NC AHEC CHW Specialty Training Program: Strong Teams, Better Care - Team Communication for CHWs

Register now for this online, self-guided course!

About This Module

Effective communication is the foundation of high-quality patient care, particularly for Community Health Workers (CHWs) who serve as the bridge between healthcare providers and the communities they support. This module equips CHWs with the team-based communication skills necessary to ensure patient needs are heard, addressed, and acted upon within an interdisciplinary healthcare team.

Learners will explore how to use proven communication frameworks such as TeamSTEPPS, SBAR, Closed-Loop Communication, and DESC to enhance care coordination and prevent miscommunication-related errors.

By completing this module, CHWs will gain the skills to advocate for patients effectively, collaborate with medical professionals, and resolve communication barriers in real-world healthcare settings.

About This Series

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. As a vital workforce advancing health outcomes across the state, CHWs must have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and strengthen their skills to support the health and wellness of all North Carolinians.

With funding from the NC Department of Health Benefits (Medicaid), NC AHEC has collaborated with CHWs, CHW supervisors, and other key stakeholders to develop CHW Specialty Training standards, identify core training topics, and create a series of online modules designed to prepare CHWs to work alongside primary care practices within the Medicaid Managed Care network.

Each module offers continuing education credit recognized by the NC CHW Association for certification maintenance. Some modules address standalone topics, while others may be taken together to build deeper understanding in key areas. All modules are co-developed with CHWs to ensure the learning content and format reflect CHW culture and real-world experience.

This course is part of the online NC AHEC Community Health Worker courses of recorded content.

In Collaboration with

By registering for this program, participants understand that their contact information may be shared with NC DHHS.

This module is made available by funding provided by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.