Address: 220 Fifth Ave East, Hendersonville, NC 28792-4377 Project Director Name: Kenett Melgar Contact Phone Number: (828) 692-4289 Email address: kmelgar@brchs.com Website address: https://brchs.com Grant Program Funds Requested: $833,792 Brief Overview of the Project: The goal of the Community Health Worker and Peer Support Specialist Training Program is to expand the capacity of the public health workforce by training Community Health Workers (CHW) and Peer Support Specialists (PSS) to provide improved community health outreach and achieve health equity in western North Carolina (WNC). To reach this goal, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. will partner with Blue Ridge Community College to: create, enhance, and implement curricula for training new and upskilling existing CHWs and PSS in the classroom and on-the-job; employ CHWs and PSS as apprentices; and provide financial and social determinants of health (SDOH) support to trainees. In implementing these activities, BRCHS and BRCC will prepare and certify 20 CHWs or PSS each year with the skillsets necessary to provide vulnerable communities with health education, care coordination, and linkage to social supports, health care, and local resources. These services will bridge gaps in care for at-risk populations including Hispanic/Latinx, Black/African American, low-income, uninsured/underinsured, and housing insecure individuals, as well as those with a substance use disorder, who face higher rates of health disparities due to SDOH in WNC. By increasing the number of CHWs/PSS available in the region, the public health workforce will be better equipped to improve the health equity and literacy of these populations and remove barriers to consistent, quality, and affordable health care.