems within communities and is based on peer-to-peer relationships rather than provider-client relationships

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 “Trust is the conduit of influence” The trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as a link between systems and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery systems. (Amy Cuddy, social psychologist)

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 What do Community Health Workers do? Outreach Cultural mediation Navigation: help people get the services they need Create more effective linkages between communities and care systems Provide culturally appropriate health education and self-management support Advocate for underserved individuals and community needs Informal counseling and social support Build individual and community capacity in addressing health issues Some direct services (e.g. screening)

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Where do CHWs Work? social service organizations outpatient care centers education programs public health departments hospitals physicians’ offices behavioral health programs

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Are CHWs Effective? Population Health: CHWs are effective in preventing and controlling chronic conditions Patient Care: CHWs improve the patient experience Cost Effective. ROI average is 3:1

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Different Models Healthy Living Collaborative of Southwest Washington Working together, to make living better - for everyone.

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Salishan Partners Tacoma Housing Authority Salishan Community Association Community Health Clinic Tacoma Pierce County Health Department Community Health Workers 18 Natural Helpers Ages 16 – 70 Multi-ethnic: Latino, Cambodian, African American, Vietnamese and Caucasian

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 Helping neighborhoods become healthier from within: Community Kitchens Community Garden Senior Bingo Youth Bike Club Outreach Community Driven Health Improvements

Foundation for Healthy Generations Degree Cultural Translators Trust and Credibility Lead to Systems Change Public Health and Housing Authority no- smoking policy. Housing Authority methamphetamine testing program. Community Association community builder position. Community Health Care onsite office and In Person Assister. Tacoma City Council proposed transportation cuts.

Foundation for Healthy Generations 2014 What’s Next? Community Health Care Targeted population Prevention/Management Services Medical referral Share data Share staff

© C.H.E.F Thank You Kathy Burgoyne