What Is a Community Health Worker Certification, and How Can You Get One?

Key takeaways

Community health workers (CHWs) connect individuals and communities with health resources and services to promote better health outcomes.

• As a community health worker, you may work in a health care facility, non-profit organization, or public health department to educate the community, collect public health data, or develop outreach programs.

• Community health worker certifications vary by state and allow you to develop your communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• You can prepare for your certification by taking courses or online training before sitting for the exam.

Learn more about community health worker certification, including required skills, exam content, and preparation tips. If you’re ready to start developing your skill set for a role in community health, consider enrolling in Johns Hopkins University’s Foundations of Global Health Specialization. You’ll have the chance to learn about the building blocks of effective global health program planning. 

What does a community health worker do?

Community health workers perform various roles for employers, including health care facilities, non-profit organizations, and public health departments. Each position varies slightly based on a community health worker’s area of employment. 

In general, community health workers may do any of the following duties:

• Discuss health concerns with communities and individuals

• Educate on available health services

• Collect community health data to identify needs

• Report findings to health education specialists and care providers

• Provide social support and conduct outreach programs

• Advocate for individual and community needs

As a community health worker, you will have a unique place in the community. You will liaise between individuals, public health departments, and health care providers to advocate for and educate on community health needs. You may also help communities enroll in health-related programs they can access.

Is CHW a good career?

Being a community health worker can be rewarding, as you work to reduce the effects of health disparities in your community. The field also shows promising growth. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports an 11 percent job growth for community health workers between 2024 and 2034, which is a much faster-than-average pace [1]. Additionally, CHWs can earn a median annual salary of $51,030 [1]. 

What is a community health worker certification?

Many employers require that community health workers have a certification in the field. Credentials come in the form of a one-year certification or a two-year associate degree focusing on communication, ethics, and health behavior. Community health worker certifications vary from state to state. You can check what certifications your state offers through the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) website.

What are the skills acquired in the certification?

Since the role of the community health worker is becoming more recognized, community health workers don’t yet have a national standard. Instead, states have many of their own certification programs. Many states have particular needs and requirements, so it’s best to refer to your state's health departments or programs for specific information. 

Skills acquired in a certification program depend on your specific credentialing program. Some general workplace skills you might gain include the following:

• Communication skills: Communicating between different cultural and ethnic backgrounds is a large part of community health workers' work. 

• Analytical skills: Community health workers collect data on the community, environment, and other social determinants of health. 

• Problem-solving skills: Community health workers interact with all kinds of problems, such as community needs, outreach efforts, and health outcomes, which require creativity to solve.

What’s on the exam?

The exam curriculum provided below is from The Florida Certification Board for CHWs. Still, each state, university, or college may have a different curriculum, community health worker courses, or exam structure. A basic overview using Florida’s curriculum as an example of what’s on the exam may help you prepare for your career goals. 

The exam aims to showcase your knowledge recall, idea comprehension, and application of principles in problem-solving situations. The community health worker exam can test your communication and education, resources, advocacy, health knowledge basics, and professional responsibility. 

• Communication and education: These facets of being a community health worker test your learning, teaching, and instruction skills. They also focus on listening, verbal, and non-verbal communication and your response to crisis situations and conflict resolution. Through these tests, you show your use of effective strategies for positive community outcomes. 

• Resources: As a community health worker, you need to know the resources in your community and what differentiates it from health care, social services, and public health systems. You need to know where to refer community members so they can get into the correct social program, and how to remove barriers to admission to programs like Medicaid. 

• Advocacy: Since you serve the community, it’s important to test your ability to advocate for an individual's needs within the health care system, acting as a liaison between them and providers. You will also need to know how to advocate for community health and teach individuals how to advocate for themselves. 

• Foundations of health: You will need to know the basic tenets of individual health, risk factors, and prevention. An understanding of the health care system, social services, universal safety (Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines), and personal protective equipment helps assess and care for the community's health. You will also need to know how to collect and use data to respond to the community's health needs. 

• Professional responsibility: This pillar tests your knowledge of state and federal guidelines and laws for health care delivery. Your documentation of all procedures is necessary for this field. You need to know what is under your jurisdiction as a community health worker, such as what you can and cannot do for a patient or community member. Also, you must know when to receive supervision and the code of ethics you must follow. 

Although the above are all facets of a community health worker certification that exams test, it can also vary from state to state. Refer to your individual state or institution’s exam guidelines to obtain relevant and accurate information. 

How to get a community health worker certification: Preparation tips

The role of community health workers is growing, and guidelines and certifications for becoming a community health worker vary from state to state.

If you would like to learn more about the field, start by thoroughly reviewing the requirements in your state, either through the NACHW state resources website or by contacting your local health department. 

Courses

Many community colleges and universities have programs outside of state certification boards to become certified community health workers. Some of these programs may help you gain college credit for further education in the health field. Requirements vary, so be sure your state health board accredits your certification of choice. 

Training

Training for community health workers differs from state and institution. For example, you may receive training specific to ethnicity, gender, and certain disabilities, as every community requires different levels and types of care. Differences in institutional training may occur as your work in a non-profit may be specific to that non-profit's mission statement versus the needs of a local public health department with many different community members. 

Registration

Contact your local health department or find a community health worker organization working in your community to register for classes, courses, certifications, and more to become a certified community health worker. 

Find free resources for your career in community health

Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat, to stay on top of career trends and tips. Then, check out these resources for additional guidance:

• Find your path: Career Test: What Career Is Right for Me? Quiz 

• Explore trends: AI in Health Care: Uses, Benefits, and Concerns 

• Build your skills: Tips to Strengthen Your People Skills

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