Certification Program
Community Health Worker Certification
Make a real difference in your community. HCAN offers an approved CHW training program that provides the knowledge and skills needed to connect people with resources and provide community-based care coordination.
Training
HCAN’s CHW Certification Program includes 100 hours of in-person classroom training and a 130-hour community-based practicum at a local hospital, healthcare provider, or nonprofit organization. HCAN helps students secure practicum placements.
Topics include:
- Health core competencies
- Social services resources knowledge
- Communication skills
- Advocacy information
- CPR certification
- Mental Health First Aid
- Lifespan development
- Basic CHW skills
Certification
After completing classroom and practicum training, students can apply to the Ohio Board of Nursing for a certificate to practice as a CHW.
Requirements include:
- Ohio residency
- $100 non-refundable application fee
- Completed physical and updated immunizations, including TB testing
- High school diploma or GED
- Government-issued photo ID verifying age 18+
- 75% competency in each skill evaluation
- Acceptable BCI and FBI criminal records checks before the practicum
Program Dates
HCAN offers the CHW Certification Program throughout the year.
Fall Session: October 5, 2026 - January 30, 2027
Additional Certification
You can choose to get certified in CPR for $90 while you train to become a CHW. Tell us you’d like to become CPR certified in your application to participate.
Tuition Assistance
Employed in the health care industry? Check with your employer to see if they will cover some (or all) of the cost of tuition.
Those who do not receive employer-sponsored tuition assistance may be eligible for Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds through the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
Please contact us to start the WIOA application process.
WIOA qualification criteria:
- 18+ years old, eligible to work in the U.S., registered for Selective Service (if applicable)
- Dislocated workers who have lost their job through no fault of their own
- Youth 14-24 with special conditions, including low-income, pregnant, or a parent
Scholarships
There are limited scholarships available for the Community Health Worker Certification Program. Please contact Shinese Moye (contact information listed below) for more information about available scholarships.
Contribute to the HCAN CHW Certification Program Scholarship Fund here.
Fee & Tuition
The total cost of tuition for HCAN’s CHW Certification Training Program is $3,600. This includes your application fee.
You may qualify for a scholarship or tuition assistance.
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Pay online: Application Fee and Tuition Payment
Use the drop-down menu below to select a full or partial payment through PayPal. (You do not need a PayPal account to make the payment. Major credit cards are accepted.) Click on Add to Cart once you’ve made your selection.
You may also add on options to participate in Mental Health First Aid or CPR trainings using the drop-down menu.
You can pay for more than one student. Make sure to list all student names and adjust the quantity at check-out.
We also accept cashier or company checks (but not personal checks).
Make the check out to Health Care Access Now and mail to: Health Care Access Now, 2602 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45206.
Application
PROGRAM APPLICATION: Online Application – Community Health Worker Certification Program
Questions?
To learn more about the Community Health Worker Certification Program please contact Ella Thomas at ethomas@healthcareaccessnow.org or 513-993-7280
