The Community Health Worker Training Program of Tennessee (CHWTPT) is a partnership between TNCHWA, the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, and the Rural Health Association of Tennessee. The program’s purpose is to build, support, and sustain a CHW training program and employment pathway for certified CHWs.

The CHWTPT aims to increase the quantity and quality of trained CHWs in Tennessee through virtual, competency-based training and on-the-job learning to achieve certification. The program recruits and trains trusted community members who are either currently CHWs without formalized training or those interested in becoming CHWs to enhance positive health outcomes in their communities. Trainees work in various settings across Tennessee, such as social service agencies, clinics, hospitals, schools, and health departments, to help them sharpen their professional skills. The program certifies CHWs based on training completion and on-the-job skill development according to standardized competencies.

The CHWTPT requires trainees to complete more than 100 hours of training and education in CHW competencies. Trainees must also complete one of two tracks at a community agency: field placement, consisting of 192 hours of on-the-job instruction as an unpaid intern; or apprenticeship, which requires 2000 hours of paid on-the-job experience. The program’s training/education hours include self-paced modules through an online learning platform, virtual educational practice sessions with a trainer, as well as written assignments and projects. Competency-based modules and learning experiences cover topics such as Social Determinants of Health, Telehealth, Digital and Health Literacy, Health Equity, Chronic Disease, and many more.