Community Health Worker (CHW) services are available to L.A. Care Medi-Cal members at six of our Community Resource Center (CRC) locations in Pomona, Palmdale, El Monte, Metro L.A., Wilmington, and Long Beach. The goal of CHW services is to help prevent disease, disability, and other health conditions from worsening to prolong life and promote physical and mental health and well-being.
What is a CHW?
A CHW is a trusted member of their community and a trained non-clinical professional who can help members with addressing chronic conditions, preventive health care needs, and health-related social needs through the delivery of non-clinical screenings and assessments, health education, health navigation, and individual support or advocacy.
What services do CHWs provide?
The following CHW Services are provided at the CRCs:
- Health Education
- CHWs can assist with promoting health or addressing barriers to physical and mental health care through providing information on health topics. This may include control and prevention of chronic or infectious diseases and perinatal health conditions.
- CHWs can assist with promoting health or addressing barriers to physical and mental health care through providing information on health topics. This may include control and prevention of chronic or infectious diseases and perinatal health conditions.
- Health Navigation
- CHWs can provide information, training, referrals, or support to assist with:
- Accessing health care, understanding the health care system, or engaging in the member’s care.
- Connecting members to community resources such as medical translation/interpretation or transportation services.
- CHWs can provide information, training, referrals, or support to assist with:
- Screening and Assessment
- CHWs may provide screening and assessment services that do not require a license, and assist with connecting members to appropriate services to improve their health.
- CHWs may provide screening and assessment services that do not require a license, and assist with connecting members to appropriate services to improve their health.
- Individual Support or Advocacy
- CHWs may assist with preventing the onset or worsening of a health condition, preventing injury or violence prevention, which are specific to community and gang violence.
How can Providers recommend members for CHW services?
CHW services require a written recommendation by a physician or other licensed practitioner of the healing arts. The CHW recommendation form can be accessed on the L.A. Care website under “Social Services Forms”. Upon completion, the recommendation form can be submitted via email to CHWBenefit@lacare.org or via fax at 213.438.4863.
CHW services offer support to individuals who are not connected to other programs that offer similar services, such as Enhanced Care Management (ECM). If the member is connected to any program that provides support by CHWs, then the member does not qualify to receive similar services through this benefit. Members who are connected to ECM, Intensive Care Management Services, Complex or High-Risk Care Management, Hospice, or Full Service Partnership are excluded from this service as it is considered duplicative, with the exception of violence prevention services, which are separate and distinct from basic CHW services.