Who are Community Health Workers ?
As Healthy Homes educators , we all know of the critical link between the quality of our housing and our health . However , this may not always be top of mind for those working in health / medical settings . This is an overview of how we ’ ve worked to connect Healthy Homes education to community health workers in Missouri .
Missouri has an emerging model / population of “ Community Health Workers ” ( CHW ). These frontline health professionals address ( among other things ) social determinants of health ( SDOH ). The CHW network is comprised of frontline public health workers who are trusted members of , and have a close understanding of , the communities they serve . This relationship of trust enables the CHW to serve as a liaison , link , and intermediary between health / social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery . A CHW 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 .
What are Social Determinants of Health ?
The World Health Organization defines SDOH as “ the conditions in which people are born , grow , live , work and age .” These environmental , social , and behavioral factors affect overall health outcomes , such as how long and how well we live , as well as related factors such as access to and quality of medical care . Although what happens in medical settings remains critical , research shows social and environmental factors play a greater role in individual and community health .
How does this relate to Healthy Homes education ?
Our project connects Healthy Homes education with faculty cross-trained in personal finance , who then work to frame both to CHWs and other health-related stakeholders as SDOHs to act on . We know what begins as housing or financial issues can quickly snowball into a complex set of interacting problems related to SDOH and negatively affect overall health . Because they are inextricably linked , touching on both in our outreach efforts addresses environmental and behavioral factors that positively impact health outcomes .
What did it look like ?
We have worked in partnership with the statewide association of CHWs as well as our state ’ s department of health and senior services to frame indoor air quality as an important SDOH factor . Specifically , through meetings and webinars we connect these frontline workers and consumers to healthy homes educational materials . Most recently , this has taken the form of webinars stressing importance of testing for radon and mitigation where necessary . This partnership has led to other opportunities , such as inclusion on other statewide , health-related working groups . As we look to the future , we aim to expand into CEU offerings for CHWs .
PROFILE 4 City of Omaha , Nebraska , Omaha Planning Department ’ s Lead Information Office
So far , the City of Omaha has been able to complete 76 homes ; for inspections , we have completed 101 homes impacting 145 children . Of these properties , healthy homes interventions have been completed on 68 . Sarah A . Frederick at the City of Omaha provided this before and after photo .
“ Before and after ” exterior photos to show one property ’ s transformation .