Bridging Community and Systems for Better Health and Well-Being

Community Health Worker Integration into Primary Care Advanced Medical Homes

Community Health Worker (CHW) services and programs are crucial in helping Advanced Medical Homes improve chronic disease self-management and health outcomes, enhance the patient experience, reduce emergency room utilization and hospital readmissions, as well as impact health equity and overall healthcare costs.

View the videos below to hear directly from Community Health Workers and healthcare providers working in NC about the important role that CHWs play in improving individual and community health.  

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The NC AHEC Community Health Worker (CHW) Program supports the development of a qualified and sustainable CHW workforce well equipped to advance health equity. While NC AHEC serves as an anchor partner in the NC CHW Initiative, the NC DHHS Office of Rural Health serves as the lead agency. For more information about our work, contact Cathryn Chandler at cathryn.chandler@mahec.net.

NC AHEC Practice Support is available in partnership with NC DHHS Division of Health Benefits. Practice Support coaches are able to support primary care practices interested in adding CHWs to their teams or optimizing existing CHW programs. This service is available at no charge to your practice. Visit the NC AHEC’s Practice Support webpage for more information, or contact us via email at practicesupport@ncahec.net to seek assistance.

CHW Workforce Training & Support

NC CORE COMPETENCY TRAINING

This training is offered through the NC Community College System and is required for CHW Certification in North Carolina. Learn more by visiting https://ncchwa.org/en/resources#scct.

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CHW SPECIALTY TRAINING

NC AHEC, as an anchor partner in the NC CHW Initiative, is committed to ensuring that Community Health Workers have access to ongoing training and professional development resources.  As a vital workforce for advancing health equity, it is important that CHWs are able to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their skills for providing all North Carolinians with the opportunity for health and wellness.  Through funding provided by the NC DHHS Department of Health Benefits (Medicaid), NC AHEC has worked with other key stakeholders, including CHWs and CHW supervisors, to develop standards for CHW Specialty training, identify key training topics, and develop a series of online modules specifically geared towards preparing CHWs to partner with primary care practices as part of the new Medicaid Managed Care network.   

Each module provides continuing education credit recognized by the NC CHW Association for the purposes of maintaining certification.  Some modules stand alone in terms of the topic covered while others can be combined to deepen CHW knowledge and skills on a particular topic.  Each module has been co-developed with CHWs to ensure the focus of learning and style of education reflects CHW culture and real-life scenarios.  This module is divided into sections focusing on an overview of NC Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care, the role of CHWs in Medicaid Managed Care, and the role of CHWs in client advocacy.   

CHW Integration into Advanced Medical Homes:
NC AHEC is developing self-paced online specialty training programs to prepare CHWs and practices for CHW integration into primary care as part of Medicaid Managed Care. Training programs will be released in English and Spanish on a rolling basis beginning February 2022. This service is also supplemented with Practice Support coaches with expertise in CHW optimization within your practice or Advanced Medical Home. Click on the links embedded in the training program titles below to learn more and to register.

ENGLISH
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Cultural Responsiveness
Social Determinants of Health
Chronic Disease – Prediabetes and Diabetes
Well Child Care & Immunization
Perinatal Prenatal and Postpartum
Client Interviewing
A Practical Look at Health Coaching Conversations
Introduction to Healthy Opportunities Pilots for CHWs
Introduction to Care Management for High-Risk Pregnancies (CMHRP)
Introduction to Care Management for At-Risk Children (CMARC)
Adolescent Health
ADHD (Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder)
Chronic Disease Prevention and Intervention
Chronic Disease Medication Adherence
Documentation in Client Record
Motivational Interviewing Conversations: Clients with Common Health Conditions
Working with Special Populations: LGBTQ
Care Management for CHWs
Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for Community Health Workers
Introduction to Health and Wellness Coaching for Community Health Workers
Resource Coordination
Behavioral Health Conditions:  Depression and Anxiety
Working with Clients with Behavioral Health Conditions
Overview of Medicaid Managed Care

SPANISH
Administración de Cuidados para Promotores de Salud
Trabajando con Clientes con Condiciones de Salud Conductual
Enfermedad Crónica: Adherencia a los Medicamentos
TDAH (Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad)
Condiciones de Salud Conductual: Depresión y Ansiedad
Introducción a el entrenamiento de salud y bienestar para Promotores de Salud
Salud Adolescente
Coordinación de Recursos
Introducción a la entrevista motivacional para Promotores de Salud
Conversaciones de entrevista motivacional: Clientes con Condiciones Médicas Comunes
Visión Conjunta de Administración de Medicaid
Determinantes Sociales de la Salud

These training programs are being developed with support from the NC DHHS Division of Health Benefits and will be made available free of charge.

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MONTHLY CHW PEER LEARNING COLLABORATIVES

This ECHO-based series brings CHWs from across the state together to support shared learning. The series is co-hosted by CHWs with topics selected through input from participants. Sessions are held monthly every third Thursday at noon. Live English-Spanish interpretation is provided.

