COLUMBIA GORGE Health Council Learning Collaborative
Community Health Worker Training
Scholarships Available
Learn MoreTHIS TRAINING SERVES THE GORGE BY BUILDING A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
This Learning Collaborative’s purpose is to grow a skilled network of Community Health Workers who improve health access and equity by addressing barriers to health and wellbeing.
WE HAVE A VISION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR ALL PEOPLES
Community Health Workers (CHW) are members of the communities they serve and work in team environments. They build trusting relationships with community members, local social service agencies and healthcare providers. The CHW workforce models and promotes health equity for communities.
Using principles and practices of Popular Education you will share and learn about the roles of CHWs as well as a range of topics relevant to the work of CHWs. By the end, you will have the opportunity to apply for Oregon Health Authority certification. You will also have a big-picture understanding of community and public health and the ways you can have a positive impact on individual, family, and community health and wellness.
Columbia Gorge Health Council
Who is the Columbia Gorge Health Council (CGHC)? Since 2014, our organization has been addressing barriers to health and well-being in the Columbia Gorge. We do this by working with partners to bring forth solutions that are driven by the community and we lift patient and provider voices.
Bridges to Health
Who is Bridges to Health? Bridges to Health is a program of the Columbia Gorge Health Council that has been serving the gorge since 2016. We are a network of Community Health Workers whose goals are to address barriers to health and wellbeing, improve health quality, access, and equity, and grow a skilled network of community health workers.
Áqwłtpwisha Chúushna
Who is Áqwłtpwisha Chúushna (AQC)? Áqwłtpwisha Chúushna ['Aqua Toopsha Choosh Na'] is a Native Support Program of the CGHC started in 2024. We provide direct client outreach to tribal fishing in lieu sites along the Nchi’Wana (Columbia River OR & WA). We support indigenous people accessing equitable community resources and advocating for culturally appropriate services.
Scholarships and Financial Assistance Available
Through partnerships with NEON and Healthy Rural Oregon, we are able to provide several full and partial scholarships to participants wanting to complete the CHW Certification Training with Columbia Gorge Health Council Learning Collaborative, as well as offer wraparound financial assistance for other barriers that may hinder your ability to participate in the course successfully.
For more information about our scholarships or financial assistance, please contact us at [email protected].
CGHC Learning Collaborative Community Health Workers Training
Curriculum Information and Structure
The course consists of 20 online sessions. For every week of class, there will be approximately an hour of independent or group homework.
Upon completion of this training, participants will qualify for certification as a Community Health Worker and 90 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) through the Office of Equity and Inclusion at the State of Oregon.
NEON CHW CEUs are reciprocal to MHACBO credits.
Training Dates/Times:
4-hour trainings sessions on Thursday and Fridays from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm PST
- April: 3, 4, 17, 18
- May: 1, 2, 15, 16, 29, 30
- June: 5, 6, 12, 13, 26, 27
- July: 10, 11, 24, 25
- August: 7, 8
- Completion date: August 8th.
For questions or more information about our Community Health Worker training, please contact us at [email protected]
Training Topics Covered
- Introduction to the Training Series
- Introduction to the CHW profession
- Introduction to Popular Education
- Social Determinants of Health
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Introduction to Community Organizing
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Working with Multi-Disciplinary Teams and Service Coordination and Collaboration
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Access to Health Care
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Counseling Skills
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Trauma Informed Care and Self-Care
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Public Health and Community Assessment
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Cross-Cultural skills
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Disease processes Day 1
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Disease processes Day 2
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Communication Skills
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Leadership and Advocacy
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Assessment and Documentation
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Mental Health Promotion
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Outreach Skills
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Addiction and Recovery
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Healthy Lifestyle-Nutrition and Physical Activity
Meet Your Instructors
Rosie Strange is a registered tribal member of the confederated Tribes of Warm Springs but call themselves Indigenous to Turtle Island because their lineage to this land “North America” predates colonization, with Chicanx lineage. They are a Two Spirit IndigiQueer, non-gendered person. They are also a parent to two teens and 3 cats. They enjoy participating in their cultural practices, dancing, social justice and queer community work.
They became a Project Coordinator for Áqwłtpwisha Chúushna, a Native Support program of the Columbia Gorge Health Council in the spring of 2024. They have been a CHW along the Nch’iwana “Columbia River” since 2021. Serving self-identified Indigenous people at the fishing in lieu sites along the Nch’iwana on both sides of the river to access housing, food, transportation, healthcare, education and much more. Prior to CHW work they have 10 years of experience working as a certified medical assistant in family practice also along the Nch’iwana.
They completed NEON’s Train the Trainer CHW training in 2024. They also have experience facilitating CHW and other trainings with NEON as a contract facilitator 2022-2023. They use their lived experience, training and knowledge to support understanding and learning of CHW work and advocacy.
Araceli Avila is a Senior Community Health Worker (CHW) with 10 years of experience specializing in clinical and community-based health. She has experience working in hospitals and clinics, as a bilingual and bicultural CHW giving her the opportunity to work with a diverse population. Araceli is of Mexican origin and bilingual in Spanish and English and a trusted Promotora de Salud Superior (Health Promotor) among the Spanish speaking community. Araceli enjoys bringing her experience into the work as a leader among other CHWs who often come to her for advice. Having completed NEON’s Train the Trainer CHW training in 2024, Araceli is excited to serve her community in this new capacity bringing others into this work.
As a mother of three grown children, Araceli describes herself as a compassionate and extroverted person who enjoys spending time in nature and with family.
Register Today or
Apply for Financial Assistance or a Scholarship Below
CGHC Learning Collaborative CHW Certification Training
Register today for Columbia Gorge Health Council Learning Collaboratives Community Health Worker Certification training.
$1,500 (Scholarship Information in the Details)
Disclaimer
This Community Health Worker Certification Training Course is a collaboration between CGHC Learning Collaborative and NEON. The course material is owned and provided by NEON to be instructed by CGHC Learning Collaborative. The training is offered under NEONs State Approved Training Program. Reproduction, distribution, or republication of NEONs training materials is prohibited unless you have prior written permission of the copyright owner, Northeast Oregon Network.
