Title: Community Health Worker Training Program (CHWTP) Applicant: Kettering Medical Center/ Kettering College, 3535 Southern Blvd., Kettering, OH 45429 Project Director: Paula Reams, paula.reams@kc.edu, (937)395-6566 Web site: https://kc.edu/ Total Grant Funds Requested: $1,847,399 Community health workers (CHWs) are grassroots health workers who live in the communities they serve. They work with their friends, families and neighbors to bring reliable health information and services to under-resourced communities. This is especially important in communities where people of color reside. Kettering College, a division of Kettering Medical Center, will develop, implement and evaluate a new community health worker training program focusing on recruiting students from West Dayton and Trotwood (Dayton (OH) area), where many under-resourced people of color reside. The College intends to have at least 50% of students be people of color. To be successful, the College will rely heavily on partnerships with community-based organizations to refer potential students, provide experiential learning sites and assist with job readiness and job placement. KC will also work with a local organization to develop the first apprenticeship program for CHWs in the Dayton area. A continuing education program for current CHWs will also be developed and implemented. Stakeholders from these organizations will be invited to be part of a community advisory committee so they can offer advice and direction to ensure the program stays connected to those to be served. The program is being developed to meet the requirements for certification from the Ohio Board of Nursing, which certifies CHWTPs and individual CHWs. The first year of the program will include planning and development time, with cohorts of students beginning late that year. Year one objectives of the program include: • Hire the Project and Data Collection Coordinator (PDCC) • Develop and implement CHW trainin
g program through Kettering College. • Recruit students for the CHWTP. At least 50% should be people of color. • Develop sites for experiential learning. • Develop collaborative relationships with organizations that provide job readiness and job placement services. • Work with an organization to develop and provide an apprenticeship program for CHWs. • Develop and offer a continuing education program for current CHWs. • Develop a comprehensive evaluation plan for the CHWTP.