“Nothing about us without us”: The Principle Behind envision’s CHW Program Support

By: Envision Staff

The envision project offers training and capacity strengthening resources that all CHW programs can benefit from. Read on to learn more about what the project offers and how you can access valuable resources.

Background
envision provides training and technical assistance nationally for Community Health Worker (CHW) programs and health departments, including Island Nations and Tribal health departments, in the United States. Developed for CHWs by CHWs, the project encompasses the CHW movement as a whole, and trains and supports CHW programs and CHWs, concentrating on capacity building and sustaining a strong, capable CHW workforce. The envision team is a multi- state, multi-organizational partnership led by experienced CHWs and allies guided by the CHW principle of ‘nothing about us without us’. www.envisionchws.org/teams

envision is a partnership between the Center for Community Health Alignment (CCHA) at the University of South Carolina, and Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It  is supported through Cooperative Agreements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alongside support from foundations and contracts with health departments, community based organizations, and health systems.

Mission
Our mission is to partner with CHWs, CHW allies, and organizations to elevate and sustain the CHW workforce

Vision
We envision healthy, equitable communities supported by a national CHW workforce who are sustained through policy, funding, and respect.

envision collaborates with a CHW Council of 9 CHW leaders from around the United States to ensure that envision’s work is CHW led. Council members represent a diverse group of communities, including Tribal, Spanish speaking, Hmong, and African-American communities.

Several members of the CHW Council as well as envision staff members are founding members of the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) and lead the American Public Health Association (APHA) CHW Section’s work to define national CHW workforce policy priorities. Council member Honey Yang Estrada is the President of the North Carolina CHW Association (NCCHWA) and worked with the state of North Carolina to develop a sustainability  plan for the statewide CHW workforce with CHW leadership and voice at the center.

Our Work
envision is made up of a team of CHWs and well-aligned allies providing CHW- led training and technical assistance to CHW organizations and programs. Examples include helping organizations assess their needs, developing customized training, and facilitating CHW gatherings and dialogue with allies. envision supports CHWs to do the invaluable work they do in communities across all their roles and skills.

Technical Assistance
envision supports the advancement of the CHW workforce through technical assistance (TA), coaching, demonstrating community impact, and collaborating with partner organizations. Group and individualized TA emphasizes capacity building, offering resources and support to ensure the long-term sustainability of the CHW workforce. envision’s TA team is made up of CHWs and allies with years of experience. These trained professionals design learning opportunities – co-created with CHW subject matter experts and leaders in the field – that incorporate adult learning techniques that stress the importance of peer-to-peer learning. Through these efforts, organizations and individuals are equipped to build the infrastructure needed to support the growth and sustainability of CHW programs across communities.

 

 

 

Resource sharing
envision supports the advancement of the CHW workforce through technical assistance (TA), coaching, demonstrating community impact, and collaborating with partner organizations. Group and individualized TA emphasizes capacity building, offering resources and support to ensure the long-term sustainability of the CHW workforce. envision’s TA team is made up of CHWs and allies with years of experience. These trained professionals design learning opportunities – co-created with CHW subject matter experts and leaders in the field – that incorporate adult learning techniques that stress the importance of peer-to-peer learning.

Through these efforts, organizations and individuals are equipped to build the infrastructure needed to support the growth and sustainability of CHW programs across communities.

To make additional CHW training opportunities easier to find, envision has compiled a list of external partners offering non-core competency trainings for CHWs looking to broaden their skillsets in specific areas such as diabetes management and Mental Health First Aid.

A Unique Approach to CHW Sustainability

According to NACHW’s 6 Pillars of CHWs, CHWs are a proven, yet still precarious workforce. CHW programs face a myriad of challenges with regards to funding and structural support. However, sustainability for CHW programs is possible when local and national strategies are aligned.

envision’s model for creating sustainable CHW programs is rooted in elevating CHW voice and leadership in all aspects of program development, and centers on relationships as a source of power. envision works with communities to develop and implement sustainability plans that meet their community’s specific needs.

Resource development towards sustainability
envision’s CHW Financial Sustainability Toolkit, created by and for CHWs and CHW allies across the workforce, emphasizes relationship- building as a central strategy to strengthen the collective power of the CHW community. The toolkit offers valuable information, strategies, and practical tools, along with guiding questions to help communities plan and advance their sustainability goals. It explores key approaches to CHW financing—Medicaid Reimbursement, Medicare Reimbursement, Blended & Braided Funding, and CHW Integration— and demonstrates how relationship-building can advance these strategies to support the long-term financial sustainability of CHWs.

The Toolkit addresses the complex challenges of CHW workforce sustainability and emphasizes the importance of relationships and relationship-building as a key strategy for advancing financial sustainability goals.

Sustainability & Partnerships
Through technical assistance, in-person training, and coaching, envision works with CHW programs to support capacity building, leadership development, and sustainability planning. envision has a number of tools that combine community organizing and CHW centered methods to support the development of strong and sustainability CHW programs.

These tools include a list of resources from key national  partner organizations, a CHW Sustainability Quick Start Guide, and a Participant Guide and Reflection Journal from envision’s CHW Sustainability Summit that includes interactive worksheets to engage with envision’s methodology around sustainability and relationships.

myenvision is a free virtual community platform for CHWs and CHW allies which serves as an extension of the coaching and training envision provides. Members may use the space to connect with others in the CHW workforce across the nation to share resources, post events, and engage in peer-to-peer connection.

Connect with us! 
envision is available to offer customized coaching to support long- term CHW programs. Please contact us at hello@envisionchws.org.

Sign up for the envision newsletter here.