Community Health Workers/Recovery Coaches
Role Description
Community Health Worker
A Community Health Worker (CHW) has been defined by the American Public Health Association as “a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served”. Through these bonds with the community, CHWs are able to increase access to and improve the quality of medical and social services. Specifically, CHWs are seen to fulfill the following roles within a community:
- Cultural Mediation Among Individuals, Communities, and Health and Social Service Systems
- Providing Culturally Appropriate Health Education and Information
- Care Coordination, Case Management, and System Navigation
- Providing Coaching and Social Support
- Advocating for Individuals and Communities
- Building Individual and Community Capacity
- Providing Direct Service
- Implementing Individual and Community Assessments
- Conducting Outreach
- Participating in Evaluation and Research
Certified Peer Addiction Recovery Coach
A Certified Peer Addiction Recovery Coach (CPRC) has been reinforced by Faces & Voices of Recovery as someone who “helps remove personal and environmental obstacles to recovery, links the newly recovering person to the recovering community, and serves as a personal guide and mentor in the management of personal and family recovery”. They are typically able to relate their own life experiences to those they are serving. As peer support, CPARCs work with medical providers to support those on the path to recovery. They are seen to have four functions within a community:
- Promote recovery
- Remove barriers
- Connect community members to services
- Provide optimism/hope
Community Health Navigator
A Community Health Navigator (or Patient Navigator) is someone that works closely with patients within the healthcare system. According to the Patient Navigator Training Collaborative, Community Health Navigators work to remove barriers to accessing care and can be involved at every step of the process from the initial diagnosis to long-term treatments. Community Health Navigators can also help enroll patients in social services at the state and federal levels.
Effectiveness of Community Health Workers, Recovery Coaches
The research in support of the Community Health Worker model is extremely robust. Here are a few papers about the effectiveness of CHWs, CPARCs, and Community Health Navigators, respectively.
CHW
This paper reviews the literature surrounding CHWs and their effects on the United States Healthcare System. It determines that CHW interventions significantly reduce urgent care visits as well as more expensive hospital services. The review finds that CHWs focus on primary care and health education. It goes on to state that while the combinations of many services improve health outcomes, the importance of CHWs cannot be overstated.
This paper shows the effectiveness of CHWs in reducing re-admissions to the hospital. The researchers set up a randomized trial with 550 patients. Half of the patients received care from a CHW after being discharged from the hospital while half acted as the control group. They find that there was a significant reduction in readmission to the hospital and missed outpatient appointments in the group that worked with CHWs. This study shows through a randomized controlled trial that CHWs are able to support patients after discharge and decrease the need for readmission into a hospital.
CPRC
Peer-Delivered Recovery Support Services for Addictions in the United States: A Systematic Review
This paper provides a review of the literature on Peer Recovery Coaches (PRCs). It shows that PRCs can have positive effects on those with Substance Use Disorders. They are able to increase access to care and provide additional support during recovery. It also highlights the fact that PRCs can be helpful for a variety of substances. Overall, the paper reports that even though more research needs to be done, PRCs in combination with other health services can greatly improve care.
This paper outlines the purpose of Recovery Coaches (RCs) and their impact on the communities they serve. The researchers conducted interviews with RCs and their patients. They report that RCs are able to connect people with Substance Use Disorders to the correct services and motivate patients through shared experiences. Because a very small percentage of those with Substance Use Disorders have been found to receive treatment, RCs are extremely vital in increasing that number.
Community Health Navigators
This paper reviews the current research on Community Health Navigators and their effect on cancer screening. It explains the role of a Community Health Navigator and stresses the importance of the CHNs’ familiarity with the specific group they serve. Through this, CHNs are able to promote health services such as cancer screening that have been previously inaccessible. Overall, the review shows that the use of Community Health Navigators has increased the number of people who have received cancer screenings and highlights the importance of training for CHNs to continue their important work.