Call for Apprenticeship Host Sites:
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) seek apprenticeship host sites for a newly funded Community Health Worker (CHW) training initiative. Your participation in this program will strengthen our region’s healthcare workforce by allowing trained CHWs to build hands-on experience in a healthcare and/or community-based setting.
This new initiative—supported by the Virginia Department of Health and the Health Resources and Services and Administration (HRSA)--features two components:
- Community Health Worker Education and Training (CHWET): In partnership with CHW Strength, RHHD will offer 8 weeks of fully funded training to interested residents for a total of 89 classroom hours. During training, participants will learn foundational concepts in community health and health promotion, apply preventative health knowledge, practice outreach and advocacy skills in the community, and connect directly with local agencies and services.
- Apprenticeship Placement: Graduates of the CHWET program can elect to continue their education with a 10-paid apprenticeship with a local community-based organization. Apprentices will learn and support organizations’ operations while continuing to develop their skills and work experience. Initial placements are for 10 months, but the program is renewable for up to 2 years.
Host site qualifications, responsibilities, and benefits
If you’re a community-based organization that focuses on health-related work, CHWs could learn from you and support your mission! To participate in the partnership, you will need to provide/agree to the following:
- Have a passion and willingness to fund permanent CHW positions beyond the apprenticeship period.
- Development of a plan for seeking out sustainable funding to support permanent CHW positions.
- Must be an EVA vendor and be able to work within State of Virginia and VDH procurement processes
- Must be a SAM registered entity to be able to be a subrecipient of federal funds
- Be able to cover expenses to host the apprentice and submit appropriate invoicing to RHHD for reimbursement
- Registration with the Department of Labor and Industries
- Provide a 10-month interactive learning apprenticeship placement for individuals that have completed CHW Education and Training Curriculum.
- Distribute payment to the apprentice in the form of payroll or other appropriate financial method.
- Sign a memorandum of agreement to receive funding from RHHD.
RHHD will provide:
- CHW funding during their placement
- One-time seed funding for the host site.
- CHWs and their host sites will also have access to consultation and support from RHHD and CHW Strength.
- Most importantly, your organization’s clients, staff, and partners will benefit from your CHW apprentice’s knowledge and perspective on community needs as we all work toward a healthier, more equitable Virginia.
Ready to get started?
Contact Margo Webb, RHHD Director of Community Programs, at margo.webb@vdh.virginia.gov, or Camille McCray, RHHD Community Outreach Supervisor, at camille.mccray@vdh.virginia.gov.
Background info
Thank you for taking the time to consider being an apprenticeship host site for Community Health Workers (CHWs). Your willingness to support this effort will assist in strengthening the healthcare workforce by providing an opportunity for CHWs to get hands on experience in a healthcare and/or community-based setting. This program administered by the Richmond Henrico Health District through funding from HRSA and VDH. There are two components to this program, Community Health Worker Education and Training, and Apprenticeship Placement
Community Health Worker Education and Training
Individuals will attend an 89 classroom hour training offered through Richmond Henrico Health Districts.
The Community Health Workers in-training will gain an understanding of the CHW role, enhance employable CHW skills, learn foundational concepts in community health and health promotion, apply preventive health knowledge, practice outreach and advocacy skills in the community, and connect directly with many local agencies and services.
The training places primary emphasis on training CHWs to serve as valuable members of care teams and/or as system and community navigators.
| Important qualities for a CHW include someone who is: | Important qualities for a CHW include someone who has: |
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Upcoming dates:
- September 18-November 9, 2023
- January 2024
- June 2024
Apprenticeship Placement: A 10–12-month apprenticeship placement within a community-based organization for CHW Education and Training graduates.
We are seeking partners that would benefit from having a CHW placed in various settings to learn and support program operations. Placement sites would be asked to host CHWs for 10 This program would be renewable for up to 2 years.
| Partner Benefits | Partner Responsibilities |
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Community Health Workers
“A community health worker is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/ or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison/ link/ intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.
A community health worker also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.”
—American Public Health Association