I will walk with you

Whether it's setting up a doctor appointment or offering encouragement, community health workers, or CHWs, aren't just helping faceless patients: They're helping their neighbors, sometimes the same people who live down the street.

"Community health work is truly about the relationship and (about) being a cheerleader for someone who really needs a cheerleader…someone to give them positive support and recognize those tiny, tiny incremental changes," says Kerri Shaw, the field director in OHIO's undergraduate social work program and a CHW training director.

In underserved communities or where the population may be mistrustful of healthcare professionals, those relationships allow CHWs to be a "conduit to that relationship in a way that feels culturally respectful," Shaw, AB '96, MSW '04, says.

Since 2015, OHIO's CHW program has trained and certified people to fill these vital roles. This spring, a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission allowed OHIO to expand that work and create a CHW program focused on helping people recovering from addiction.

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The first cohort started training this summer, meeting weekly throughout July and August. Students learn basic healthcare skills like CPR and taking vitals as before. With the expansion, students now also learn about cultural competency and become intimately familiar with resources in the community that help people in recovery, Shaw says.

"It's kind of magical to see the energy in this group and feel the compassion," Shaw says. "It's palpable when you start working and talking with them how passionate they are about serving this population. And not just serving: accompanying them on this journey of recovery."

Their presence could make all the difference to someone struggling with addiction, says Ruth Dudding, BSH '87, a specialist at the Athens County Health Department and a course instructor.

"It's a journey that people are on, and they need somebody along with them for the whole journey," she says. "That's not always something that somebody in the clinical setting can provide."Newly certified workers will serve at health departments, nonprofits, churches, government agencies, and more. But one thing unites them, says Dudding: This is their calling.

"It's been my experience that we don't train people to be community health workers," Dudding says. "We recruit people who are already loving people in their journey, despite their difficulties."

Feature photograph: In August, community health worker trainees use virtual reality tech to immerse themselves in the impact of Narcan, an anti-overdose drug. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ '14, MA '17