Community Health Worker Certificates

The three connected certificates offered by the Community Health Worker Certificate Program are The Community Health Worker, Youth Worker, and Post Prison Health Worker Certificates. Each certificate has a different community focus, but share core public health foundation principles, competencies and a social justice perspective.

The curriculum is designed to prepare individuals for positions in community oriented health and social service fields. The core courses (H60, H62, H61, and H63) emphasize health education and promotion, community building and advocacy as well as competencies for working with specific communities such as the underserved and/or linguistically isolated communities; youth ages 13-21; and the formally incarcerated and their families. Students may earn one or more of these speciality certificates upon completion of the specific certificate's required courses.

The Community Health Worker (CHW), Youth Worker (YW), an Post Prison Health Worker (PPHW) Certificates all share the same admission requirements, requirements for the Certificate of Accomplishment, an internship requirement and core foundation classes.

The goal of the Community Health Worker Certificate Program is to prepare and train individuals for positions in community-oriented health and social services agencies and programs, provide health education, information and referrals, and client advocacy in both clinic and community settings. The program emphasizes health education and promotion as well as specific competencies for work in underserved and/or linguistically isolated communities.

We are also committed to increasing workforce diversity in public health and primary care in order to better serve people of color who now represent the majority in California.

The Community Health Worker Certificate Program is housed in the Health Education Department at City College of San Francisco. We are a group of diverse practicing and teaching instructors that integrate theory into practice to give students real life and practical experience.

Each of the three certificates in this program - which share a common core of courses - have learning outcomes that students can expect to attain through this program.  Here are the Student Learning Outcomes for the Community Health Worker certificate:

Upon successful completion of the Community Health Worker Certificate Program, students will be able to demonstrate the following learning objectives:

1. Analyze and discuss and the root causes and consequences of health disparities on local, national and global communities.
2. Research (including online research) and evaluate the quality and accuracy of health information and culturally relevant resources and services.
3. Discuss and integrate healthy professional skills including ethics, scope of practice, professional boundaries, cultural humility, conflict resolution skills and self care practices.
4. Conduct an initial interview or assessment with a client, applying a strength-based approach to assess needs, resources, priorities and proposed actions.
5. Interpret and provide non-clinical health advising on various health topics, from a client-centered perspective.
6. Demonstrate client-centered counseling drawing upon active listening skills and motivational interviewing concepts and skills.
7. Prepare, implement and document a client-centered service coordination/case management/action plan including the provision of culturally appropriate referrals.
8. Create and facilitate a group health education training or presentation (about core competencies) using popular education theory and methods.
9. Describe and demonstrate effective group level or team work.
10. Analyze and apply community organizing skills through the Community Action Model (CAM) including an understanding of the public policy process and how to conduct a community diagnosis.
11. Construct a professional resume and portfolio showcasing employability competencies and professionalism and apply job interviewing skills as part of job readiness.