Spring 2025 marked another exciting chapter for the Community Health Worker Training programs at . Starting summer 2025, a cohort of community health workers (CHWs) are taking the next step in their careers by adding the newly created to their resumes. The 16-credit hour program features courses in public health professional practice, public health management, principles of public health leadership, planning and finance.
According to Sonia Alemagno, Ph.D., dean, College of Public Health, a career ladder specific to community health workers is missing, and it’s something that was identified in a previous statewide CHW survey.
“CHWs are often expected to master soft skills, computer skills program management capacity building and much more. A review of these expectations reveals that CHWs will benefit from additional training beyond what is required by the State of Ohio to obtain the CHW license,” said Alemagno. “The 100% online certificate will ensure that CHW supervisors are effectively trained, supported and integrated into healthcare teams.”
Students will gain expertise with best practices for supervision, including communication strategies, cultural competency, conflict resolution, and professional development. CHWs in the program have access to an academic advisor as well as online resource tools for supervisors and will be able to count the certificate towards a Bachelor of Science in Public Health.
In addition to the Innovation grant funding CHWs to train supervisors, the has funded a specific cohort of the Kent State CHW Training Program focused on staff of agencies that serve the Ohio adult disable population as direct service providers. This cohort of 12 students, who began in May 2025, will help fill a great need in our community.
According to the Ohio Disability and Health Partnership (Ohio Disability and Health Program – Nisonger Center), Ohio has more than 2 million adults with disabilities, which represents 14.4% of the state's population. Women are more likely to have disabilities than men. Ohio’s adults with disabilities have worse outcomes for mental health, physical health and access to health care compared to adults without disabilities. Disabled Ohioans are seven times more likely to have 14 or more physically unhealthy days in the last month as compared to adults without disabilities.
According to Alemagno, the college anticipates the ability to determine longer term outcomes related to CWH training that are specifically aligned with serving the adult disabled population.
“We are grateful to the Ohio Center for Community Health Worker Excellence for their foresight and commitment to advancing community health workers in the State of Ohio,” concluded Alemagno.
About the Community Health Worker Training Program
In 2019, the College of Public Health became an Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN)-approved provider of a community health worker training program. This program consists of two 3-credit college courses: a content class and a 130-hour internship. The program is available in-person on the Kent campus or online throughout Ohio. Students who complete the program are eligible to apply to the State of Ohio for the CHW license. The Kent State program has trained over 240 community health workers serving 12 Ohio counties, including Ashtabula, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Holmes, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, and Wayne. Community health workers trained to date work for major hospital systems (such as University Hospitals of Cleveland, the Cleveland Clinic, the Summa Health System, Akron Children’s Hospital and Mercy Health), health departments, health insurance companies or social service agencies.
About the CHW Supervision Undergraduate Certificate
The is ideal for those currently certified as community health worker or healthcare administrators, public health professionals and program managers who oversee community health workers. The 16-credit-hours, 100% online certificate provides essential skills in leadership, planning, finance, program management and workforce development .
To learn more about the Kent State College of Public Health CHW training programs, email chw@kent.edu.