Community Health Worker Association of RI

Trans Topic Tuesdays
2025-07-08 12:30 - 13:00, 2025-07-22 12:30 - 13:00, 2025-08-05 12:30 - 13:00, 2025-08-19 12:30 - 13:00, 2025-09-02 12:30 - 13:00, 2025-09-16 12:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Trans Topic Tuesdays are a short, informal, weekly learning session dedicated to illuminating complex concepts related to LGBTQIA+ Life, Health, and Culture. Sessions frequently explore experiences, terms, needs, treatments, concepts that are missed in professional education surrounding LGBTQIA+ populations. Target audiences include but are not limited to: healthcare providers and healthcare support staff, behavioural healthcare providers and their support staff, education professionals, government service persons, human services professionals, funders, LGBTQIA+ people and their loved ones, and more.

Register!

Latinx CHW Support Group
2025-07-15 17:00 - 18:00, 2025-07-29 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-08-12 17:00 - 18:00, 2025-08-26 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-09-09 17:00 - 18:00, 2025-09-23 12:00 - 13:00
EL GRUPO DE APOYO PARA TRABAJADORES DE LA SALUD LATINOS

Si! Llego a RI, ahora tendremos la oportunidad de que nuestras voces sean oidas, podamos expresarnos con libertad y lo mas importante, recibir el apoyo que necesitamos.

Este es el Grupo de Apoyo para Trabajadores Latinos que se reúnen vía zoom para compartir sus retos, experiencias, recursos y escuchamos y entendemos tus problemas en tu propio idioma.

Obtén todo el apoyo que necesitas para hacer mejor tu Trabajo!

Si tiene alguna pregunta, envia un correo electronico a Wiston Delgado.

La continuidad de este grupo es posible gracias a una generosa subvención de Juanita Sánchez Community Fund a través de Rhode Island Foundation.

Latinx CHW Support Group

This support group for Spanish speaking CHWs meets over zoom. CHWs share their challenges in their own language, listen compassionately, and share resources. Get the support you need to do the difficult work you do!

Facilitated by Wiston Delgado, CCHW and Lina Roman, CCHW.

Email Wiston Delgado for the zoom link.

The continuation of this group is possible through a generous grant from the RI Foundation’s Juanita Sánchez Community Fund.

Behavioral Health Foundations for CHWs Webinar
2025-07-24 12:00 - 13:00
Behavioral Health Foundations for CHWs WebinarThursday, July 24th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET University of New England’s Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network and MCD Global HealthAt the end of this training, participants will have learned how to: Define behavioral health and explain its relevance to whole-person care. Describe the unique role of CHWs in promoting mental wellness and supporting individuals. Understand common mental health concerns and substance use disorders. Understand how stigma affects help-seeking behavior. Access learning resources and referral tools for continued development. To learn more and register for this training, click the link below!

Another link

CHW Voices
2025-07-28 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-08-25 11:00 - 12:30
For Leadership and Advocacy

Join us!

Zoom Link

This link was updated on 9/19/24

CHW Voices participants can always expect to:

Meet other CHWs

Contribute to policy discussions

Strengthen community connections

Join networking groups

Keep up to date on CHW news

Did you participate in the 2023 RI CHW Conference – or wish you had?Join other CHWs to share your ideas and play a part in planning for the next CHW Conference in 2024. Email questions here.

This zoom link will be the same for each month’s session:https://ctc-ri.zoom.us/j/99461656622?pwd=[REDACTED]

Recertification & Specialties Application Workshop
2025-07-29 12:00 - 13:30, 2025-08-26 12:00 - 13:30
See more workshop dates here!

CHWARI would like to help you get re-certified and /or apply for RICB specialty endorsements like HIV, Older Adults and CVD/DM. These workshops are designed to answer questions and help you prepare your materials for submission to the RICB. We will answer general questions in the main group and then split into breakout rooms for re-certification vs specialties.

