Who is a Traditional Health Worker?
Traditional Health Worker (THW) is an umbrella term for frontline public health workers who work in a community or clinic under the direction of a licensed health provider. There are five specialty types of THWs:
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Birth Doulas. Assist women and their family with pre-natal, childbirth and post-partum care.
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Community Health Workers (CHW). Assist individuals and their community to achieve positive health outcomes.
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Personal Health Navigators (PHN). Provides information, assistance, tools and support to enable a patient to make the best health care decisions.
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Peer Support Specialists (PSS). Focus on recovery from addiction/mental health conditions.
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Peer Wellness Specialists (PWS). Focus on recovery from addiction/mental health and physical conditions.
Within the
Peer Support Specialists and
Peer Wellness Specialists category there are two additional sub-categories.
Family Support Specialist means an individual who meets qualification criteria adopted under ORS 414.665 and may be either a peer support specialist or a peer wellness specialist who, based on similar life experiences, provides support services to and has experience parenting a child who:
- Is a current or former consumer of mental health or addiction treatment; or
- Is facing or has faced difficulties in accessing education, health, and wellness services due to mental health or behavioral health barriers.
Youth Support Specialist means an individual who meets qualification criteria adopted under ORS 414.665 and may be either a peer support specialist or a peer wellness specialist and who, based on a similar life experience, provides supportive services to an individual who:
- Is not older than 30 years old and
- Is a current or former consumer of mental health or addiction treatment; or
- Is facing or has faced difficulties in accessing education, health, and wellness services due to mental health or behavioral health barriers.
Certification agencies
Contact Information
Email ohcc.chw@odhsoha.oregon.gov
Phone: 877-880-8071, option 1