Reach Out – Strengthening California's Inland Empire

So many people become distrusting of the health system because they are given solutions to symptoms that never address the root cause – and that’s why they keep coming back for additional care. It is a never ending flywheel that costs organizations money and steal hope and peace of mind from clients/patients. These people also tend to lose faith in the medical system when it doesn't seem ever able to solve their problems. This isn't the fault of the healthcare professionals serving these folks -- they simply don't have the time to give to patients less-equipped to navigate the busy system. But CHWs can fill this role nicely, gathering data about a patient's day-to-day and home situation that might uncover the root cause of issues that bring them back to a clinic over and over again. The time CHWs are able to spend helps them build trust. These workers also have extensive training about how to interview and gather critical data from community members who may be less forthcoming. This allows illumination of potential blind spots, and equates to better outcomes for everyone. #HealthCare #RootCause #CommunityHealthWorkers

Who should take community health worker training? We honestly think any public-facing individual will benefit from this training program. CHW training is less oriented around healthcare and more targeted at seeing clients as human beings and learning to effectively engage and interact with them to build understanding, defuse tension, and create trust. This training builds relationship skills, teaching human beings how better to relate to one another. Who can you think of that deals with other humans in stressful situations? How about: ?? teachers ?? policemen ?? firefighters ?? hospice and palliative care workers ?? home health aids ?? front office staff at municipal offices (the DMV?) Learn more about CHW training in the comments! #CommunityHealthWorkers #CHWTraining #PublicFacingProfessionals

The role of CHWs is broad and flexible. Steven Hardacre, Chief Academic Officer of Pacific Empire College makes a valid case for why community health workers should be present in every hospital emergency room. This is a situation where community members arrive at their most vulnerable, and if there is a language barrier or some other fear about the medical profession or perhaps documentation, CHWs are the best-equipped to communicate and serve these members. In many ways, CHWs can be seen as the intake or onboarding element of traditional healthcare environments, smoothing the path between a potential patient and the provider tapped to diagnose and treat. #CommunityHealthWorkers #HealthcareAccess #EmergencyRoomCare

Community health workers are not useful only in healthcare settings. Any public-facing position that meets people who may be experiencing stress or trauma can benefit from the training provided by CHW programs like that offered at Pacific Empire College. #CommunityHealthWorkers #PublicHealth #MentalHealthSupport

Community Health Workers mobilize health services, taking them out into the communities where they operate in order to meet clients and patients where they are. This allows them to gather qualitative data and information that helps medical facilities and practitioners better understand and serve their communities. These workers, by the very nature of being able to make home visits or check on community members who may be unhoused, gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues a community is facing, and can communicate those issues and fears back to medical care teams. This enables them to do their jobs even better, alleviating some of the burden on healthcare professionals and on the healthcare system.

It's become much more likely that you have heard the term "Community Health Worker." That's because since COVID, these critical health workers have been more visible and demonstrated their versatility and flexibility, jumping in to provide hands-on services that nurses and doctors don't have the time to provide. CHWs are fluent in the culture and languages of their communities, creating a bridge between the medical staff and the patient population, and they add bandwidth to care teams. Through the Pacific Empire College, Reach Out is partnering with a variety of organizations on the cutting edge of this movement -- the "early adopters" of CHWs. We are also helping educate the public and organizations bout the true value this workforce brings to the care landscape, and the business case of health and social services delivery. Learn more about PEC in the comments!

California's governor recently called for there to be 25,000 community health workers throughout the state of California. Currently, there are somewhere between 6000 and 7000. Pacific Empire College, an accredited program for training and developing CHWs seeks to double the current number of CHWs across the state by offering our tested and proven curriculum, which meets all 11 areas of competency as set forth by the state. There is a huge employment opportunity in community-based organizations, hospitals, and healthcare service locations. With more challenges to healthcare access than ever, PEC is hoping to grow a movement, driving the proliferation of community healthcare workers throughout the state to create better access to services and medical care for all residents.

Pacific Empire College serves two broad audiences: ? Employers seeking to Leverage community health workers in a hospital, clinic, or CBO ? Professionals looking to expand their career with our community health worker training As a peer-level resource to care recipients, CHWs work closely with them and their care teams, forming intricate, personal relationships that the fast pace of clinical settings typically do not provide. As a trusted intermediary, CHWs play a vital role in addressing health disparities in underserved populations and improving health outcomes. Learn more about Pacific Empire College in the comments! #CommunityHealth #HealthWorkers #CareerDevelopment

After years of delivering training to hundreds of CHWs and organizations throughout the Inland Empire, Reach Out is excited to officially announce Pacific Empire College! We've spent two years working behind the scenes to become accredited by the state of California to align our programming to the highest standards in order to best support our students and the state in answering the growing need for Community Health Workers. Our goal is to make CHWs a familiar and reliable part of the Inland Empire's healthcare system, creating better access and outcomes for patients from all communities. Cohorts have already graduated and new cohorts are forming! Learn more in the comments!

Join us for a crucial webinar on key developments affecting nonprofits with federal funding. We’ll cover: ? How to seek an extension for certification requests & potential risks ? Updates on the lawsuit & Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) ? What to expect from tomorrow’s TRO hearing Make informed decisions and protect your organization. Don’t miss out! Link: bit.ly/42VEjZ7