HPAC Scholar's Day 2019 CHW_Assessment_Key_Findings | Page 28

represent CHWs from a variety of settings
and backgrounds from across the state.
These themes were (in order of discussion
frequency):
■ ■
While employed CHWs report general
job satisfaction, several employment
issues exist for the CHW profession in
Ohio in terms of job availability, position
prerequisites, salaries, supervision, and
career advancement opportunities
■ ■ CHWs are a diverse profession who
contribute important skills, experience,
and community knowledge to the
health team in a variety of settings and
populations
■ ■ Training is important to CHWs but could
be improved in Ohio
■ ■ CHW success is dependent on the CHW
role and title being clearly defined and
understood in Ohio by all professionals
■ ■ Certification is valuable but barriers
exist to achieving CHW certification
and improvements can be made to the
certification process
■ ■
A stronger centralized source for
CHW communication across the
state regarding training, certification,
continuing education, conferences/
meetings, advocacy, and employment
opportunities for CHWs is needed in Ohio
Many of the same themes from the key
informant interviews also emerged in the
discussions with the nine certified CHWs
during the phase I focus groups. Namely,
these CHWs also identified the wide variety
in CHW roles, settings, and populations
and conditions served, the importance that
CHWs represent and are from the community
served, the value of CHW training but the
need for improvement, the need for sharing
information across the state about CHWs,
that certification is valuable but barriers
exist, the scope and definition of CHWs is
not clearly defined in Ohio, and the CHW
role is poorly understood by supervisors,
employers, and health providers overall
across Ohio.
Overwhelmingly the greatest concern from
these focus groups were employment related
issues. These CHWs discussed, as did the
key informants, that grant funding is not a
sustainable mechanism for CHW programs
as it leads to job insecurity and that often
CHWs are not being paid a living wage. One
participant discussed frustration that her
certification has not led to increased pay in
comparison to those without certification.
The CHWs also noted feelings of not being
treated as professionals, being called
paraprofessionals, and not receiving the
same level of respect as their nursing and
social work colleagues.
Most importantly, a majority of the CHWs
noted that there is difficulty for many
certified CHWs in Ohio to find employment.
The number one reason that was offered
as a possible explanation for not securing
employment is that employers are requiring
bachelor’s degrees to apply for positions.
This is a great challenge for many CHWs as
most CHWs highest level of education is an
associate’s degree or high school diploma.
In fact, the CHWs in this focus group stated
that many of the CHWs that they know
in their region do not even have a CHW
certification. It also may be more difficult
for an individual who becomes certified as
a CHW to find employment if they were not
previously working as a non-certified CHW.
Furthermore, one participant brought up
an example of a certified CHW who secured
employment but was fired after her 90-day
probation and has not been able to secure
employment since. This scenario may
Focus Groups
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