See RICB official pages here:

Recertification

HIV Specialty Endorsement

Specialty in Older Adults

Cardiovascular Health & Diabetes Management (CVD/DM)

If you have any questions, please email CHWARI’s Project Certification Specialist, Daniel Dodd, ddodd@ric.edu.

Register

Certification Application Workshop in English & Spanish
2025-07-31 17:00 - 18:30
(See other dates here.)

Learn How to Apply for Certification!

Begin preparing your CHW application, including portfolio, for submission to the RI Certification Board.

If you have already taken a Community Health Worker training and want guidance on applying for CHW certification in RI, this workshop is for you! This free virtual workshop will give advice, clarity and facts about preparing your portfolio. Please note: CHWARI does not provide the certification itself; that authority resides with the RI Certification Board. This workshop will provide basic guidance but will refer you to the RICB for more complex questions.

“Getting my CHW Certification helped me get promoted. It also helped me push forward with getting a bachelor’s degree. Becoming a CCHW can open so many opportunities, that it’s worth the time and effort to get certified.” – Wendy Sanchez, CCHW, Resident Services Manager, ONE Neighborhood Builders

Certification (or a plan with your employer to get it) is necessary for getting Medicaid reimbursement for your CHW services, so register today!

This workshop is open to those who:

Have completed 70 hours of Core Competency CHW Training, or who are currently enrolled in a training program that will result in meeting that requirement (having applied for such a training does not count)

Are employed as CHWs or who have completed 1000 hours of CHW work in recent years

Have completed 1000 hours of CHW work in recent years

If you have not yet completed Core Competency CHW Training, join the Community Health Worker Association of RI here to learn about upcoming training opportunities.

Register for this workshop ASAP!

Register

If you have any questions, please email CHWARI’s Project Certification Specialist, Daniel Dodd, ddodd@ric.edu.

This FREE training is funded by the Rhode Island Department of Health and is delivered by the Community Health Worker Association of RI, part of the Institute for Education in Healthcare at Rhode Island College.

Independent CHW Information & Listening Session
2025-08-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Warren Alpert Medical School, 222 Richmond Street, Providence, RI, 02903, United States
RI Independent CHWs – We’re Here to Help Information & Listening SessionWednesday 8/13, in-person

Last minute gathering! Please Share with Independents!

Changes to CHW work in RI are happening fast and with a fair amount of confusion and they significantly impact those CHWs who have been operating independently. RI Independent Community Health Works (RIICHW) and The Community Health Worker Association of RI (CHWARI) invite RI’s Independent CHWs to gather in-person this Wednesday at the Warren Alpert Medical School for a peer-led discussion. We have created this safe space for Independent CHWs to talk about the recent changes to CHW reimbursement by Medicaid and what it means for the future of Independent CHWs.

WHO should come: RI Independent CHWsWHEN: Wednesday, 8/13, 3-5pmWHERE: Warren Alpert Medical School, 222 Richmond St, Providence (ask security for room #)WHAT: Information, listening and light refreshments will be served

This is not billing training, but a forum to discuss and understand the changes and to share how both organizations will be providing support. RIICHW will be providing billing training; sign up sheets for future sessions will be available at this event.

RSVP to Koren Carbuccia at koren_carbuccia@brown.edu

RSVP

Medicaid Informational Session, English
2025-08-28 10:00 - 11:30
Updated CHW Manual (v. 4.2):EOHHS has updated the CHW Manual V 4.2 and it is now available on the EOHHS website. This updated Manual is available in Spanish here. We recommend reviewing it to understand the most recent program changes.

EOHHS will host an English and Spanish RI Medicaid CHW information session on August 28th regarding the program changes and the enrollment requirements effective 10/1.

English session: August 28, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. → Register here

Spanish session: August 28, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. → Register here

Important: You must register in advance to receive the invitation and attend either session.

These sessions will be an excellent opportunity to learn about program changes and the steps needed to maintain enrollment and meet the new requirements.

If you have questions you would like addressed at these info sessions, submit them here by 8/21/25 and CHWARI will share with EOHHS.

