The CHW Section has adopted the following definition of a community health worker: A community health worker is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.
The C3 Project's Primary Aims are to expand cohesion in the field and to contribute to the visibility and greater understanding of the full potential of Community Health Workers (CHWs) to improve health, community development, and access to systems of care. Importantly, the C3 Project offers a single set of CHW roles and competencies for reference by those both inside and outside the field as they work to build greater support for and sustainability among CHWs in all settings.