CHWDI’s overarching goal is to support the expansion and sustainability of the Indiana CHW workforce to increase access to health and social services for vulnerable communities while also increasing employment opportunities for community members. In partnership with the Indiana Community Health Workers Association (INCHWA) and guided by a Steering Committee of statewide thought leaders and key stakeholders, CHWDI is taking a multi-pronged approach toward this goal through the following services for community-based organizations:

• Designing sustainable CHW programs: working with employer organizations across clinical, community-based, government, and academic sectors to plan and implement CHW programs with evidence-based practices for recruitment, training, evaluation, supervision, retention, and professional development of CHWs.
• Research and evaluation: designing and conducting evaluation studies to understand the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of CHW programs concerning organizational metrics (i.e., client/patient enrollment and utilization; return-on-investment) and broader community health metrics (i.e., health outcomes; access to healthcare and social services).
• Training and capacity-building: providing training and continuing education on ethical research, data collection, and community assessments for CHWs and/or organizations who wish to conduct their own evaluation or research studies (e.g., to understand community health disparities or patient-centered outcomes; to test an intervention or new program).
• Policy and advocacy: building an evidence base to inform and support policies for improved public and private reimbursement mechanisms for CHW services and expansion of the CHWs workforce in Indiana.

For inquiries or to join our mailing list, please send your name, contact information, the organization you represent, and your role within the organization to CHWDI@purdue.edu