Increase the effectiveness of the community health worker workforce in Shelby County to support clients with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence to become virally suppress

Pillar: Treat
Goal: Improve access to care and treatment for 75% of PWH by 2025.
Strategy: Increase the effectiveness of the community health worker workforce in Shelby County to support clients with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence to become virally suppress.
Target: All newly diagnosed PWH who are out of care, All PWH who are not virally suppressed, Community health workers, Disease intervention specialists, Early intervention specialists, Medical case managers, People who are members of vulnerable subpopulations, Supervisors of community health workers, Retention in care programs

Key Activities:

High Priority and Disruptively Innovative

  1. Conduct two annual trainings for community health workers and supervisors (focusing on a variety of subjects, including specific populations—e.g., women, seniors, Latinx), using an evidence-based curriculum, open to all Ryan White grantees in Shelby County.
  2. Assign mentors to community health workers.
  3. Implement quarterly virtual coaching sessions to train community health workers and workers at FQHCs to improve their skills and abilities to retain clients in care.
  4. Define the required credentials, responsibilities, and standards for community health workers.
  5. Require that community health workers go through training and certification (including training on linkage to care and medication.)
  6. Require that community health workers receive intensive training on communication skills, health promotion, cultural competence, and risk factors.

Key Partners

All FQHCs, All interested parties, All RW grantees in Shelby County, C2P, FFL, LCHN, SCHD, University of Memphis—School of Social Work

Potential Funding Sources

Estimated Funding Allocation

  • Two annual CHW and supervisor trainings- $15,000
  • Cost to each agency for CHW salaries/benefits – $45,000
  • Virtual coach for quarterly coaching meetings with CHWs – $2000

    Total: $62,000

Outcomes

(Reported annually, locally monitored more frequently)

  • # of pre and post-test to assess knowledge.
  • # of direct observations using standardized checklist
  • # of attendees at CHW and supervisor trainings (sign-in sheets)
  • # of attendees at quarterly coaching meetings with CHW and supervisors

Monitoring Data Source

  • Surveillance data of viral suppression rates
  • Agency reports
  • FQHC annual reports/medical records