According to the Department of Labor, a 21% increase for CHWs is projected by 2022 - more than twice the projected increase of other professions.

CHW Internship Program Benefits Include:

• Full scholarship for required courses through Central Arizona College (CAC) Opens a New Window.   and textbooks valued at a total of $2000
• Community Health Worker (CHW) Certificate from CAC
• 32 week practicum consisting of opportunities for professional development and field experience.
  Examples: 
  • Health literacy, motivational interviewing techniques, referral and additional resources training based on approved state-based core competencies for CHWs Opens a New Window. , 
  • participation in community outreach events, health screenings, and chronic disease self-management workshops.
• Letter of Acknowledgment of Completion of CHW Internship Program from MCDPH Director

To apply for this Internship Program please view the program requirement page.

About the Program

Interns will gain experience working at Million Hearts® Opens a New Window.  sponsored events including blood pressure and cholesterol and glucose screenings in the community. Million Hearts® Opens a New Window.  is a national initiative by the CDC with an ambitious goal to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2022 by doing the following:

• Improving access to effective care
• Improving quality of care for the ABCS of heart health:
  • Aspirin when appropriate
  • Blood pressure control
  • Cholesterol management
  • Smoking cessation
• Focusing clinical attention on the prevention of heart attack and stroke
• Activating the public to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle
• Improving the prescription of and adherence to appropriate medications for the ABCS

Speak Spanish?
Although the ability to speak Spanish is not a requirement, Spanish-speaking interns are highly desirable due to the great diversity among residents of Maricopa County.

The goals of the Community Health Worker (CHW) Internship Program are to:

• Improve health literacy among low-income communities in Maricopa County for better health outcomes;
• Increase the number of trained CHWs in Maricopa County; and
• Expand and promote the CHW Internship and Certificate Program, increasing both the number of applicants and the number of recipients each academic year.