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Building and Sustaining Community Health Worker Programs in California — A Resource Center

Published

Tools to help California managed care plans, providers, and community-based organizations deliver community health worker, promotor, and representative (CHW/P/R) services funded through Medi-Cal.

Community health workers, promotores, and community health representatives (CHW/P/Rs) deliver culturally responsive, person-centered, and evidence-based services that connect health and social care — helping people navigate systems, access services, and address unmet needs. 

As Medi-Cal managed care plans and community providers expand access to CHW/P/R services, they need practical resources to build, manage, and sustain this workforce. This resource center curates tools, research, and guidance to support the design, implementation, and long-term sustainability of CHW/P/R programs. Use the filters below to explore resources by topic. To suggest a resource for inclusion, complete the resource center content submission form.

See also a glossary of key terms used throughout the resource center. More resources about the CHW/P/R workforce can be found on the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) website.

Acknowledgments

With support from CHCF, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) curated topics and reviewed content for this resource center. CHCF and CHCS are grateful to the organizations whose work is featured here. Learn more

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Tool

Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Minimum Qualification Checklist

Provides a template for documenting and verifying CHW compliance with Medi-Cal policy requirements.

California Department of Health Care Services•
Tool

Medi-Cal CHW Annual Continuing Training Checklist

Provides a template for documenting and verifying CHW compliance with annual training requirements.

California Department of Health Care Services•
Report

CHW/P/R Training Program Best Practices Framework

Presents findings from stakeholder engagement on California’s training program landscape for CHW/P/Rs and outlines key considerations related to program formats, assessments, evaluations, instructional approaches, and other components.

California Department of Health Care Access and Information•
Tool

Community Health Worker G-Code Billing Decision Tree

Includes questions that providers can use to assess whether services provided to a member qualify for reimbursement through Medi-Cal G-codes.

California Department of Health Care Services•
FAQ

FAQs for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – General Information

Addresses provider questions and clarifies requirements for violence prevention, health navigation, and other allowable CHW services authorized by the Department of Health Care Services.

California Department of Health Care Services•
Report

Community Health Worker/Promotor Program Feasibility Study

Examines the feasibility, funding, workforce needs, and implementation considerations for countywide CHW services in Santa Clara County.

County of Santa Clara Public Health Department•
Tip Sheet

Tip Sheet: Evaluating and Measuring CHW/P/R Programs and Activities

Highlights how CHW/P/R programs and services are evaluated, the value of having standards and measures to assess the quality of these programs, and limitations in the available measurement approaches.

Center for Health Care Strategies•
Tip Sheet

Tip Sheet: How to Apply the CHW/P/R Training Program Best Practices Framework

Describes a framework published by state agencies offering recommendations across 11 CHW/P/R training program domains, including structure, cost, and alignment with national competencies.

Center for Health Care Strategies•
Directory

CHW/P/R Professional Development and Specialized Training Modules Directory

Provides a summary of publicly available CHW/P/R training modules that address specific health topics and target populations.

Center for Health Care Strategies•
Tip Sheet

Tip Sheet: Comparison of Medi-Cal Funding Sources for CHW/P/R Services

Summarizes key components of different funding sources for CHW/P/R reimbursement in Medi-Cal, including the Medi-Cal CHW benefit, ECM, Community Supports, Enhanced CHW services managed by county behavioral health plans, CHW Services within Dental Fee Schedule, and Community Health Integration Services G-Codes.

Center for Health Care Strategies•