Resources for Effective CHW Integration

NEW! CHW INTEGRATION WEBINAR SERIES
This series of webinars seeks to build awareness and understanding in a wide audience across the state about Community Health Workers (CHW) and CHW program models that can inform and benefit CHW integration strategies and activities in NC. There is a lot of strong and impactful CHW integration work going on in NC and across the country.  As a state, we are in the early phases of spreading and scaling CHW integration. It is important that we learn from those who have been leading this work to ensure that NC’s CHW integration approaches are the most impactful, equitable, and authentic (grounded in CHW culture).  Click on the title below to access a recording of the webinar.

Community Health Workers – A Vital Member of the Healthcare Team – Part 1 (Passcode: 3o2L.4c4)

Community Health Workers –  A Vital Member of the Healthcare Team – Part 2:
ENGLISH VERSION
SPANISH VERSION

An Introduction to Community Health Workers (CHWs) in North Carolina (passcode: 62%x3rJX)

CHW INTEGRATION & OPTIMIZATION TOOL
This tool is an evidence-informed comprehensive resource that includes a gap analysis, implementation resources, and a project management plan for integrating new or optimizing existing CHW programs in Advanced Medical Home settings. NC AHEC Practice Support coaches are able to assist you with the use of this tool as part of your CHW optimization efforts. For more information, please contact practicesupport@ncahec.net.

The Toolkit was developed with support from the NC DHHS Division of Health Benefits, NC AHEC, and the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation.

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ECHO FOR CHW INTEGRATION INTO ADVANCED MEDICAL HOMES
Two 8-session ECHO series will be offered in 2022 to Advanced Medical Homes (AMH) interested in preparing for, optimizing, and/or implementing CHW services and programs. This series is offered in conjunction with 1:1 support from an NC AHEC Practice Support coach as needed by the practice or AMH.

These ECHO series will be offered with support from the NC DHHS Division of Health Benefits and will be made available free of charge.

Medicaid Managed Care

NC AHEC Practice Support has partnered with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Division of Health Benefits to help healthcare providers thrive under Medicaid Managed Care.  Practice Support provides no-cost assistance with education and issue resolution, COVID19 vaccine assistance, quality improvement, clinical workflow redesign, Advanced Medical Home tier support, EHR optimization, telehealth integration, HIE training and integration, operational needs assessments, revenue cycle management, Tailored Care Management education and issue resolution, and Community Health Worker integration.  Practice support assistance can be requested via practicesupport@ncahec.net.  More information is also available on the NC Medicaid website for providers.

Webinar Series

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Benefits and North Carolina AHEC are offering an evening webinar series to help providers, practice managers, and quality managers succeed with Medicaid Managed Care.

Hosted by Shannon Dowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the NC Division of Health Benefits, the Medicaid Managed Care webinars on the 3rd Thursday of the month are dedicated to bringing you late breaking information and guidance on NC Medicaid’s transition to Managed Care.

Topics will vary, but each session will include an open question and answer period. Upcoming topics will include: pharmacy and durable medical equipment, behavioral health, transitions of care, specialized therapies, quality measures, network adequacy, provider directory, billing, incentive payments, clinical coverage policy updates, and more. 

Medicaid Managed Care Webinar Series:
Fireside (Winter)/Back Porch (Spring) Chats on Hot Topics

Hosted by Dr. Janelle White, Chief Medical Officer, NC Division of Health Benefits. Moderated by Hugh Tilson, Director of the NC AHEC Program.

This webinar series is from 5:30-6:30 PM.
  
May 16, 2024 | Topic TBD
August 15, 2024 | Topic TBD
November 21, 2024 | Topic TBD
February 20, 2025 | Topic TBD
May 15, 2025 | Topic TBD

Stay tuned for additional 2024 dates and topics.

Virtual Office Hours for Providers

Medicaid Transformation Provider Services and North Carolina AHEC are offering a series of Virtual Office Hours for providers. These sessions offer an interactive format for providers to ask questions on a variety of Medicaid Managed Care topics.

June 6, 2024 @ 5:30 p.m. | Provider Enrollment

Additional Webinars on Special Topics

This section is for additional webinars that are not part of any series, and include special topics.

TCOC Dashboard Launch for Providers | April 30 at 11:30 a.m.
Tailored Plan Claim Support for Providers | May 22 at 5:30 p.m. – registration details coming!

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Annual Virtual Statewide Quality Forum

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Benefits and North Carolina AHEC, in conjunction with the five Medicaid managed care health plans, have hosted three Annual Virtual Statewide Quality Forums.

Save the date!
4th Annual Virtual Statewide Quality Forum
October 2, 2024
Registration information coming soon!

View past forum recordings and slides by clicking the button below.

Webinar Series: Healthy Opportunities

North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot program is an unprecedented opportunity to test the integration of evidence-based, non-medical interventions into the state’s Medicaid program. The Pilots will provide non-medical services to qualifying Medicaid members across four domains: housing, food, transportation and interpersonal violence/toxic stress. Critically, frontline care managers working in Pilot regions will play an essential role in identifying members that may benefit from Pilot services, recommending appropriate services and coordinating their care.

Please visit our Healthy Opportunities webpage for more information, including a complete listing of current and past webinar offerings.

Webinar Series: Quality & Population Health

This series, formerly the Advanced Medical Home (AMH) Webinar Series, is designed to support providers, practice managers, quality improvement professionals, care managers, and clinically integrated networks (CINs).