OAR 950-060-0140: Community Health Workers, Peer Wellness Specialists, Personal Health Navigators, and Peer Support Specialists Certification Curriculum Standards

(1) All community health workers, peer wellness specialists, and personal health navigators shall receive training from an Authority approved training program whose curriculum includes: (a) A minimum of 80 contact hours addressing the core curriculum set forth in section (2) of this rule and any additional curriculum topics specific to the type of worker being trained; (b) All the major roles and core competencies listed and defined in the Oregon Health Policy Board Report "The Role of Traditional Health Workers in Oregon's Health Care System" at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/nthw-report-120106.pdf. (2) An Authority approved core curriculum for community health workers, peer wellness specialists, peer support specialists and personal health navigators shall, at a minimum, introduce students to the key principles of the following topics: (a) Community engagement, outreach methods, and relationship building; (b) Communication, including cross-cultural communication, active listening, and group and family dynamics; (c) Empowerment techniques; (d) Identification of community resources; (e) Cultural competency, cultural humility, cultural responsiveness, and cross-cultural relationships, including bridging health system and community cultures; (f) Conflict identification and problem solving; (g) Conducting individual strength and needs based assessments; (h) Advocacy; (i) Ethical responsibilities in a multicultural context; (j) Legal responsibilities; (k) Crisis identification and problem-solving, including suicide prevention, overdose/intoxication, psychiatric crisis, and safety planning; (l) Professional conduct, including culturally appropriate relationship boundaries and maintaining confidentiality; (m) Navigating public and private health and human service systems, including federal, state, regional, and local systems; (n) Working with caregivers, families, and support systems, including paid care workers; (o) Trauma-informed care, including screening and assessment, recovery from trauma, and minimizing re-traumatization; (p) Self-care; (q) Social determinants of health; (r) Building partnerships with local agencies and groups; (s) The role and certified scope of practice for traditional health workers; (t) Roles, expectations, and supervisory relationships for working in multidisciplinary teams, including supervisory relationships; (u) Data collection and types of data; (v) Organization skills, documentation, and use of health information technology; (w) Introduction to disease processes, including chronic diseases, mental health, tobacco cessation, and addictions, including warning signs, basic symptoms, and when to seek medical help; (x) Health across the life-span; (y) Adult learning principles, including teaching and coaching; (z) Stages of change; (aa) Best practices for health promotion; and (bb) Health literacy issues. (3) In addition to the core curriculum set forth in section (2) of this rule, training programs for community health workers shall include the following topics: (a) Self-efficacy; (b) Community organizing; (c) Group facilitation skills; (d) Conducting community needs assessments; (e) Popular education methods; and (f) Principles of motivational interviewing. (4) In addition to the core curriculum set forth in section (2) of this rule, training programs for peer wellness specialists shall include the following topics: (a) Self-efficacy; (b) Group facilitation skills; (c) Cultivating individual resilience; (d) Recovery, resilience, and wellness models; and (e) Principles of motivational interviewing. (5) An Authority approved curriculum for peer support specialists shall include a minimum of 40 contact hours that include: (a) The core curriculum set forth in section (2) of this rule; (b) The role and scope of practice for peer support specialists; and (c) Recovery, resilience, and wellness. (6) In addition to the core curriculum training programs for PSS or PWS set forth in section (2) (4) or (5) of this rule, an Authority approved curriculum for family support specialists and youth support specialists shall include the following topics: (a) The role of the family support specialist in the system serving children and youth; (b) Pre-K through post-secondary educational programs; (c) Physical and emotional development for ages 0-25; (d) Parenting principles, protective factors, and developmental assets to promote resilience; and (e) Systems of care principles. (7) In addition to the core curriculum for PSS or PWS, set forth in section (2) and (4) or (5) of this rule, training programs an Authority approved curriculum for youth support specialists shall include the following topics: (a) The role of the youth support specialist in programs serving children, youth, and young adults; (b) Collaborative problem-solving principles; (c) Protective factors and developmental assets to promote resilience; and (d) System of care and positive youth development principles.