Fighting the opioid crisis

Whether it’s scheduling a medical appointment or simply offering encouragement, community health workers are steadfast in their commitment to service and relationships. Their work has become increasingly significant within underserved communities and areas in which people can harbour a distrust for health care professionals.

Since 2015, Ohio University’s Community Health Worker (CHW) program has trained and certified individuals to meet a growing need for community health professionals across the state and nation. In spring 2019, a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission enabled OHIO to expand their work and create a CHW program focused on helping people recovering from opioids and other forms of addiction.

The new program will train approximately 45 community health workers who will specialize in reentry and recovery methods for justice-involved women. The program’s first cohort began in summer 2019.

“With CHSP’s (Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions) recent funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, there is potential to be on the forefront when it comes to community health workers working with people (in particular women) in reentry and recovery,” said Kerri Shaw, associate professor of instruction and field director at OHIO’s CHSP and a community health work program training director. “It’s exciting to see the results of this program, which started in 2015 and has now reached an exciting point of growth and success around the region.”