As we enter respiratory illness season, ADHS is increasing awareness on how to prevent contracting a respiratory virus. ADHS works hard to ensure all communities know which tools are available to prevent respiratory illnesses.
One way we do this is through our partnership with community health workers. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of a community and have an in-depth understanding of the community they serve. Community Health Workers provide life-saving information to farmworkers, rural communities, and low-income communities through in-person outreach, in hopes of increasing knowledge and reducing health disparities.
“Respiratory viruses can pose a serious health threat. That’s why our partnership with community health workers is so valuable. They help break down health information barriers to high-risk communities by providing them with critical prevention tools,” said ADHS Health Disparities Program Manager Corina Ojeda.
In addition to addressing respiratory health, community health workers implement targeted strategies in various areas including school health, nutrition and physical activity, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke prevention.
“Our mission is to promote substantive improvement in the overall wellbeing of farmworkers and low to moderate-income individuals by providing and facilitating access to health, behavioral health, social services, housing rehabilitation, counseling, education, environmental health, and workforce development,” said Emma Torres, the Executive Director of Campesinos Sin Fronteras, one of the community health worker organizations that ADHS partners with.
To ensure health and safety standards are met, the ADHS Bureau of Licensing for Professions and Occupations provides CHWs with a state voluntary certification. Applicants applying for the first time may qualify for a fee waiver. We are proud to support community health workers as they become trusted advocates for health and wellness in their communities.
