Community Health Worker Training Program - Address: Division of Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies; Wayne State University; 2177 Faculty Administration Building; 656 W. Kirby St.; Detroit, MI 48202 Project Director: Nathan McCaughtry, Ph.D. Contact Phone Numbers Phone: 248-495-3465 Fax: None Email Address: natemccaughtry@wayne.edu Website Address: www.wayne.edu All grant funds requested: $2,618,267 Funding preference: None The Division of Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies in the College of Education at Wayne State University requests $2,618,267 from the HRSA Community Health Worker Training Program (CHWTP) funding program over three years to launch a project called “Community Health Worker Academy: Workforce Development to Improve Urban Health care and Advance Health Equity” in order to enhance and bring to scale our Community Health Worker Academy. The project would take place in three counties in Metro Detroit (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb) focusing on the underserved communities in this region determined by their Social Vulnerability Index score, health disparities relative to other regions, documented health care and public health workforce shortage, impact from COVID 19, racial and ethnic diversity, and socio-economic status. The project combines the interdisciplinary expertise of faculty and staff from the College of Education, School of Medicine, and School of Social Work, as well as the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance and many regional health care and public health partners. The project will expand and extend/upskill the CHW workforce by officially certifying 140 trainees as CHWs (expanding), providing comprehensive Foundational and Advanced Specialized trainings (extending/upskilling), and placing them in Registered Apprenticeships and internships in integrated care teams at health care and public health organizations and agencies. The entire program integrates the Public Health Core Competencies, including training in health equity, social determinants of health, emergency response, treatment, vaccine hesitancy, COVID 19, career development and job preparation, and digital literacy among many others. At least 60% of the trainees will represent underserved communities, and will receive job placement assistance to so they gain employment as CHWs within one year of Academy completion.
