Frequently Asked Questions

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted frontline public health professional who serves as a bridge between healthcare systems and the communities they serve. CHWs share cultural, linguistic, and experiential backgrounds with the communities they work in, which enables them to build trust, navigate complex social and healthcare systems, and deliver health education, chronic disease self-management support, care coordination, and social service referrals in culturally responsive ways. In Maryland, CHWs are certified through the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) after completing an approved training program that covers core competencies including health education, outreach, advocacy, care coordination, and community assessment. Our graduates work in Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospital care management teams, health departments, managed care organizations, school-based health programs, and community nonprofits.

The CHW Training Academy is a 16-week intensive program held Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The program is fully funded through federal and state grants, so there is no tuition cost to participants. The curriculum includes 320 hours of classroom instruction covering social determinants of health, chronic disease management, motivational interviewing, mental health first aid, health insurance navigation, cultural competency, and electronic health record documentation, plus 240 hours of supervised clinical practicum at partner health systems, FQHCs, and community organizations across Baltimore City. Each cohort enrolls 24 participants, with two cohorts offered per year (fall and spring). Graduates earn Maryland DHMH Community Health Worker certification.

Applicants must be Baltimore City or Baltimore County residents aged 18 or older with a high school diploma or GED equivalent and the ability to commit to the 16-week full-time schedule. We prioritize applicants who reside in medically underserved ZIP codes and can demonstrate existing community ties through volunteer work, faith community involvement, neighborhood association membership, or personal caregiving experience. Bilingual proficiency is preferred but not required. No prior healthcare experience is necessary. The application includes a written personal statement describing the applicant's connection to community health, two community references, and a brief in-person interview with the Academy admissions committee. Background checks are required prior to clinical practicum placement per partner health system policies.

A Neighborhood Health Needs Assessment (NHNA) is a comprehensive, community-participatory evaluation of the health status, healthcare access, social determinants, and environmental conditions in a defined neighborhood. Our methodology combines three data collection approaches: a validated 45-item household health survey administered door-to-door by trained community data collectors, a series of 6 to 8 focus groups stratified by age and gender, and 12 to 15 key informant interviews with local healthcare providers, school nurses, faith leaders, and social service agencies. The assessment also includes GIS-mapped health resource inventories documenting every healthcare facility, pharmacy, grocery store, and social service agency within a one-mile radius of the target area, plus an environmental hazard proximity analysis using EPA EJSCREEN data. Each assessment takes approximately 6 to 8 months from planning to final report delivery and involves training 15 to 20 community data collectors who are compensated for all training and fieldwork hours.

All CC Health Dev research activities are reviewed and approved by our Institutional Review Board (IRB) in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Survey respondents provide informed consent before participation and may decline any question. All individual-level data is de-identified before analysis, and results are reported only at the aggregate neighborhood level to prevent identification of individual respondents. Survey data is stored on encrypted, access-controlled servers with role-based access limited to authorized research staff. Community data collectors sign confidentiality agreements and receive training in respondent privacy protections. We do not share individual-level health data with employers, insurers, law enforcement, or immigration authorities. Our data management protocols comply with HIPAA Privacy Rule standards even when not legally required, as a commitment to the communities we serve. Full details are available in our Privacy Policy.

CC Health Development is funded through a diversified portfolio of federal grants (Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), Maryland state appropriations (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services), private foundations (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Abell Foundation), healthcare system partnerships (MedStar Health, Johns Hopkins Health System, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield), and individual contributions. Our FY2025 operating budget is approximately $4.2 million, with 62% from government grants, 24% from foundation and corporate partnerships, and 14% from individual giving and earned revenue. As a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 52-3018472), all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Yes. While our direct service programs (mobile clinics, CHW training, neighborhood assessments) are currently focused on the Baltimore metropolitan area, our capacity building and technical assistance services are available to organizations throughout Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and beyond. We provide consulting on CHW program design and implementation, health needs assessment methodology, mobile clinic launch and operations, and health equity data infrastructure development. Our Neighborhood Health Needs Assessment methodology has been adopted by health departments in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and we have provided technical assistance to organizations in 8 states. Contact us at partnerships@cchealthdev.org to discuss partnership opportunities.

Since 2012, our CHW Training Academy has graduated 847 certified Community Health Workers with a 94% job placement rate within 90 days of program completion. Graduates are employed in diverse settings including Federally Qualified Health Centers (32%), hospital care management and transition teams (24%), managed care organization care coordination programs (18%), local and state health departments (12%), community-based nonprofits (8%), and school-based health programs (6%). The median starting salary for Academy graduates is $38,500, with experienced CHWs earning between $42,000 and $52,000 depending on employer and role complexity. Many graduates advance into supervisory CHW positions, program coordination roles, or pursue further education in public health, nursing, or social work. Our career services team provides ongoing professional development support, job placement assistance, and continuing education referrals for all Academy alumni.

All CC Health Dev Neighborhood Health Needs Assessment reports are publicly available at no cost. Contact our research team at research@cchealthdev.org to request copies of specific assessment reports or to discuss research collaboration opportunities. Our peer-reviewed publications are available through the journals in which they appear, and we maintain preprint copies that can be shared upon request for researchers and community organizations that lack journal subscription access. Our Health Equity Data Dashboard is an open-source platform with public API access for researchers and community organizations. Visit our Research page for a complete list of publications and to use our Grant Finder tool.

We offer several opportunities for students at various levels. Our Youth Public Health Pipeline is a six-week summer immersion program for Baltimore City public high school juniors and seniors interested in public health careers. For undergraduate and graduate students, we host practicum and fieldwork placements in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Morgan State University School of Community Health, and the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Practicum students have contributed to neighborhood health needs assessments, CHW program evaluations, Health Equity Data Dashboard development, and mobile clinic quality improvement projects. We also accept individual volunteers for community health education events, assessment data entry, and administrative support. Contact us at info@cchealthdev.org with your interests and availability.