Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance

2022 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA SPONSORSHIP GRANT IN 2022 THE ALLIANCE CONTINUED TO BUILD UPON A MINNESOTA COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER REGISTRY WITH THE PURPOSES TO COLLECT DATA ON CHWS CERTIFICATION YEAR, CITY OF RESIDENCE, EMPLOYER, DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE (INCLUDING LANGUAGES SPOKEN) AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND CREDENTIALS. SINCE ITS FORMATION, THE ALLIANCE HAS CONTINUED TO PROMOTE, RECRUIT, AND MAINTAIN THE PLATFORM AS A RESOURCE FOR CHWS ACROSS THE STATE AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATE OF THE CHW FIELD IN MINNESOTA. IN THE 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR, THE UPDATED CURRICULUM CONTINUED BEING PILOTED. INCLUDED IN THE UPDATES WERE: "UPDATING EXISTING COMPETENCIES AND RESOURCES " ADDING RECOMMENDED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS'-BASED COMPONENTS BASED ON THE NATIONAL CHW CORE CONSENSUS PROJECT "INTEGRATING INFORMATION ON ASTHMA, TRAUMA INFORMED CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH; (4) STRENGTHENING THE MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING FOCUS "INCORPORATING UPDATED INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES AND RESOURCES "ADDRESSING PROFESSIONALISM AND "SOFT" SKILLS. BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA CULTURAL HUMILITY TRAINING "CHWS AS CATALYSTS FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE FOR HEALTH EQUITY" NEW MATERIALS CREATED BY CHW STUDENT INTERNS WERE INTEGRATED INTO THE CHW CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM. HEALTH EQUITY SPEAKERS WERE PROVIDED FOR CHW EVENTS SUCH AS THE CHW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM AND THE CHW CIRCLE. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BOLD GRANT ALLIANCE AND MN DEPT. OF HEALTH STAFF WORKED COLLABORATIVELY TO DRAFT AN ONLINE CHW PROGRAM FOR DEMENTIA AWARENESS AND PREVENTION. A FIRST REVIEW OF THE DRAFT PROGRAM WAS COMPLETED. WHEN COMPLETED AND PILOTED, THIS PROGRAM WILL BE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE ON THE MINNESOTA DEPT. OF HEALTH WEB SITE. DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES MOTHERS IN RECOVERY PROGRAM WITH FUNDING FROM THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH THE ALLIANCE CREATED THE CHW MOTHER'S RECOVERY PROGRAM TRAINING PROGRAMMING. IN 2022 THE PROGRAM OFFERED A SERIES OF ONLINE WORKSHOPS ABOUT MOTHERS IN RECOVERY FEATURING EXPERTS FROM ACROSS MINNESOTA. THE PROGRAMMING WAS HELD ONLINE AND TRAINED OVER 100 CHWS IN VARIOUS TOPICS. GUEST SPEAKERS AND FACILITATORS FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF SUBJECT MATTERS SUCH AS SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HOLISTIC HEALING. HEALTH PARTNERS HOTSPOTTING THE ALLIANCE FACILITATED OUTREACH TO AND DEPLOYMENT OF CHWS TO ADVISE THIS CHW RESEARCH PROJECT. MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES VOICES OF HEALTH EQUITY PROJECT ALLIANCE STAFF WORKED WITH CHWS, FACULTY AND STUDENTS AT TWO COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO PRODUCE CHW PROGRAM PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS AND SHORT VIDEO CLIPS THAT WERE INTEGRATED WITHIN THE CURRICULUM IN ALL SCHOOLS PROVIDING THE CHW CERTIFICATE. THIS PROJECT ALSO PROVIDED OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO EMPLOYERS ADDING CHWS AND PROVIDED SOME SUPPORT FOR THE CHW EDUCATION COMMITTEE. MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AS THEY CREATED AN OFFICE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INCLUDED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS, USE OF AND ASSISTANCE IMPLEMENTING THE MINNESOTA CHW CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM, AND TRAINING FOR CHWS, NEW SUPERVISORS AND ORGANIZATIONS STARTING CHW PROGRAMS. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHWS (NACHWA) THE ALLIANCE PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND INPUT INTO PLANNING FOR A NATIONAL CHW REGISTRY. PILLSBURY UNITED COMMUNITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED TO THE TWIN CITIES CHW HUB LOCATED AT PILLSBURY UNITED. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INCLUDED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS, A CHW TRAINING MANUAL, A POLICY MANUAL AND TRAINING FOR CHWS, NEW SUPERVISORS AND ORGANIZATIONS STARTING CHW PROGRAMS. SERVICE DELIVERY IN 2022 THE ALLIANCE HIRED A PART TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND A NEW REGISTRY MANAGER. THESE NEW POSITIONS GREATLY INCREASED THE ALLIANCE'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES SUCH AS ACCESS TO STAFF, INFORMATION AND WEBINARS, THE CHW REGISTRY WITH CORRESPONDING POSTS AND DISCUSSIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION POSTS AND CHW TOOLS AND RESOURCES. AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER REACHES OVER 800 PEOPLE, OUR REGISTRY OVER 150 PEOPLE, AND MONTH TO MONTH WEBSITE TRAFFIC IS OFTEN OVER 3,000 VIEWS. CHW CIRCLE THE CHW CIRCLE IS A PEER LEARNING CIRCLE THAT MEETS MONTHLY ON ZOOM AND IS ATTENDED BY CHWS FROM ACROSS MINNESOTA. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE AT THE MONTHLY CIRCLE IS ABOUT 20 CHWS AND OVER 100 CHWS RECEIVE INFORMATION AND FOLLOW UP MATERIALS FROM THE EVENT. OVER 200 CHWS WERE SERVED BY THE CIRCLE IN 2022. RECORDINGS OF PRESENTATIONS ARE POSTED ON THE ALLIANCE WEBSITE SO CHWS WHO COULD NOT ATTEND CAN ACCESS THEM. CHW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THE ALLIANCE PROVIDED ONLINE CONVENINGS OF LEADERSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. THIS PROGRAM CONNECTS CHW WITH EXPERTS IN VARIOUS FIELDS SUCH AS POLICY, MEDIA, HEALTH EQUITY, SERVICE DELIVERY, TRAUMA , PHILANTHROPY AND MORE. THE PROGRAM CULMINATED IN AN IN PERSON LEADERSHIP RETREAT WITH A PROGRAM OFFICER FROM THE OTTO BREMER FOUNDATION. ABOUT 70 CHWS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM WITH 22 ATTENDING THE IN PERSON LEADERSHIP RETREAT. CHW SUPERVISOR ROUNDTABLE THE CHW SUPERVISOR ROUNDTABLE MEETS FOUR TIMES A YEAR ON ZOOM. THIS IS A PEER LEARNING CIRCLE AND PROBLEM-SOLVING GROUP. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE IS 15 CHW SUPERVISORS FROM ACROSS MINNESOTA AND 200 SUPERVISORS RECEIVE THE INFORMATION AS WELL AS FOLLOW UP MATERIALS. PRESENTATIONS ARE RECORDED AND POSTED ON THE ALLIANCE WEBSITE SO SUPERVISORS WHO COULD NOT ATTEND CAN ACCESS THE INFORMATION. CHW EDUCATION COMMITTEE THIS IS A COMMITTEE OF THE FACULTY FROM THE VARIOUS POST SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS OFFERING THE MINNESOTA CHW CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM. THEY MEET MONTHLY DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO REVIEW AND OVERSEE THE STANDARDIZATION OF THE CURRICULUM ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE SCHOOLS, CHWS AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES.