The Board may grant full approval status to a Community Health
Worker Education and Training Program provided that the Board determines that
the program meets the following minimum standards:
(1)
Program Mission and
Governance.
(a) The Community
Health Worker Education and Training Program shall have and operate in
accordance with a mission statement that recognizes and supports the history
and purpose of the community health worker workforce.
(b) The Community Health Worker Education and
Training Program shall be organized independently of any other education and
training program offered by the parent institution.
(c) The Community Health Worker Education and
Training Program shall employ practices and methodologies that are:
1. inclusive and accessible to individuals
with different learning styles, educational backgrounds and student needs,
including but not limited to disability;
2. consistent with the diversity principles
and cultural competency that drives community health work.
(d) The Community Health Worker Education and
Training Program shall be affiliated with a parent institution. The parent
institution shall appoint a competent administrator and shall provide the
administrator with adequate resources to effectively administer the program.
The resources shall be sufficient to allow the program to:
1. offer a curriculum that meets the
requirements at 272 CMR 5.03(3);
2.
maintain an adequate number of instructors who meet the faculty requirements at
272 CMR 5.03(4); and
3. maintain
ongoing fiscal health to ensure that the program will not be discontinued
before a cohort of students who have commenced the curriculum have had adequate
time to complete it.
(e)
The Community Health Worker Education and Training Program shall award a
certificate of completion to students who successfully complete the
program.
(f) The Community Health
Worker Education and Training Program shall publish current policies which
describe the specific, non-discriminatory criteria for the following:
1. Admission into the program; credit
transfer; attendance; withdrawal from the program, termination from the
program, and re-admission into the program;
2. Documentation and record maintenance with
respect to matriculation, attendance, faculty appointments, student performance
and participation, and program completion by students; and
3. Student rights and grievances.
(g) The Community Health Worker
Education and Training Program shall maintain written policies for conducting
the following:
1. Internal assessments
designed to evaluate the program; and
2. Systematic and objective evaluation of
students' acquisition of the knowledge and skills related to the ten core
competencies for Community Health Workers specified in 272 CMR 5.03(3)(a) and
specific health topics offered in the program's curriculum in accordance with
272 CMR 5.03(3)(b).
(2)
Compliance with State
Regulation Governing For-profit and Occupational Schools. The
Community Health Worker Education and Training Program shall demonstrate
compliance with state laws and regulations governing For-profit and
Occupational Schools by submitting the following with their application for
full approval and as the Board may otherwise request:
(a) Proof of licensure or exemption from
licensure by the Division of Professional Licensure (DPL) in accordance with
M.G.L. c. 112, § 263 and
230 CMR
12.00 through
17.00; and
(b) Attestation that the administrator has
reviewed and understands the program's obligation to comply with
940 CMR
31.00: For Profit and Occupational
Schools.
(3)
Curriculum. The Community Health Worker Education and
Training Program shall consist of at least 80 hours of instruction.
(a) At least 64 hours of instruction shall
focus on the cultivation of knowledge and skills related to the following ten
core competencies for community health workers:
1. Outreach Methods and Strategies;
2. Individual and Community
Assessment;
3. Effective
Communication;
4. Cultural
Responsiveness and Mediation;
5.
Education to Promote Healthy Behavior Change;
6. Care Coordination and System
Navigation;
7. Use of Public Health
Concepts and Approaches;
8.
Advocacy and Community Capacity Building;
9. Documentation; and
10. Professional Skills and
Conduct.
(b) At least 16
hours of instruction shall focus on the cultivation of knowledge and skills
related to one or more specific health topics relevant to community health
work.
(4)
Faculty. The Community Health Worker Education and
Training Program shall arrange to have the curriculum delivered by a faculty
consisting of instructors who possess the knowledge, skills and competence to
effectively teach a curriculum which meets the requirements of 272 CMR 5.03(3).
At least 40% of the hours of instruction shall be taught or co-taught by
faculty who are Community Health Workers or Community Health Worker
Trainers.