Postponed: Certification Application Workshop in English & Spanish
2025-08-28 12:00 - 13:30
This event has been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control. Please re-register for the workshop which will now take place September 25th from 12:00 – 1:30 pm

September 25th

(See other dates here.)

Learn How to Apply for Certification!

Begin preparing your CHW application, including portfolio, for submission to the RI Certification Board.

If you have already taken a Community Health Worker training and want guidance on applying for CHW certification in RI, this workshop is for you! This free virtual workshop will give advice, clarity and facts about preparing your portfolio. Please note: CHWARI does not provide the certification itself; that authority resides with the RI Certification Board. This workshop will provide basic guidance but will refer you to the RICB for more complex questions.

“Getting my CHW Certification helped me get promoted. It also helped me push forward with getting a bachelor’s degree. Becoming a CCHW can open so many opportunities, that it’s worth the time and effort to get certified.” – Wendy Sanchez, CCHW, Resident Services Manager, ONE Neighborhood Builders

Certification (or a plan with your employer to get it) is necessary for getting Medicaid reimbursement for your CHW services, so register today!

This workshop is open to those who:

Have completed 70 hours of Core Competency CHW Training, or who are currently enrolled in a training program that will result in meeting that requirement (having applied for such a training does not count)

Are employed as CHWs or who have completed 1000 hours of CHW work in recent years

Have completed 1000 hours of CHW work in recent years

If you have not yet completed Core Competency CHW Training, join the Community Health Worker Association of RI here to learn about upcoming training opportunities.

Register for this workshop ASAP!

If you have any questions, please email David Zuleta at dzuleta@ric.edu.

This FREE training is funded by the Rhode Island Department of Health and is delivered by the Community Health Worker Association of RI, part of the Institute for Education in Healthcare at Rhode Island College.

Medicaid Informational Session in Spanish
2025-08-28 13:30 - 15:00

Jornada de Capacitación y Reconocimiento
2025-08-30 09:00 - 15:00 | Hampton Inn Pawtucket, 2 George Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 02860, United States
Ofrecida por el Centro de Innovación y Bienstar

Esta reunión anual se ha convertido en un espacio valioso donde los Trabajadores Comunitarios de Salud Hispanos de todo el estado se reúnen para celebrar su trabajo esencial, fortalecer sus habilidades profesionales y construir redes significativas.

Como parte del evento, ofreceremos un taller acreditado con 4 horas de Educación Continua, y el tema de este año será:

“La defensa no comienza en la Casa de Gobierno… Comienza en la Comunidad”

Una reflexión y llamado a la acción que destaca el papel vital de los Trabajadores Comunitarios de Salud como defensores que inician su labor a nivel local.

Detalles del evento:

Fecha: Sábado, 30 de agosto de 2025

Hora: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Lugar: Hampton Inn Pawtucket

Dirección: 2 George St, Pawtucket, RI 02860

Costo: Gratuito

Formulario de inscripción

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mOd3aAJj6Cc6tIEj1SrOuD3ruR0PorWCCMpewNPDjp8/viewform

Nota: El evento es para Trabajadores Comunitarios de Salud Hispanos y se realiza completamente en español.

Annual Training and Recognition Day

from Centro de Innovación y Bienstar

This annual gathering has become a valued space where Hispanic Community Health Workers from across the state come together to celebrate their essential work, strengthen their professional skills, and build meaningful networks.

As part of the event, we will offer a workshop accredited with 4 Continuing Education hours, and this year’s topic will be:

“Advocacy Doesn’t Start at the State House… It Starts in the Community”

A reflection and call to action highlighting the vital role of Community Health Workers as advocates starting at the local level.

Event details:

Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Location: Hampton Inn Pawtucket

Address: 2 George St, Pawtucket, RI 02860

Cost: Free of charge

RSVP form

Note: The event is for Hispanic CHWs and is conducted entirely in Spanish.

