The Community Health Worker Initiatives Unit was created in 2014 as part of the University of New Mexico, Office for Community Health with the mandate to design, implement, and evaluate projects that utilize Community Health Workers (CHWs) as a strategy to increase New Mexican’s well-being, promote health equity, and minimize the negative impacts associated with the social determinants of health.
The CHWI oversees several innovative programs that engage the support of CHWs to address community health issues primarily impacting low-income populations. Some of our programs are statewide in scope and some are based only in Bernalillo County.
The mission of the Community Health Worker Initiatives (CHWI) of the University of New Mexico Office for Community Health is to contribute to the enhancement and integration of Community Health Workers (CHWs) into the NM workforce in an effort to increase health equity.
A CHW is a front line public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusted relationship enables the CHW to serve as liaison/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.
The THV is the first of its kind in NM, a transitional housing program. The village is located at 105 Texas ST SE in the heart of SE Albuquerque and has 30 tiny homes of approximately 120 sq ft. CHWI works with Bernalillo county who owns and operates the village in addition to providing 24/7 operation staffing. CHWI is proud to provide onsite case management via 2 full time lead chws and 1 full time social worker/counselor. Our job is to help heal and house folks as they transition from THV.
SHAHC adapts the Pathways Model to ten counties in New Mexico and uses the established database to track progress, outcomes, and ensures long-term, sustainable success. The CBPR model is used to ensure collaborator feedback is utilized for county/region-specific qualify improvements on a rolling basis. SHAHC will connect eligible participants with CHWs who will assist them in gaining access to necessary resources, ensuring greater efficacy and disbursement of funds to shore up the community against housing instability.
Through a network of approximately 44 community health navigators (CHWs) employed by the 17 partner organizations contracted by our office, Pathways focuses its efforts on identifying and working with the most difficult to reach residents of Bernalillo County, to connect them with a wide variety of health and social services. This program follows an outcomes-based step-by-step national model (Pathways). Our office serves as the “hub” and provides ongoing training and support of the CHWs, collects and analyzes data to ensure that participants of the program are having many of their needs met, and addresses system problems that inhibit access to these important services.
The UNM-CHWI Health Equity Team works collaboratively with the New Mexico Department of Health, including the Office of Community Health Workers, and multiple partner organizations throughout the state to provide access to and promote understanding of COVID-19 vaccines and holistic health. Partnering with statewide community-based organizations helps ensure that our efforts are community driven and center the CHWs/CHRs working in their communities to address health inequities. We work together to share accurate information and resources with people that live in areas with high social vulnerability and/or who are members of communities that have been most affected by historic health inequities and the COVID-19 pandemic. Our collaborative initiative allows local organizations, tribal Community Health Representatives, Promotores de Salud, and Community Health Workers to lead the way, helping to ensure that people get the information they need as we aim to empower and protect the communities of New Mexico.
