Free Community Health Worker Certificate cohort offered online through UH Maui College

Applications are now being accepted from Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi residents for the 2024-2025 Kealaho’imai Community Health Worker Certificate cohort offered through the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College’s Human Services Program. This is the second free Community Health Worker Certificate cohort to be sponsored by Hui No Ke Ola Pono’s Kealaho’imai program, which promotes Native Hawaiian workforce development in the healthcare and wellness industries.

Community health workers are trusted members of the community who work in health and human service settings to provide culturally appropriate health education, outreach services, and care coordination. Also known as outreach workers or navigators, community health workers assure access to healthcare, promote healthy community, and build individual and community capacity.

Students in the free Community Health Worker cohort will complete five online courses over the span of a year in order to earn a Certificate of Competence. The cohort will enroll in one, 3-credit course per semester or summer session for a total of 15 credits. All courses will meet online during weekday evenings starting no earlier than 5 p.m.

The first course, Community Health Worker Fundamentals, will begin Aug. 26 for the 2024 fall semester and meet Tuesday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. Subsequent courses will include Individual Counseling, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, and Case Management. The cohort will end with 200 hours of fieldwork experience at a local human services agency as part of the Seminar & Fieldwork course during the 2025 fall semester.

Applicants must be ages 18 years and older, possess a high school diploma or equivalent, and reside on Maui, Molokaʻi, or Lānaʻi. The online application deadline is July 7, 2024 for non-UHMC students or July 28, 2024 for current UHMC students. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and select applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. More information including the online application can be accessed at www.hnkop.org/kealahoimai or contact kealahoi@hawaii.edu.