When families have the resources they need, parents and children thrive. Colorado’s new Family Affordability Tax Credit will deliver up to $3,200 per child to eligible low-income families in 2025. Community Health Workers and Patient Navigations can support family financial well-being and improved health outcomes by helping more families know about tax credits and where to find free and secure tax help. Join this session to learn how to quickly and simply refer families to tax information, as well as common concerns families have about engaging with the tax system.

Spanish interpretation provided.

After attending the session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the impact of tax credits and Colorado’s Family Affordability Tax Credit on financial well-being and mental and physical health.
• Refer families to tax credits and free and secure tax filing information simply and quickly.
• Anticipate common concerns families may have in engaging with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Seminario web: Crédito fiscal para la asequibilidad familiar: lo que los trabajadores de salud comunitarios deben saber

Cuando las familias tienen los recursos que necesitan, los padres y los niños prosperan. El nuevo crédito fiscal para la asequibilidad familiar de Colorado entregará hasta $3200 por niño a familias de bajos ingresos elegibles en el año 2025. Los trabajadores de salud comunitarios y los servicios de Navegadores de pacientes pueden respaldar el bienestar financiero familiar y mejorar los resultados de salud al ayudar a más familias a conocer los créditos fiscales y dónde encontrar ayuda fiscal gratuita y segura. Únase a esta sesión para aprender cómo derivar de manera rápida y sencilla a las familias para adquirir mas información fiscal, así como las inquietudes comunes que tienen las familias sobre la interacción con el sistema de impuestos.

Se proporciona interpretación al español.

Después de asistir a la sesión, los participantes podrán:

• Describir el impacto de los créditos fiscales y el Crédito fiscal para la asequibilidad familiar de Colorado en el bienestar financiero y la salud mental y física.
• Poder referir a las familias a los créditos fiscales y a la información de presentación de impuestos gratuita y segura de manera simple y rápida.
• Anticipar las inquietudes comunes que pueden tener las familias al interactuar con el Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS).

About the Position

The Health Navigation Specialist position is responsible for working directly with people in the immigrant community, and includes community-based health navigation, peer-led trauma relief work, and addressing Social Determinants of Health. This position requires fluency in English as well as at least one other language listed here: Swahili, Kinyarwanda, French, Sango, Dari, Pashto.

How to Apply
Submit resume to karen@frhealth.org by November 15, 2024

Duties
The primary duties of the Health Navigation Specialist include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Community based health navigation work. These duties play a crucial role in assisting individuals in navigating the complex healthcare system and accessing the resources and services they need. The role includes providing support, information, and referrals to individuals seeking healthcare assistance. The primary focus will be on assisting community members in understanding their healthcare options, connecting them to appropriate services, attending medical appointments as appropriate, and empowering them to make informed decisions regarding their health and well-being.

Primary Responsibilities:
Client Assistance and Support
• Provide one-on-one assistance to individuals seeking healthcare services, including understanding insurance coverage, finding healthcare providers, and accessing necessary resources as needed. Duties may include recruitment of individuals who need this help from within the community.
• Conduct assessments of individuals’ needs and health-related concerns to identify appropriate services and support.
• Empower individuals to take an active role in managing their health by providing education, information, and resources.
Healthcare Navigation
• Assist individuals in understanding and navigating the healthcare system relative to their expressed and identified needs, including helping them schedule appointments, coordinating referrals, attending appointments, and explaining medical procedures and terminology.
• Collaborate with healthcare providers, community organizations, and social service agencies and referring agencies to facilitate access to healthcare services and address barriers to care.
• Stay up-to-date on available healthcare programs, insurance options, community resources and attend regular training as determined by the FRAHEC in order to provide accurate and relevant information to individuals.
Care Coordination and Referrals
• Coordinate care for individuals by ensuring timely communication between healthcare providers, community organizations, and other identified parties.
• Make appropriate referrals to community resources, social services, and support groups based on individuals’ needs and preferences.
• Advocate for individuals to ensure they receive comprehensive, coordinated, and culturally appropriate care.
Health Education and Promotion
• Conduct health education sessions and outreach activities as needed
Documentation and Reporting
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of client interactions, services provided, and outcomes achieved in accordance with agency policies and procedures.
• Compile data and prepare reports in accordance with agency policies and procedures including but not limited to staff meetings and meetings with agency staff as to be determined by the supervisor.
• Ensure and demonstrate compliance with privacy and confidentiality regulations

2. Peer-led trauma relief work. This work requires organizing groups of peers who are suffering from the impacts of trauma, and utilizing the TREE model with them. This will entail the following:
• Learning the TREE model,
• Working through the TREE model with fidelity with the participants,
• Interacting with any researchers working on the project, and
• Collecting and providing data when necessary.

