Community Health Worker (CHW)

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a health outreach worker who coordinates access and care to help bridge the gaps and eliminate barriers between health care, social services, and the needs of at-risk members of our community. A CHW conducts home and site visits to analyze risks, match individuals to needed services such as primary care provider, health insurance coverage, dental care, housing and food sources. This course includes 36 hours of classroom instruction and 20 hours outside of class completing a self-directed community project. See the detailed course syllabus here.

About the Instructor - Terry Chianello  Terry Chianello has a PhD in Social Work and Social Research and has been teaching for Portland State University in the long-distance graduate social work program for the last two years. Integrated health care has been one of her strong interests and led to research on the development of specific tools designed to work with individuals who have unexplained physical symptoms and the medical providers who treat them. Terry also is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been providing psychotherapy for over 25 years. She has expertise in emotional trauma and abuse; and, has worked in various settings to include hospitals, outpatient behavioral clinics, home health, and more recently, private practice. By combining teaching, research, and two decades of counseling experience, she offers a comprehensive approach to the challenging issues of mental and physical health.