Curso Básico de Trabajador de la Salud Comunitaria
2025-09-02 18:00 - 22:00
El Centro de Innovación en Salud y Bienestar ofrecerá la próxima sesión de su Curso Básico de Trabajador de la Salud Comunitaria a partir del martes 2 de septiembre de 2025. Este curso se imparte íntegramente en español. Cumple con todos los requisitos de la Rhode Island Certification Board (RICB) y ofrece un total de 100 horas de Educación Continua a través de la Universidad Interamericana, lo que lo convierte en una excelente oportunidad para quienes buscan desarrollo profesional en el trabajo de salud comunitaria.

Para obtener información sobre costos, días y horarios de clases, las personas interesadas pueden inscribirse a través del siguiente enlace:

👉 Formulario de Inscripción

Centro De Innovación Salud y Bienestar will be offering the next session of their Basic Community Health Worker Course beginning on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. This course is offered entirely in Spanish. It meets all the requirements of the Rhode Island Certification Board (RICB) and provides a total of 100 hours of Continuing Education through the Interamerican University, making it an excellent opportunity for those seeking professional development in community health work.

For details regarding cost, class days, and times, interested individuals may register using the following link:

👉 Registration Form

Working with Schools to Support Youth Mental Health
2025-09-05 09:00 - 10:00 | Rhode Island College, 600 Mount Pleasant Street, Providence, RI, 02908, United States
About the class

This 30-hour, hybrid training is offered by Rhode Island College’s Institute for Education in Healthcare. It will prepare you to build effective partnerships to support student mental health in partnership with schools and families. Participants will learn about current issues, roles and responsibilities, laws, policies, and procedures, and practices that support strong working relationships between providers in and outside of schools.

Participants will work together to develop shared understanding of the role of the various professionals and to develop and share practice strategies that can support their work with youth, families, and schools.

Schedule:

September 5th, Online Work begins

September 12 (Friday) 9AM – 2PM – In Person at RIC

September 17 (Wednesday) 5:30 – 8:30 PM – Zoom

September 19 (Friday) 9AM – 2PM – In Person at RIC

September 24 (Wednesday) 5:30 – 8:30 PM – Zoom

September 26 (Friday) 9AM – 2PM – In Person at RIC

This course is designed for individuals working in school-adjacent organizations that serve youth and/or families. Its content is also appropriate for undergraduate or graduate students in education or mental health fields who are interested in working in schools or with youth and families.

PDF Flyer

Documented completion of this course would count as 30 training hours towards the Rhode Island Certification Board’s Community Health Worker training requirement for certification and recertification.

Learn more!

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
2025-09-06 09:00 - 14:00
Atención CCHWs Hispanohablantes

La próxima sección del Curso de Salud Mental y Trastornos por Uso de Sustancias del Centro de Innovación Salud y Bienestar (impartido íntegramente en español) comenzará el sábado 6 de septiembre de 2025. El curso tiene una duración total de 30 horas, impartidas durante 6 sábados consecutivos de 9:00 a. m. a 2:00 p. m.

Este curso cumple con todos los requisitos para obtener el Endoso en Salud Mental y Trastornos por Uso de Sustancias de la Rhode Island Certification Board (RICB).

Para inscribirse y obtener información sobre el costo, las personas interesadas pueden utilizar el siguiente enlace:

👉 Formulario de Inscripción

Attention Spanish-Speaking CHWs!

The next section of Centro De Innovación Salud y Bienestar’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Course (taught entirely in Spanish) will begin on Saturday, September 6, 2025. The course has a total duration of 30 hours, held over 6 consecutive Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This course meets all the requirements for the Mental Health and Substance Use Endorsement from the Rhode Island Certification Board (RICB).

To register and obtain information about the cost, interested individuals can use the following link:

👉 Registration Form

CHW Core Competency Training
2025-09-10 17:30 - 20:30
September 10- December 17, 2025Wednesdays 5:30-8:30pmVirtual over Zoom

This application has closed due to the high number of applications received. Please join our newsletter for announcements about upcoming core trainings https://chwari.org/join-chwari/

Get the training you need to apply for CHW Certification!

