Community Health Worker with Behavioral Health Program – UCSF Fresno

This program is only available in the Central San Joaquin region, including Fresno, Madera, and Tulare counties. Program’s courses will start in early 2025.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) engage people in the prevention, management and treatment of their health issues, and are trusted by the people they serve. A behavioral health certificate prepares you to work as part of a team to help people who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use and other conditions, in many kinds of settings including hospitals, primary care practices, community clinics, schools and many more. CHWs can also provide a vital bridge to community services for hospitals and clinics treating patients with needs beyond the medical setting.

Available in:

Length of Study

6 weeks of HTHC +16 weeks

Career Level

Entry Level

Delivery Type

Asynchronous (Online)

Fill out the form below to be notified when a course is available.

After you fill out this form with your information, you will receive an email with an invite code to apply to this program.

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Duties

Community health workers with behavioral health provide culturally appropriate behavioral health education and information, help people get and utilize the care they need, give informal counseling and guidance on health behaviors, administer basic screens and assessments, collect and report patient data, provide patient cultural and linguistic information to medical care teams, advocate for individual health needs for resources and care, and may provide some basic direct services such as blood pressure screening.

Career Opportunities

If a student does not want to pursue a bachelor’s degree, many organizations offer a career CHW path, including leading to being a supervisor or manager of other CHWs. Experience as a CHW with behavioral health can prepare the student to continue beyond a bachelor’s degree towards a master’s degree in social work, counseling, family therapy, and many others. There are many licensed professions available in behavioral health, including Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and others.

Day in the Life

The role of a Community Health Worker is to be the link between an individual and the necessary supportive services in their community. This means supporting the client in navigating resources making the process more comprehensive and reflective of their needs. This can include educating clients on basic needs programs, connecting them to care, and increasing advocacy to their providers with the ultimate goal of enhancing their access to quality care that is appropriate to them.

Job Outlook

California: 16% increase from 2019-2029

Entry level salary: $26,600 – $77,000

Projected job openings between 2018-2028 is 8,200