Role of Community Health Workers 

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CHWs in public health
CHWs in health care

According to the American Public Health Association, a community health worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who has a close understanding of the community served and is a trusted liaison, and link between health care, social services and the community. They facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. 

CHWs in public health

CHWs contribute to core Local Public Health roles and foundational public health responsibilities including community engagement, outreach, data collection, education, and connecting individuals and families to essential resources. CHW services are cross-cutting and adaptable to a wide range of programs and services.

Watch: Community Health Worker Impact in Local Public Health

Produced in partnership between the Minnesota Department of Health, Nicollet County Health and Human Services, and Washington County Community Services/Public Health, this short video describes, in their own words, who CHWs are and how they make a difference in local public health. Hear how CHWs help agencies provide services that are community-centered, culturally responsive, and grounded in trust.

CHWs are already advancing public health goals in communities across Minnesota. They:

• Build trust and engagement: CHWs bridge the gap between public health systems and the communities they serve, ensuring that programs, messages, and services are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
• Address social and economic barriers: CHWs help individuals and families navigate systems, connect to resources, and address the social determinants of health.
• Improve access and outcomes: By meeting people in homes, neighborhoods, and community settings, CHWs support prevention, early intervention, and better management of chronic conditions.
• Enhance local capacity: CHWs provide valuable insights that inform public health assessments, outreach planning, and program evaluation.
• Advance health equity: Lived experience and trusted relationships enable CHWs to identify inequities and co-create solutions with communities.

Contributions in Local Public Health

CHWs are public health professionals, integrated within public health teams and help ensure services reflect the community’s needs and strengths. Examples of contributions CHWs can play in LPH includes:

Public health and emergency response

• Support vaccine and testing clinics.
• Assist at Family Emergency Response Centers.
• Serve as trusted messengers during health emergencies and recovery efforts.

Home visiting and outreach

• Act as cultural advisors and liaisons between families and health or human service teams.
• Conduct home visits for screenings, education, resource referral, and follow-up.

System navigation and connection to resources

• Connect individuals to public programs, community resources, and basic needs such as food, medications, and transportation.
• Help clients complete processes to obtain insurance, financial assistance, or other benefits.

Health education and direct services

• Provide health promotion and chronic disease management education.
• Teach individuals self-advocacy skills and promote preventive health behaviors.

Resources

If your agency is exploring ways to incorporate CHWs into your workforce, these resources can help:

• University of Minnesota Center for Public Health Systems: Capacity Building in Local Health Departments: Community Health Worker Toolkit (2024) (PDF). Guidance on hiring, onboarding, supervision, and sustainability.
• Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance: Community Health Worker Roles in Core Local Public Health Services (2018) (PDF). Case studies and practical lessons from LPH agencies across Minnesota.

CHWs in health care

The CDC recommends that CHWs serve on health care teams to help eliminate racial and ethnic disparities. 

As part of a health care team, CHWs:

• Facilitate access to services
• Improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery
• Increase patient health knowledge and self-sufficiency
• Perform outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy

Role of CHWs in managing chronic conditions

• Promote, encourage, and support positive, healthful self-management behaviors
• Help people get the services and follow-up care they need to control their condition
• Strengthen community understanding and acceptance of health care for chronic conditions

Resources

• CDC Community Health Worker Resources
• Community Health Workers “101” for Providers and Other Stakeholders
• Community Health Workers: Part of the Solution
• Knowledge and Behavioral Effects in Cardiovascular Health: Community Health Worker Health Disparities Initiative, 2007–2010
• Community Health Workers in Diabetes Management and Prevention (PDF)
• Cost-Effectiveness of Nurse Practitioner/Community Health Worker Care to Reduce Cardiovascular Health Disparities (PDF)
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control: Interventions Engaging Community Health Workers