CHWARI’s FREE virtual Community Health Worker Core Competency Training is intended to prepare participants for entry-level CHW positions in community-based social service, healthcare and behavioral health settings. Its 12 modules are each aligned with a set of competencies defined by the Rhode Island Certification Board. Each module includes 3 hours of live zoom training plus 3 hours of training activities, for a total of 72 training hours, fulfilling the 70-hour requirement for RI CHW certification. Applicants must be fluent in English.

This CHW Core Training will run over ZOOM on Wednesday evenings, 5:30pm to 8:30pm from September 10th to December 17th, 2025. *Please note that this training has different weekly hours than some of our past core trainings. This is 3 hours each week of zoom class and 3 hours a week of “homework.”* ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED AT ALL ZOOM SESSIONS.

Specific Dates: 9/10, 9/17, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17.

See the Core Competencies of a Community Health Worker here.

Learn about getting your Community Health Worker Certification here.

Application Link: https://forms.gle/yc5zqvgGzkkeatdY6

This training is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and conducted by the Community Health Worker Association of RI housed at the Institute for Education in Healthcare at Rhode Island College.

CHW Voices
2025-09-22 11:00 - 12:30
For Leadership and Advocacy

Join us! Learn more about us here: chwari.org/chw-voices-for-leadership-advocacy/

CHW Voices participants can always expect to:

Meet other CHWs

Contribute to policy discussions

Strengthen community connections

Join networking groups

Keep up to date on CHW news

New Zoom Link 9/25 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86047779233?pwd=[REDACTED]

Email questions to RI CHW Voices richwvoices@gmail.com

Zoom Link

Certification Application Workshop
2025-09-25 12:00 - 13:00
(See other dates here.)

Learn How to Apply for Certification!

Begin preparing your CHW application, including portfolio, for submission to the RI Certification Board.

If you have already taken a Community Health Worker training and want guidance on applying for CHW certification in RI, this workshop is for you! This free virtual workshop will give advice, clarity and facts about preparing your portfolio. Please note: CHWARI does not provide the certification itself; that authority resides with the RI Certification Board. This workshop will provide basic guidance but will refer you to the RICB for more complex questions.

“Getting my CHW Certification helped me get promoted. It also helped me push forward with getting a bachelor’s degree. Becoming a CCHW can open so many opportunities, that it’s worth the time and effort to get certified.” – Wendy Sanchez, CCHW, Resident Services Manager, ONE Neighborhood Builders

Certification (or a plan with your employer to get it) is necessary for getting Medicaid reimbursement for your CHW services, so register today!

This workshop is open to those who:

Have completed 70 hours of Core Competency CHW Training, or who are currently enrolled in a training program that will result in meeting that requirement (having applied for such a training does not count)

Are employed as CHWs or who have completed 1000 hours of CHW work in recent years

Have completed 1000 hours of CHW work in recent years

If you have not yet completed Core Competency CHW Training, join the Community Health Worker Association of RI here to learn about upcoming training opportunities.

Register for this workshop ASAP!

If you have any questions, please email joinchwari@gmail.com. We have had to change the zoom link for this meeting due to unforseen circumstances. If you have already registered, please do so again OR just go straight to the meeting link at 12pm on 9/25/25.

New Registration Link created 9/24/25!

New Zoom Meeting Link

September 2025 HEZ Learning Community
2025-09-30 10:30 - 16:30
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 | 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Grand Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Warwick801 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, RI 02886Please note: this Learning Community will begin later than previous events. The day begins at 10:30 a.m. with registration, refreshments, exhibit tables, and networking.

Read More and Register

Join colleagues, partners, and allies from across the state for engaging discussions, action oriented workshops, networking, and other community-driven opportunities! Lunch and an afternoon refreshment to be provided.

This Learning Community is part of the HEZ Training and Technical Assistance Program (TTAP). The purpose of HEZ TTAP is to provide forums for cumulative learning, knowledge sharing, leadership development, and alignment necessary to support the HEZ initiative’s network of community members, organizations, and institutions in their efforts to achieve population and systems-level change to advance equity in RI.

