CHW Professional Skills Training program FAQs
How do I enroll in this training?
Details regarding eligibility and an application for enrollment are available online on the CHW Professional Skills training page. Once your application has been submitted, reviewed, and approved you will be notified via email and provided with information on how you will access the training content. Please note that it may take up to 10 days to receive notification.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
High school diploma or equivalent is desired but not required for enrollment. However, to access the tuition waiver and/or financial stipend, a high school diploma or equivalent is required.
US Citizenship is required to access the tuition waiver and/or financial stipend; however, it is not required to enroll in the training at cost.
Having the ability to read and understand spoken English will be important for students, though the asynchronous (pre-recorded, on demand) platform will allow for re-viewing the content to reinforce the material.
All learners should have an interest in the CHW profession.
The CHW Professional Skills Training utilizes a blended learning approach including on-demand (asynchronous) learning and four live, virtual sessions. The training is comprised of five courses (approximately 30 hours total) that are available on-demand at the learner’s convenience. In addition to the recorded training and live, virtual sessions, learners will complete quizzes and assignments.
Recognizing that everyone learns at their own pace, the components of the training and the estimated length of time to complete each is summarized below.
• Training Introduction and Tutorial – 1 hour
• Learning Modules (20 modules delivered over 5 courses) – 29 hours
• Course Evaluations (1 per course [5 total] assessing learner comprehension, average score of 70% or higher required to pass) – 2.5 hours
• Live, Virtual Learning (4 sessions, 90 minutes each) – 6 hours
• Assignments (4 assignments, each at approximately 90 minutes to complete) – 6 hours
• Training Evaluation (final course evaluation, required for awarding certificate) – 0.5 hour
TOTAL – 45 hours
You can enroll at any time! The CHW Professional Skills Training is available on a continuing (rolling) basis with learning modules available following completion of the application and enrollment process. Participation in four, companion live learning sessions will be also be required. These will be regularly scheduled and available to the learner.
No. This course is designed to provide pre-service (before employment as a CHW) training of CHWs or as in-service (during employment as a CHW) training to advance the development of professionals currently working as CHWs or in related roles as well as those interested in employment in the community health work field.
This means that the course is aimed at those who are interested in employment in the community health profession and those already working in the profession.
The CHW Professional Skills training was designed by CHWs and public health professionals based on the actual roles CHWs perform and the skills successful CHWs use in their work with individuals and communities. The training meets the National Consensus Guidelines developed by the C3Project (see www.c3project.org for more information) for CHW training.
Community health workers will learn about the specific job responsibilities from their employer. This training is designed to provide the background and instill knowledge about the work of CHWs in the US, and build interpersonal and professional skills to build competence and confidence in doing community health work. As the CHW field grows, so does the recognition about the importance of training this workforce.
CHWs are a rapidly growing component of the healthcare workforce in this country. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates a 17% increase in the CHW workforce between 2020-2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics).
No. However, the tuition waiver and financial stipend available from a grant opportunity does include citizenship requirements. See the FAQs on tuition waiver for CHW Professional Skills Training and Training Stipends for CHW Professional Skills training for more information.
The estimated number of hours required to complete the course is offered in this FAQ. Most individuals will complete the training within six – eight weeks, but we ask that students complete the training within six months. Stretching out the training over a longer period of time will likely impact the learner’s ability to fully absorb and retain the learning.
Individuals enrolled in the CHW Professional Skills Training will have access to the learning modules and blended learning sessions for a full year period to encourage and support successful completion.
Each state determines if formal state certification is required. If you are unsure of the status in your state, check with the state agency that supports the CHW workforce.
Successful completion of this CHW Professional Skills Training results in the award of a non-credit certificate from the Des Moines Area Community College, or other Iowa community college of choice, and a competency certificate from HealthTeamWorks. Additionally, the opportunity for CEUs and CMEs may be available to licensed healthcare professionals for this training.
Tuition for the CHW Professional Skills Training is $988.00 payable at enrollment. All students enrolling will be provided online access to the textbook utilized in development of the course.
Tuition waivers may be available for qualified enrollees who live or work within the State of Iowa. Click here for more information on tuition waivers.
Tuition Waiver for CHW Professional Skills Training FAQs
Opportunities for waving (eliminating) the $988.00 tuition cost may be available to qualified applicants who live in or work in Iowa. Details regarding qualifying for the tuition waiver can be found here.
Individuals who presently live or work in Iowa and meet other eligibility requirements may qualify. To see the eligibility requirements for the training, click here.
The current tuition waiver program being provided through Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS) will be available through September 2025 or until allocated waivers are granted which may occur prior to that date.
Trainees receiving support from grant funds must be a citizen of the United States or a foreign
national having possession of a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States.
Training Stipends for CHW Professional Skills FAQs
A stipend is a sum of money paid at regular times for expenses. In the CHW Professional Skills training program, stipends in the amount of $2,600 are available to eligible training participants due to a grant received by the State of Iowa. Participants will determine how best to use the stipend funds awarded. The stipend will be delivered in two payments based on the learner’s participation and successful completion of the training. Stipends will be treated as 1099 income for tax purposes.
Eligibility for the stipend may largely depend on the learner’s employer (if employed). As long as the employer’s policies allow employees to receive stipend compensation, most individuals who are accepted and successfully enroll in the CHW Professional Skills Training will be eligible for the stipend until stipend funds are depleted.
No. State employees are welcome to participate in the CHW training and are eligible for the tuition waiver. However, collecting a financial stipend is against policy for state employees.
The stipend to the participant for the CHW Professional Skills Training is $2,600. Half of the stipend will be issued when the student completes the quiz at the end of the second of 5 courses. The remaining half will be paid upon successful completion of the course.
The stipend is provided to training participants to provide any supports needed to complete the training. Should a participant be unable to complete training, the first half of the stipend will not need to be returned. The second payment will be made only on successful completion.
The current stipend program being provided through Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS) will be available through September 2025 or until allocated stipends are depleted. This could occur prior to that date.
Stipend resources can be utilized by the participant as they elect. Some examples include using stipend funds for transportation, childcare, computers or internet access.
Trainees receiving support from grant funds must be a citizen of the United States or a foreign national having possession of a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States.