Community Health Workers (CHWs) have an unusually close understanding of the areas they serve. This trusting relationship enables CHWs to serve as a liaison or community link between health care and social services and the community to increase access to services, improve the quality and cultural competency of the delivered services, and increase health outcomes within the community served.
This rootedness to the community and commitment towards advocacy and equity is precisely why the CHW profession can play an integral role within state and territorial health agencies (S/THAs) and the community-based organizations with which S/THAs contract. As S/THAs look for ways to integrate CHWs into their programs and services, states must work in partnership with CHWs and their organizations to determine the best course of action.
