News  4.02: Certified Community Health Worker Qualifications

To qualify for a certificate as a Community Health Worker, an individual must meet the following criteria:

1. The individual must be at 18 years of age or older;
2. The individual must be of Good Moral Character; and
3. The individual must satisfy the following criteria for training and work experience.
   1. Successful completion of a Board-approved Community Health Worker Education and Training Program, and accumulation of 2000 hours of professional work experience as a Community Health Worker whose documented job duties include each of the ten core competencies during the ten years immediately prior to his or her application; or
   2. For a five year period, starting on June 29, 2018 and ending on July 31, 2023, accumulation of 4000 hours of professional work experience as a Community Health Worker whose documented job duties include each of the ten core competencies during the ten years immediately prior to his or her application.
4. Each reference must rate the Applicant in at least eight (of ten) Core Competencies (N/A does not count as a rating). When the Board reviews the references, it will be necessary for the Applicant to have received at least one rating of competency in each of the ten Core Competencies.
   1. The individual must be deemed competent in each of the ten core competencies, by at least three individuals who agree to submit professional references directly to the Board and meet the following criteria:
   2. At least three professional references must be provided by individuals who have direct knowledge of the applicant’s work experience as a community health worker;
   3. At least one professional reference must be provided by an individual who is a current or former supervisor of the applicant while the applicant was working as a community health worker at a setting within the United States;
   4. At least two professional references must be based on work experience in the United States; and
   5. Professional references may not be provided by an individual who is a family member of the applicant or current or former client of the applicant in the applicant’s capacity as a Community Health Worker.

Credits

History: 1449 Mass. Reg. 39, amended (emergency) eff. Jul. 14, 2021; 1455 Mass. Reg. 65, adopted as permanent by Notice of Compliance eff. Jul. 14, 2021.

The Massachusetts Administrative Code titles are current through Register No. 1493, dated April 14, 2023. Some sections may be more current; see credits for details.

Mass. Regs. Code tit. 272, § 4.02, 272 MA ADC 4.02