Agenda

Registration, Exhibit Tables, Networking, Refreshments……………10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Lunch and Exhibit Tables…………………………………………………….……………….12:00-1:00 p.m.

120-minute Workshop……………..……………………………………………………………………1-4 p.m.

90-minute Workshops……………..………………………………………………………………..1-2:30 p.m.

Travel…………………………………………………………………………..…………………………2:30-2:40 p.m.

90-minute Workshops………………………………..…………………………………………2:40-4:10 p.m.

Travel…………………………………………………………………………..…………………………4:10-4:20p.m.

Closing………………………………………………………………………………………….……….4:20-4:30p.m.

**Please note this Learning Community will start later than previous events.

Workshops

120-minute Workshop……………..………………………………………………………………..1-4 p.m.

Beloved Community: What is it and how do we build it?

While aspirational, the concept of the Beloved Community is intended to be practical rather than utopian. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made the term popular and gave it a deeper meaning by making it the overarching goal of nonviolence. It is a community where the level of relationships are raised to a higher level and where issues can be dealt with jointly in a constructive manner and objectives can move forward in a more efficient way due to the heightened sense of belonging and ownership. We are all members of many communities where we live, work, and spend leisure time. During this session we will assess the communities we belong to and discuss how we can be deliberate about strengthening our organizational community for the betterment of our workforce and the clients that we serve.

90-minute Workshops……………..……………………………………………………………1-2:30 p.m.

Kidding Around: Supporting Teen ParentsTeen parenthood is often regarded as an unplanned phase of life resulting in an unwanted child. In this session, we will invite participants to consider a radical new way of thinking about family planning to acknowledge conscious teen parenting. In this workshop, we will review local data on rates and risks of teen parenthood. We will move from theory to practice by acknowledging stigmatizing attitudes and exploring the gaps in services that create greater challenges for young parents. Furthermore, we will share innovative strategies to more intentionally integrate teens into parenting and maternal health services.

Efficient Housing for All Community of Practice: CHW Weatherization Ambassadors are the Key to Improving Home and Human Health in RI’s Underresourced CommunitiesFact #1: Energy efficient, weatherized homes are healthier, more comfortable, and cost less to heat and cool. Fact #2: Rhode Island has programs in place for income-eligible residents to weatherize their homes at no cost. Fact #3: Participation in weatherization programs by income-eligible ratepayers is very low.

The Efficient Housing for All Community of Practice (EHACoP) brought community-based workers and residents together to brainstorm ways to increase participation in RI’s income eligible weatherization programs from April-July 2025. In this session, EHACoP participants and staff from the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension will a) share the results from the EHACoP, b) provide information about future CHW training available in 2026, and provide an opportunity for session participants to earn incentives for signing up for and completing a home energy assessment of their own! The goal? To make energy efficiency accessible to all and improve human and environmental health in the process. Join us!

Optional – Community Overdose Engagement (CODE) Grantee Meeting

Join this optional session to meet and receive updates from CODE Project Managers and meet with other community facing professionals working to address the overdose crisis. Audience: HEZ CODE Grant receipients and their community partners.

90-minute Workshops………………………………..…………………………………….2:40-4:10 p.m.

I’m Gonna Need to See Some ID: Moving Towards Racial HealingRaise your consciousness! In this workshop, participants will be motivated to continue pursuing equity in the wake of the current socio-political climate. Participants will strengthen their Self-knowledge by examining and distinguishing their own attitudes towards race and racism. They will be introduced to the Hoffman Integrated Racial Identity Development Model. With this model, they will be equipped with a powerful tool to continue their process of unlearning our racial conditioning. They will also develop insights to better understand and engage people who are in different places in their journey towards racial understanding.

It’s Not Beautiful but it’s Reality: Addressing the Budget Reconciliation with Empathy, Compassion, and Practical Options

Policy change is coming- let’s face it together. This session blends updates on federal budget reconciliation with space for collective reflection and pragmatic strategies for navigating open enrollment 2025-2026.