3. Social Determinants of Health. This may include, but is not limited to, helping community members address barriers regarding public benefits, housing, employment, schooling, etc., as relates to their overall health and well-being.

Compensation and Benefits
• Salary Range: $43,000 – $47,000 annually
• SEP IRA retirement contribution equal to 10% of salary
• QSEHRA health reimbursement up to $400 per month
• Flexible time off policy

Location
Position available in either:
• Colorado Springs
• Denver metropolitan area

Equal Opportunity Statement
Front Range Area Health Education Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all races, ethnicities, national origins, religions, ages, disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, veteran status, and other underrepresented groups. Our organization believes that a diverse workforce strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission and better serve our communities.

FRAHEC will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in the application and employment process. Please contact us if you need assistance.

Implementation of reimbursement mechanisms and sustainability support for the CHW/PN workforce in Colorado: Latest Perspectives and Technical Assistance

The Colorado Alliance for Community Health Workers (CHWs), Patient Navigators (PNs), and Promotores de Salud (PdS) is hosting a 4 part series during Fall 2024 dedicated to discussing the payment and sustainability strategies of community health work and patient navigation in Colorado. The Alliance and several partners have advocated for fair and equitable wages and workforce support for CHWs/PNs/PdS within the community and clinical settings, now questions remain regarding how to implement these available payment mechanisms to the fullest extent and also advocate for continued support?

This series will provide the latest information, guidance, and technical assistance for implementation in Colorado. Each session will feature perspective on the CHW/PN reimbursement mechanisms and workforce support from a key opinion leader, followed by time for discussion and providing input and feedback to help plan for future technical assistance sessions!

Session 1
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Principal Illness Navigation Codes and Community Health Integration Codes – How Do The New Codes Work? What to Know…What Are Your Questions?
September 30, 1-2:15 pm MT
Presenter: Katie Garfield, JD, Clinical Instructor; Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Harvard Law School
Register

________________________________________________________

Session 2
Colorado SB 23-002: Medicaid Reimbursement for Community Health Workers- What to know to prepare for reimbursement implementation in 2025
October 9, 11:30 am-12:45 pm MT
Presenter: Alaina Kelley, MPH, Community Health Worker and Prevention Services Policy & Benefit Specialist; Policy Office, Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing
Register

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Session 3
Community Health Worker and Patient Navigator Workforce and Training Development Opportunities: Impact and resources of the HRSA CHW training program and linkages between training and CHW reimbursement
October 23^rd | 12-1 PM MT
Hosted by Trailhead Institute, Patient Navigator and Community Health Worker Training Program, and The Alliance
Register

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Session 4
Performance-Based and Quality-Based Payment Approaches to Support Sustainability of Patient Navigation and Community Health Work in Colorado: Examples in the field and your experience
November 6, 1-2:15 Pm MT
Presenters: Mary Kay Knode, Specialty Clinic Director; Melissa Memorial Hospital
Linda Overholser, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Register

• July 18, 2024
• 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET

Speaker:

• Dr. Laura Nellums, University of New Mexico

Description:

This presentation will focus on migration and health. It will encompass:

• Drivers and patterns of migration
• Social determinants of health in the context of migration
• The interrelationship between immigration policy, health policy, migrant and public health outcomes
• Recommendations for how to advance health equity in migrant communities

Registration:

• Register here

Learn More:

• Visit the R4 Connections: A World on the Move: Global Health Equity in the Context of Migration for additional information.

Overview: This presentation covers mandatory reporting, focusing on child abuse, neglect, and the abuse and exploitation of at-risk elders and adults. It also addresses emergency procedures and the mandates for reporting threats to self, others, or entities.

Objectives:

• Define mandatory reporting and identify who must report and what situations require reporting.
• Understand relevant Colorado Revised Statutes for reporting child abuse, elder abuse, and threats to self or others.
• Define and identify signs of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, caretaker neglect, and exploitation.
• Understand the consequences of failing to report.
• Apply knowledge through case presentations and discussions.

