National Center for Healthy Housing

A Summary of State Community Health Worker Laws
To understand how states are using law as a tool to develop sustainable CHW programs, this fact sheet summarizes the extent to which states have enacted laws addressing CHW infrastructure, professional identity, workforce development, and financing. This fact sheet presents a summary of laws in effect as of December 2012.  [pdf; CDC]

State Community Health Worker Models
This webpage contains state specific information on community health workers (CHW) in six key areas: financing, education, certification, State CHW legislation, CHW organizations and CHW Roles in State. Additional, the page includes links to other resources such as State Innovation Model (SIM) narrative, State Plan Amendment (SPA), The Community Health Worker Act, and Community Health Worker Association website for various states. [url; National Academy for State Healthy Policy].

Change in the Rule on Essential Health Benefits
Effective January 1, 2014, a change in the federal Rule on Essential Health Benefits allows reimbursement for preventive services that are delivered by nonlicensed providers, as long as services have been recommended by a a physician or other licensed provider.

Essential Health Benefits and Community Health Workers
This Web page contains resources related to the new Medicaid rule, including examples of successful strategies for preventive service delivery by nonlicensed providers, such as community health workers (CHWs), and other resources related to the adaptation, licensure, and support of CHWs. [url; Association of State and Territorial Health Officials]

Community Health Workers in the Wake of Health Care Reform: Considerations for State
and Federal Policymakers
This brief, developed from an October 2015 meeting convened by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), captures some strategies and areas of agreement among state and federal policymakers on the issues on further integrating community health workers (CHW) into the health system. Areas covered include CHW roles, recruitment and retention, training, credentialing and financing. [pdf; National Academy for State Healthy Policy].

Medicaid and Community-Based Asthma Interventions:  Recent Changes and Future Steps
This Q&A explains how the change in the rule on Essential Health Benefits will impact coverage of community-based interventions for low-income children with asthma. [pdf; Childhood Asthma Leadership Coalition]

Community Health Worker Certification Standards
This document includes a map of the current status of state CHW certification standards, a chart illustrating what states have which program requirements/elements in their CHW law, and a chart outlining the summaries of each state’s CHW certification bill as of March 2015. Additional information and resources are available on the ASTHO CHW Web page. [pdf; ASTHO]

2014 Failed State Bills for CHW Certification - This table summarizes five state bills related to CHW training/certification standards that failed in 2014. [pdf; ASTHO]

Success with CHWs: Asthma
Designed as an easy-to-use digital digest featuring research, case studies, tools, webinars and short videos, this Web site acquaints asthma care providers and home visiting programs with the role and value of community health worker (CHW) services. Geared for busy clinicians and administrators, these tools are intended to help providers and home visiting programs learn about the benefits of culturally appropriate CHW models and how to begin to integrate CHW approaches to improve management of childhood asthma, especially among underserved communities. [url; Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance]

National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network
This Web page contains resources related to healthy homes training. The Healthy Homes Training Center provides courses for public health and housing professionals on the basics of healthy homes and on more specialized topics, such as integrated pest management, or for targeted audiences, such as community health workers (CHW). [url; Healthy Housing Solutions]

Reducing Environmental Triggers in the Home
This online training was developed by the Minnesota Department of Health for public health nurses, asthma educators, and other health professionals interested in learning more about environmental asthma triggers commonly found in the home environment. This free training provides an introduction to common environmental asthma triggers, describes simple ways of assessing a home for environmental asthma triggers, and offers some suggestions for how to reduce or eliminate exposure to those triggers. A certificate of completion is available. [url; Minnesota Department of Health]

Locate an RRP Training Class or Provider in Your Area
This locator identifies training courses available by language, state, date range, and discipline. It also identifies lead renovation, repair, and painting (RRP) trainers accredited by EPA. [url; EPA]

Environmental Management of Pediatric Asthma: Guidelines for Healthcare Providers
These guidelines are aimed at integrating environmental management of asthma into pediatric healthcare. Guidelines and training materials outline competencies in environmental health relevant to pediatric asthma that should be mastered by healthcare providers and outlines the environmental interventions that should be communicated to patients. [url; National Environmental Education Foundation]

Healthy Homes Specialist Credential
The Healthy Homes Specialist (HHS) credential is designed for health and housing professionals in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. To achieve the credential, individuals must complete a comprehensive exam on the seven principles of healthy housing, which include keeping homes Dry, Clean, Pest-Free, Contaminant-Free, Ventilated, Safe, and Maintained. [url; NCHH]

American Lung Association; Courses
The American Lung Association offers health education courses to partners and members of the public to join their mission to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. Asthma Basics is a free one-hour interactive online learning module designed to help people learn more about asthma. This course is ideal for healthcare professionals, school nurses, community health workers, individuals with asthma, parents of children with asthma, or anyone who wants to learn more about asthma. ALA's Breathe Well, Live Well Educator Training uses ALA's winning resource, "Breathe Well, Live Well: The Guide to Managing Your Asthma at Home and Work" to facilitate adult asthma education. The course aims to prepare healthcare professionals to better understand the issues that may contribute to an adults' poor asthma control, and teach them management techniques to help them gain better control. Smokefree Policies in Multi-Unit Housing: Steps for Success is a free interactive online course designed for property managers, residents and public health advocates to offer guidance and tools that make it easy to plan and implement a successful smokefree multi-unit housing policy. Check out their site to learn more about these and other available courses today! [url; American Lung Association]