Community Health Workers Should be Worker Advocates

Abstract

Community health workers (CHWs) are frontline health workers who connect underserved populations to the health care system, provide health education, and advocate for their clients. CHWs can be particularly helpful to their clients in addressing social determinants of health that affect many chronic illnesses such as asthma, high blood pressure, poor mental health, and kidney and heart diseases. However, in one social determinant—the world of work—CHWs do not often play a role as facilitators and advocates. Low-income and other disadvantaged workers experience many hazards to their health and well-being, and knowledgeable CHWs could play a significant role in assisting them to confront such challenges.

Creating Shared Perspectives for Worker Well-being

“…Such engagement echoes calls from researchers to engage OCHS professionals in advocating for their clients and communities as well as collaborating to improve health and safety in their workplaces. 12,15 A New Certificate for OCHS Professionals A TWH approach within the workplace requires that key occupational health and safety principles are widely communicated and integrated with broader concerns that extend beyond individual hazards. 16 OCHS professionals who approach work (a term used in these spheres as inclusive of both the conditions of employment and of work) from the angles of health promotion and community betterment have deep perspective on those in their communities and access to lived experience that can help OSH professionals bridge the work/nonwork aspects of risk to well-being that a TWH approach prioritizes.…”

“…Following the illumination of the role that work plays as a social determinant of health in the ways it created and maintained health disparities during COVID-19, these professionals saw a need to incorporate worker well-being into their own research and practice. Such engagement echoes calls from researchers to engage OCHS professionals in advocating for their clients and communities as well as collaborating to improve health and safety in their workplaces 12,15 …”