Presenter: Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Addiction Counselor with expertise in therapy for substance abuse, relationships, sexual behavior, and trauma. Founder of Enso Counseling.

Date: Aug 26, 10 am-1 pm

Certification: Eligible for 3 hours Certificate of Completion.

Dr. Patricia Valverde received an award May 16 for Faculty Excellence in Student Mentoring. (In this photo: Patricia Valverde, PhD, MPH; Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health Cathy Bradley, PhD) 

In academia, very few educators serve as a guiding light and spark for a student’s personal and professional growth. We celebrate Dr. Patricia Valverde as the 2024 recipient of the “Faculty Excellence in Student Mentoring” award. Dr. Valverde serves as the Director of the Patient Navigation and Community Health Worker Training Program (PNCT) and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Valverde embodies compassion, enthusiasm, and care in her work, research, and interactions with her students. As one of Dr. Valverde’s mentees, I can personally attest to her unwavering commitment and advocacy to ensuring the success of her students. She consistently goes above and beyond to provide guidance, advice, and academic support in her mentorship.   

This summer, she will assume a new role at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Greeley, leading the Master’s in Public Health Program. Her dedication and impact at the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz demonstrate her ability to bring the same level of commitment and influence to UNC. Congrats Dr. Valverde! We are incredibly proud and thrilled about your future endeavors. 

In this photo – family, staff, and students show up to support and cheer Dr. Valverde on! 

Photo by Colorado Rural Health Center

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation on May 29, 2024 to increase access to telehealth services in rural and underserved areas, and to better combat cardiac disease.

The law expands access to Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) services for Medicaid members across Colorado and provides resources for healthcare practices serving rural underserved populations to obtain RPM equipment. The law also expands access to Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices.

“Coloradans in my district know firsthand how challenging and expensive it can be to access critical health care services,” said Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, in a press release. “During my time in the legislature, I’ve worked hard to deliver high-quality, affordable health care services to underserved and rural areas and this law expands access to remote health services and continuous glucose monitors, which have proven to be successful at ensuring patients receive the right care, at the right place, at the right time and save so much money in the long-run.”

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a type of telehealth that enables healthcare providers to monitor patients outside the traditional care setting using digital medical devices. Examples of devices include weight scales, blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, and blood glucose meters. RPM connects patients to their local provider via telehealth, leveraging technology while maintaining continuity of care.

Here is a fact sheet from the Colorado Rural Health Center on the new bill.

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, or other diverse sexual orientations or gender identities (LGBTQ+) face barriers that make them less likely to get screened for colorectal cancer than the general population.

This newly updated brief describes this community’s unique barriers to colorectal cancer screening and outlines action steps to support colorectal cancer screening in LGBTQ+ communities. It is intended for community-based organizations, health systems, and other organizations to use to better understand and serve LGBTQ+ members of their community.

The ACS NCCRT would like to thank Paula Chambers Raney, Hope Coordinator, Fight Colorectal Cancer, and David Russo, founder, Cheeky Charity, both ACS NCCRT members, who generously offered their time and expertise to the development of this newly updated resource.

Click here to read more and download the brief

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment would like to introduce a Community of Practice for Community Health Workers in Colorado. If you are a CHW, Health Navigator, Patient Navigator, Promotora de salud or similar role, you are invited to join a network of CHWs from all over the state, to share best practices and identify training opportunities that fit your needs. The Community of Practice will meet on a quarterly basis.
Next Meeting May 23, 12-1 pm
Register for CHW Community of Practice

May 8, 10-11:30 am: Complex Reflections
Reflections are a core Motivational Interviewing (MI) skill. Simple reflections are repeating back what the person said, while complex reflections take things a bit deeper. These reflections build on what you sense are the client’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Learn more about complex reflections with time for discussion and guided practice.
Prerequisite: Basic MI course/familiar with Basic MI skills (open ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, summaries)
(Course complete)

May 22, 10-11:30 am: Rolling with Resistance and Discord
Resistance is likely to arise when a client is pushed too hard or too fast to change. Motivational Interviewing describes two types of resistance talk: sustain talk and discord. Learn more about how to put MI skills to use during challenging conversations.
Prerequisite: Basic MI course/familiar with Basic MI skills (open ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, summaries)
Register

