Johnson County Public Health is convening a Community Health Worker Coalition

As part of the initial Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Plan project, a need to convene Community Health Workers and those in related fields was identified to accomplish the following goals:

  • To share information about resources available to better serve community members
  • To provide a professional network for staff serving these roles to support
  • To participate in Johnson County Public Health's Community Health Assessment to support identification of needs and resources

What is a Community Health Worker?

The answer to this depends on who you ask! There have been numerous official definitions of the role, although the definition from the American Public Health Association (APHA) is the most widely used:

Community Health Worker (CHW):
A community health worker is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A CHW also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.

CHWs traditionally meet their communities "where they are" and address the whole person and family. This often involves making referrals to address unmet social and/or emotional needs, as well as social determinants of health, such as housing, early childhood development, and neighborhood conditions.

Coalition Membership

  • We know that folks are busy and committed to their work and balancing active lives. Membership is considered "fluid" as folks may need to come and go as their schedules permit. However, coalition success depends on engagement!
  • The ask is to be as responsive as possible to communication as well and share the information and opportunities or resources with your agency and community members you work with.
  • It is asked that everyone participate in a collective contact list shared among the group participants for the purposes of the coalition.

For more information, contact:

Karrey Shannon
319-688-5902
[email protected]
Lisa Parlato
319-688-5892
[email protected]
Jamie Gade
319-688-5865
[email protected]
Haley Wilson
319-688-2055
[email protected]
Sam Jarvis
319-688-5884
[email protected]