HPAC Scholar's Day 2019 CHW_Assessment_Key_Findings | Page 29

further support the observation from the
key informant interviews that CHWs need
training in soft skills such as professionalism,
how to work in a healthcare setting, how
to write reports, etc. Additionally, one
participant also mentioned the need for
self-care training for CHWs to avoid job
burnout as did participants from the key
informant interviews. Finally, a focus group
participant also mentioned the value in
CHWs being trained as a Chronic Disease
Self-Management Program (CDSMP)
Facilitator which improves the skills they
bring to employment. This observation also
matches the findings from the key informant
interviews in which employers value
additional certification, such as certification
in CDSMP, and consider these additional
credentials in hiring decisions.
Another key takeaway from the focus groups
is the need to clearly define the CHW role in
Ohio and to educate employers and providers
on what CHWs do. One participant noted
the confusion of the many different titles of
a CHW when they are doing the same thing,
which may be a similar comment from the
key informant interviews regarding the need
for title protection of CHWs in Ohio and a
defined scope of practice.
Finally, it is clear from the focus group
participants that there is poor connection
across the state to accessing information
regarding certification renewal requirements,
free continuing education opportunities,
resources for practice, and job opportunities.
These CHWs want stronger connectivity to
information, perhaps through a website
for CHWs in Ohio and a strong advocacy
association (perhaps through OCHWA, but
this organization is not visible enough and
the benefits of membership are not clear to
these participants) to move the profession
forward in Ohio utilizing best practices
from other states with more advanced
CHW professions. These participants raised
the point that the Community Health
Collaborative website which was created in
2016 for CHWs in Ohio to access information
regarding continuing education opportunities,
training for employers, job information, and
other resources was exactly what they needed.
However, with the loss of grant funding this
website was not sustainable, which illustrates
the problems with CHW infrastructure and
dependence on funding mechanisms that are
not sustainable in Ohio.
The phase II focus groups of primarily non-
certified CHWs also revealed six major
themes (derived from 17 categories and
78 codes). These themes were (in order of
discussion frequency):
■ ■ Both certified and non-certified CHWs
have positive attitudes towards
certification, value training, and want a
more organized, connected, and cohesive
profession but more discussion is needed
around possible title protection
■ ■ CHWs are interested in advocating
for their profession but a cohesive,
organizational structure currently does
not exist
■ ■ CHWs are a diverse profession who
contribute important skills, experience,
and community knowledge to the
health team in a variety of settings and
populations
■ ■ Employers, health professionals, and the
community need to be educated on the
role of the CHW
■ ■ CHWs need more recognition from
employers and other health professionals
in terms of appreciation, respect, and pay
for the difficult and complex jobs they
perform
■ ■ Barriers to certification exist for non-
certified CHWs
Focus Groups
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