June 14, 10-11:30 am: Exploring Values
Values are our principles—like being there for family, or wanting to be healthy. You can help your clients think about the values that guide their lives. If this exploration is done in a respectful and genuine way, it can lead to the motivation the client needs to move forward in creating change. But how do you do this? In this workshop, you will examine your own values as well as learn techniques for using values in your discussions with clients.
Basic Motivational Interviewing knowledge helpful but not required.
Spanish interpretation provided for the June 14 session.
Register

These trainings are presented by the Patient Navigation and CHW Training Program in partnership with Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Program (CPED) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Click Here to Register

Spring 2024 Dates

• May 17 (in-person)
• May 18 (virtually)
• June 4 (in-person)
• June 6 (virtually)
• June 11 (in-person)
• June 14 (virtually)

To register for the assessment, individuals must have completed verified coursework from a state-recognized training program (Otero College, Patient Navigation and Community Health Worker Training program, Metro State University at Denver or the CU Multidisciplinary Center on Aging). Please complete the Colorado Health Navigator Registry Application to verify training prior to registration for the assessment. After completed training is verified, you will receive a link to register for the assessment. Registration must be completed 30 days prior to the date of the assessment.

As a reminder, the required coursework to qualify for the assessment under under PNCT is:

• Level 1 Health Navigation Fundamentals
• Basic Motivational Interviewing (if Level 1 taken online)
• Level 2 Care Coordination

PNCT will schedule a free review session prior to these spring assessments – details to come.

The Colorado Legislature passed Senate Bill 23-002 in May 2023, ushering in community health worker (CHW) services as a Health First Colorado benefit starting July 1, 2025. Seeking federal authorization from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by July 1, 2024, HCPF is dedicated to adding CHW services as a covered benefit. The stakeholder feedback process is underway to gather input on meeting federal requirements for this significant addition.

Exciting news awaits as we share that all slides from the recent webinar series on Medicaid Reimbursement for Community Health Workers (CHWs) are now accessible on the HCPF CHW Webpage. Whether you joined the discussions live or couldn’t make it, these resources provide a recap of the insightful sessions.

Although the formal stakeholder process has wrapped up, they are still looking for valuable feedback until Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Share your thoughts:

• Feedback Form

This webinar will help explain the CY2024 CMS physician fee schedule (aka “CMS rule”) as it pertains to Principal Illness Navigation, Community Health Integration, and Social Determinants of Health Risk Assessment codes. We will discuss what we know, what we don’t know, and how to comment on real-world implementation of these new codes. We will also discuss training and resources to position cancer patient navigators for success and provide examples from two states and their CHW trainings and certification processes.

Date & Time:
The webinar will take place 1-2 pm MT/3 – 4 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb 20, 2024.

In this role (15 openings in rural workforce centers, 4 in immigrant-serving organizations in Denver and Colorado Springs), you’ll work one-on-one during 60 minute appointments with up to four community members per work day.

Your goal is to help them get internet access at home and become proficient in using devices like smartphones, tablets, or computers. This support is crucial for accessing employment and education, banking, healthcare, government services, and communication through email and social media. Your efforts contribute to empowering individuals to independently handle tasks and access information digitally.

Preferred Qualifications:
Ability to communicate foundational digital literacy and skills concepts verbally in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, French, Chinese (Mandarin and/or Cantonese), Nepali, Russian, Somali, and/or Vietnamese
1+ years paid or unpaid teaching, training and/or tutoring a diverse population of adults on using technology
Experience providing direct services to non-native English speakers, people with limited literacy skills, and/or people with disabilities who require accommodations for digital access
Experience assessing skills, identifying strengths and opportunities for growth, setting goals and monitoring progress

Click Here to Read More and Apply

Source: Colorado Department of Labor & Employment

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is beginning to use the term “community health worker” instead of “health navigators” in an effort to better align with other states and prepare for Medicaid reimbursement in the future. Those working in these roles may also be known as promotores de salud/promatora, patient navigator or resource navigator.

This change in terminology will not have any immediate impacts but you will begin to see changes to CDPHE web pages, newsletters, and other collateral as we transition to using community health workers as an umbrella term.

Because community health workers and health navigators offer similar skills and services to patients and employers, this transition to community health workers will not have an immediate impact on Coloradans who already work in these fields.

By adding community health workers to the current infrastructure, employers may be able to find more employees who match the qualifications they are seeking.

Resources: More information about Adopting Community Health Workers as an Umbrella Term for the Workforce in Colorado

To Read the Full Article Click Here

Credit: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing