According to an April 15 press release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of $226.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to begin the Community Health Worker Training Program.
The release states that “This new program will increase the number of community health workers who play a critical role in connecting people to care, including COVID care; mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services; chronic disease care; and other important health services. “
The Community Health Worker Training program is a multiyear program that will focus on education and on-the-job training to increase the presence of public health workers. This endeavor will support training and apprenticeship programs leading to more people entering the field of health and assist with connecting individuals to care as well as ensure patients follow up on provider recommendations.
“This program builds on the historic investments the Administration has made through the American Rescue Plan, and supports community health workers, who have engaged in critical COVID-19 vaccine outreach and building vaccine confidence in our hardest-hit and highest-risk communities throughout the pandemic,” the release adds. “Many of these individuals have been hired from the communities they serve, resulting in a diverse corps of people typically underrepresented in our health workforce.”
Further, “Community health workers are also known as promotores de salud, community health advisors, outreach workers, patient navigators, and peer counselors and can include individuals with lived experience whose experience helps inform their work.”
HRSA has plans to train 13,000 community health workers, increase access to care, improve public health emergency response, and help underserved communities with their public health needs.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was quoted in the release saying that “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to building a robust public health workforce—the first line of defense in preventing disease, safeguarding health and keeping the public safe. This funding will support these health workers—who know their communities and have their trust—as they keep their neighbors healthy, including throughout the COVID-19 response, by helping patients enroll in vital services, and by providing community education, outreach and support.”
