Colorado Public Health Works: Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The organization is called a “host site” because the organization is “hosting” the AmeriCorps member for their service term. The AmeriCorps member will also be a Community Health Worker Apprentice, and is technically employed by your organization.

Yes. The guidelines and requirements are outlined in your service agreement. We will go over any questions specific to this during the program orientation.

Yes. Your organization must fulfill the requirements set out in the “Standards.” These include ensuring adequate supervision from qualified personnel to provide on-the-job learning and allowing for the required hours of related instruction (provided by Trailhead’s partners) as part of their position.

Very involved. The site is the primary contact for scope of work/service, mentoring and supervision, training competencies tracking, timekeeping, and living allowance distribution/required benefits, and requesting reimbursements.  The site sets the tone for participant engagement in the future public health workforce.  Effective implementation, ongoing engagement, and feedback will be critical for this new program model.

Yes, as long as the competencies for apprenticeship and the program requirements for AmeriCorps are met. Specifics of how this is done and accompanying qualifications would be determined by each site and remain compliant with EEO and legal requirements.

Yes, positions can just be a CHW apprentice or just CHW AmeriCorps. The Trailhead program leverages the benefits of AmeriCorps (living allowance and other perks of being part of community) and USDOL apprenticeship (training and certification). The positions that Trailhead can provide reimbursement for are AmeriCorps positions. We have been awarded 28 positions for AmeriCorps and 22 of these must also be CHW apprentices. Filling the AmeriCorps positions would take priority in our program model but please contact us if you are interested in CHW apprenticeship only.

Yes, depending on the host site organization and the member, accommodations can be made case by case to adjust the term as long as required competencies are still met. The full apprenticeship training will still be required and may need longer time to complete if hours are reduced.

Yes, and we hope you will also have inclusive hiring practices to bring equity to our workforce development opportunity.

Ideally, two positions to assure they have a peer relationship and shared experiences for successful retention of the position.  This also maximizes your capacity for the quality mentoring and ongoing support that is expected of the host sites.

Yes, this was originally an intention of the program to address needs across multiple LPHAs.

Sites will be responsible to recruit through their normal hiring practices to reach a targeted audience of your choice and meet the need for a site-specific application process. We will provide you with an editable position description template to slightly customize for your specific site and projects. This should be co-branded to align communications from multiple sources.

Colorado Public Health Works at Trailhead is also required to post all National Service positions on the My.AmeriCorps.gov website. We will also list our announcement in other multi-sector areas for momentum and traction of our program. Our application process assists in receiving candidates’ information who are interested in the positions. Any candidates we receive will be shared with the host sites to find a match through their internal process. If you receive any candidates from our pool you will interview as you normally would and offer positions. Sites will need to be able to track and share applications of those who are not hired with other sites to review and possibly offer positions.

The only requirements are to provide;

• 100% healthcare insurance,
• childcare,
• workers compensation, and
• unemployment insurance.

We will be clarifying this in the contracts. If these benefits are not available through your organization we have additional resources through AmeriCorps networks. Not all members will need these benefits and may have other resources, but your organization needs to prepare to provide them.  There is not expectation to offer the same benefits as permanent employees. Positions can be considered Temporary.

The living allowance is taxable as income both in Colorado and at the federal level. Host Sites are

responsible for setting up their payroll systems to account for FICA.

There are some administration costs with supporting position capacity – infrastructure, technology, possibly transportation if there is expected travel. Please budget as you would for a similar role within your organization.

Yes, we understand there may be lag in the timelines and we will need to adjust accordingly. There will naturally be some flexibility needed to accommodate the sites and members.

Yes, this will be included in the Member Service Agreement they hold with your organization, and all appropriate taxes will be withheld.  Payments should be distributed evenly throughout their term, as they would be for a salaried employee.  They will be required to track their time. We will discuss timekeeping in the onboarding trainings.

A template will be provided for AmeriCorps service compliance, this agreement will be between sites and the member with a copy provided to the program.  Sections include; living allowance, benefits, education awards, standards for service/expectations, timekeeping, federal laws, prohibited activities, and required service gear.  The host site may add additional language to align with your organizational needs, but AmeriCorps does not allow us to remove any of the specific language without prior approval

Sites can, however, you will need to account for this wage separately as ‘cost of living’ in your payroll summary to clearly delineate between living allowance and other wages for the positions. Sites will only be reimbursed for the living allowance and the incremental wage increase for the apprenticeship competencies, the equivalent of $16/hour, increasing mid-way through the service term.

Site supervisors are responsible for time sheets, completing quarterly surveys, attending our Learning Community sessions monthly, attending our Fall and Spring Summit and ensuring your member completes all related instruction with our learning partner.