Community Health Worker

​Community health workers (CHW) assist members of the community to maneuver through the health and human services system. Community health workers may go by other titles depending on where they work, for example: outreach worker, lay health advocate, health coach, peer counselor, and patient navigator.  The CHW program covers the Maryland core competencies for CHW: advocacy and community capacity building skills, effective oral and written communication skills, cultural humility/anti-oppressive practice, knowledge of local resources and system navigation, care coordination support skills, teaching skills to promote healthy behavior change, outreach methods and strategies, and understanding of public health concepts and health literacy. CHW students will need to be computer literate and have regular access to the internet. They will also need to be able to dedicate time outside of the classroom to study and complete assignments. Additional skills are listed in the program technical standards.  To be a successful CHW, individuals must have strong communication skills, empathy, problem-solving skills, work well with the public, and a willingness to learn. Opportunities in this field include community health worker, promotores(as) de salud, community outreach specialist, or contact tracer.  Overall employment of health education specialists and community health workers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. Learn more about CHW at the US Occupational Outlook Handbook
. This program is accredited by the Maryland Department of Health (Accreditation Number: 009-2021-G). Upon successful completion, students are eligible to apply for CHW certification from the Maryland Department of Health. Additional information on the Maryland CHW certification process is available on the

Maryland Department of Health
 website.​​

Program Course Sequence

Course Series