CHW Initiative, 2021

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is committed to developing and advancing state health policy innovations and solutions across executive and legislative branches of state government, with a goal of improving the health and well-being of all people across every state.

Recognizing that community health workers (CHWs) can strengthen the broader public health workforce beyond the pandemic, NASHP has been supporting state leaders in partnership with the COVID Collaborative, and researching, creating, and disseminating CHW resources. NASHP’s interactive map compiles information on each state’s embrace and reimbursement of CHW services (e.g. through Medicaid and/or grants). The map also highlights best practices for recruiting and employing CHWs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This grant supported two virtual roundtables with state and CHW leaders focused on identifying best practices for engaging CHWs, addressing COVID-19, and considerations of scope of practice, funding, and health outcomes. An issue brief based on those discussions can be found here. More roundtables will be hosted—and their findings disseminated—in 2022.