Community Health Workers (CHWs) are traditional health workers who are trusted by the community and share lived experiences, language and cultural backgrounds. CHWs can help you access social services, health services, and resources like food, housing and utility assistance. A CHW can be a paid employee, or a volunteer and the specific services they offer depend on their organization. CHWs play a key role in addressing racial and health inequities and advancing health literacy.
Health literacy is a person’s ability to find, understand and use information and services to help them make health-related decisions and to take action for themselves, their families and others.
- Economic stability
- Education access
- Health care access
- Social and community resources
- Economic stability
- Education access
- Social and community resources
- Economic stability
- Education access
- Health care access
- Supports OHP applications
- Social and community resources
- Economic stability
- Education access
- Health care access
- Social and community resources
- Economic stability
- Health care access
- Supports OHP applications
- Social and community resources
- Health care access
- Social and community resources
- Economic stability
- Health care access
- Supports OHP applications
- Social and community resources
- Economic stability
- Education access
- Healthcare access
- OHP assisters available
- Social and community resources
- Healthcare access
- OHP assisters available
- Social and community resources
- Education access
- Healthcare access
- Mental health services
- Social and community resources
- Health Share of Oregon (503-416-8090)
- Trillium Community Health Plan (877-600-5472)
- Care Oregon (800-224-4840)
- Kaiser Permanente (800-813-2000)
- Oregon Health and Science University (844-827-6572)
- Providence (800-898-8174)
How to connect with a community health worker
Anyone can reach out to a CHW for help finding health, rent, food, social services, or other resources. There are several community-based organizations that have community health worker programs. See below for a list of organizations in Washington County.
How to find a community health worker in Washington County
These organizations are partnering with the county as part of a federal grant to hire community health workers to improve health literacy. They offer free services in Spanish and English. Please contact the organization to confirm availability of services listed below.
Economic stability: housing and shelter, utility assistance, financial education, housing, workforce education.
Education access: early childhood education, adult education, education equity, small business development.
Health care access: primary care, dental care, mental & behavioral health, prenatal delivery and postpartum, immunization, health promotion and disease prevention education, Oregon Health Plan applications.
Social and community resources: access to healthy food, basic needs, transportation, wheelchair maintenance workshops, cultural events and workshops.
503-992-0078
503-693-2937
Services only available to people living in Bienestar properties.
503-359-0446
503-901-6285
503-848-5861
Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
503-359-5564
Vietnamese Community of Oregon
503-349-9232
Lutheran Community Services Northwest
503-924-2448
How to connect with a community health worker through your health plan
If you are a member of the Oregon Health Plan, you can connect with a community health worker through your health plan or coordinated care organization. There are two coordinated care organizations serving Washington County:
And four OHP health plans:
If you have private health insurance, contact your insurer or health plan to be connected with a community health worker.
How to connect with a community health worker outside Washington County in:
If you are a member of OHP and live outside of the Portland metro region, you can connect with a community health worker through your coordinated care organization.
How to become certified as community health worker
If you are interested in becoming a community health worker, please see the Oregon Health Authority website.
For more information about community health workers in Washington County, contact: [email protected].