Community Health Program

Northwest Vista College

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• Learning:
  Course
• Location:
  texas
• Price:
  By request

Presentation

What is the Community Health Program?

This program prepares and enables the students to work in health and social service agencies connecting clients/patients to eligible services (TANF, WIC, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Medicare), developing positive relationships with individuals who need assistance and support in developing healthy behaviors, consuming health resources, and educational support to prevent or alleviate the effects of chronic disease.  Emphasis is placed on community development, community nutrition, community advocacy, and health and wellness promotion.

Community Health is the most "people-centered" aspect of health: outreach, education, health promotion and support to families in getting the most out of health care and social services. Students train to work with public and private health care systems, medical/dental facilities, health insurance companies and community-based organizations. The health education field alone is one of the fastest-growing in San Antonio and nationwide. Starting salaries range from $18,000 to $24,000 and higher.

You may see this as your life's work, or you may view it as a steppingstone to other careers in health and social services. If you have a general interest in health, you can get a job which lets you see other health careers and social services "up close" and choose the career path that's right for you. Community Health gives you a unique combination of "people skills" and an understanding of the "big picture" of the health care and social service systems and its place in the community.

Your job in the occupational category of "community health worker" involves:

• Acting as a "bridge" between individuals in communities and the health and social services system
• Providing informal counseling and social support
• Advocating for individual and community needs
• Assuring that people get the services they need
• Building individual and community capacity to improve conditions
  (from National Community Health Advisor Study, 1998)

You can choose a Certificate program leading to State certification (see standards below), or an Associate of Applied Science degree. Possible starting job titles and careers at the Certificate level include:

• Community Health Worker
• Outreach Worker
• Promatora(o) de Salud
• Health Insurance Member Services Representative
• Consumer Advocate
• Case Aide
• Public Health Technician

Possible career paths starting from Community Health can include:

• Nursing or home health
• Health care administration
• Health education and wellness promotion
• Social worker, counselor or case manager

  For more information, contact:

Fernando Martinez Ph.D. , Program Coordinator
Phone: 210-348-2384
Email: femartin@accd.edu

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