In 2013, the Center for the Community Health Workforce (CCHW) was launched to grow opportunities for peer-based workforce strategies. CCHW is a regional “center for excellence” that fosters multi-sector collaboration to develop and support the community-based health workforce, focusing on community health workers (CHWs).

CCHW priorities:

• Develop CHW regional standards and scopes of practice;
• Enhance teaching program for CHW training and continuing education;
• Support CHW network development across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia;
• Consult and provide technical assistance to organizations requesting help in planning, operating, and evaluating CHW programs;
• Support the effective integration of CHWs into clinical and community-based teams and design policies and programs that facilitate CHWs retention;
• Research and find innovative CHW models;
• Serve as a clearinghouse for regional, national, and international CHW best practices; and
• Support policy development to finance and sustain CHW service models across the region.