“Having worked in my community for 15 years as a “Community Messenger” and “Health Promoter”, I feel that having certification as a Community Health Worker would be appropriate recognition of the serious and important work that I have done. This certification would provide me, and other CHWs, with a recognized place in the CHW workforce and in the healthcare community. Since it is, and it has been demonstrated that we offer a link and the much-needed bridge in the control, maintenance, treatment and rehabilitation that leads to stability in the health of our community members, we should be recognized for such. It is through the few community members who are also Community Health Workers that clients who are community members as well, can have good, consistent, trusted and reliable communication and relationships to support them to follow their treatment plans and achieve complete recovery. It is important to acknowledge those who have achieved a level of respect for their reliability, work, education, and experience by giving them certification as a Community Health Worker.” Nilda Paris, Community Messenger.
