Supporting Community Health Workers of all job titles in Sonoma County
Welcome to Community Health Worker Initiative of Sonoma County
Diversity is our Unity
Who We Are
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote collaboration between all individuals, groups, and networks that identify as; or support, the APHA definition of a Community Health Worker; no matter what our working titles, cultural background or language spoken.
Who is a Community Health Worker?
"A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A CHW also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy."
American Public Health Association
Local CHW Job Titles
Community Health Worker, Promotora de Salud, Peer Support Specialist, Outreach Worker, Patient Navigator, Community Organizer, Peer Health Educator, Consumer Supporter and many more.....
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What do we do?
Collaborative Learning Community
We are intentionally multicultural
and believe that we are better at finding our strengths to address social determinants of health if we work together. Using appreciative Inquiry, active listening and collaborative decision making we share best practices, advocate for community members to be chosen as CHWs recognizing their community health expertise and inviting them to the table where community health policy is decided.
Improve Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Life experience and training make Community Health Workers (CHWs) experts in the social determinants of health.
CHWs advocate for social justice and equity across all parameters of life
Build Healthy Communities
Community Health Workers know that postal code has more impact on health outcomes than genetic code.
We work to improve the places where we live, learn, work, pray and play