Focus
On behalf of the estimated 3000+ Community Health Workers in the Commonwealth, MACHW:
- Offers regular opportunities for professional development and higher education
- Supports regional hubs dedicated to developing leadership skills, networking, and offering professional development
- Advocates for standardized living wages, career pathways, and professional certification standards for CHWs
- Integrates CHWs into healthcare teams across the service delivery system
- Pursues the long-term sustainability of the CHW workforce through policy
- Promotes yearly celebrations of CHWs around CHW Day on June 15
Who Are Community Health Workers?
We Come With Many Different Job Titles…
health navigators, outreach workers, community health advisors, peer health educators, family partners, promotores, peer support specialists, recovery coaches, therapeutic mentors, youth workers…
but Our Work Always Includes:
- Building trust between underserved communities and healthcare providers.
- Opening doors to care for vulnerable residents.
- Helping people navigate the health and behavioral health systems.
- Coaching people to adopt healthy behaviors.
- Linking people to resources such as housing, food and other basic needs
- Preventing unnecessary hospitalizations through prevention and early intervention.