NEWS & EVENTS

May 17, 2017 A promising healthcare initiative aims to eliminate language as a barrier to effective wellness and medical treatment. WorkOne Northwest is one of several partners promoting community health workers to serve the area’s Spanish speaking communities. A state of Indiana workforce grant—Skill Up—is funding the unique program. Esperanza Ministries—based in Greenwood—is l ...   Read More »

May 17, 2017

A promising healthcare initiative aims to eliminate language as a barrier to effective wellness and medical treatment.

WorkOne Northwest is one of several partners promoting community health workers to serve the area’s Spanish speaking communities. A state of Indiana workforce grant—Skill Up—is funding the unique program.

Esperanza Ministries—based in Greenwood—is leading this initiative.  The state training grant will allow the nonprofit group to serve 100 individuals in Lake and four other Indiana counties with large Hispanic/Latino populations.

Recently, the initial class of 11 persons began their training program. There is no cost to interested individuals.

According to the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Community Health Workers  “assist individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors. Individuals in this position “conduct outreach for medical personnel or health organizations to implement programs in the community that promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health.”

WorkOne staff recently invited employer representatives to a meeting to learn more about the training initiative.  According to Allison Bertl, WorkOne Business Services Manager, several business representatives expressed interest in workers that speak two languages and have a basic understanding of healthcare and medical issues and terminology.

“If Spanish is the primary language of their customers and patients, healthcare organizations understand the importance of having a workforce capable of communicating in that language,” said Bertl.

Esperanza Ministries—with the assistance of WorkOne—is now recruiting candidates for the second class that begins May 22.  Individuals must be at least 18 years of age and must be a high school graduate or have a GED.  Each person must be able to work in the United States and have an ability to speak or understand the Spanish language.

The training to become a certified Community Health Worker includes 40 hours of classroom instruction, 30 hours of leadership training and a 20-hour internship.  Individuals will also have access to six months of mentoring assistance once they are placed into a position.

In addition to having a command of Spanish, ideal candidates should possess strong listening and organizational skills, demonstrate problem-solving skills, possess the ability to motivate and encourage others, and understand the importance of maintaining confidential information.

For more information about the Community Health Worker training program, persons should contact Margarita Hart, the interim Executive Director for Esperanza Ministries.  Her email address is: Margarita@esperanzanjesus.org