Colorado Public Health Works
Raising Up a New Generation of Public Health Leaders
Colorado Public Health Works is a groundbreaking AmeriCorps Apprenticeship program providing career entry into the field of public health from local communities throughout Colorado. Listen, read, and watch how Colorado Public Health Works is creating new opportunities in public health.
Program Overview
Colorado Public Health Works marks the first time AmeriCorps has integrated with a registered Community Health Worker apprenticeship program and is paving new pathways into the field for Colorado’s next generation of public health leaders.
Through Colorado Public Health Works, AmeriCorps members serve in regions throughout the state and many are simultaneously pursing certification as a Community Health Worker through a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship. AmeriCorps Apprentices build skills through training, on-the-job learning, and skilled mentorship as they increase the capacity of local public health agencies and community-based organizations in Colorado.
AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs offering the opportunity for individuals of all ages and backgrounds to serve and meet community needs. Members address the most critical problems in the areas of education, economic opportunity, veterans and military family services, health, the environment, and disaster services. In exchange for a specific term of service, AmeriCorps members earn a living allowance as well as an educational award to pay back qualified student loans or to finance college, graduate school, or vocational training.
Serve Colorado, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, empowers community-based organizations to meet locally identified needs and statewide challenges through service and volunteerism. Guided by the Governor’s Commission for Community Service, Serve Colorado administers AmeriCorps Colorado and the Volunteer Generation Fund; promotes volunteerism through Days of Service; presents the Governor’s Service Awards; and supports early literacy initiatives.
Where Community Health Workers Serve Their Community
Community Health Workers (CHWs), also referred to as Peer Navigators, Health Navigators, and Promotores de Salud, provide a range of supports and encompass positions in a wide range of settings. CHWs work in local public health agencies (LPHAs), hospitals, community health clinics, and other community-based organizations.
Gaining Skills and Experience Through Apprenticeship
CHW apprentices participating in the Colorado Public Health Works program are enrolled in the US Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program and many simultaneously serve as AmeriCorps members. During their apprenticeship and AmeriCorps service, CHW apprentices complete in-person, instructor-led, and online courses provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Patient Navigation and Community Health Worker Training Collaborative.
Building Core Community Health Worker Competencies
Apprentices also gain on-the-job training and appropriate mentorship from host sits as they work towards achieving competency in the following areas:
- Coordinating care, providing case management support, and assisting individuals and communities in navigating health and social service systems
- Cultural mediation among individuals, communities, and health and social service systems
- Culturally appropriate health education and information
- Coaching and social support
- Promotion for individuals and communities
- Building individual and community capacity
- Implementing individual and community assessments
Open Positions with Colorado Public Health Works
Details about the Community Health Worker apprenticeship positions, application requirements, eligibility, and benefits are available in the position description below. Previous education and public health work hours can be credited for program requirements.
Contact Us
General Inquiries can be made by to the following team members Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm.
Paving New Pathways in Public Health
Launching Public Health AmeriCorps
In April 2022, AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention joined forces to launch Public Health AmeriCorps. The groundbreaking program is supporting the recruitment, training, and development of the next generation of public health leaders who will be ready to respond to the nation’s public health needs. Trailhead Institute was selected as one of three Colorado grantees, paving the way for Colorado Public Health Works to launch as the first integrated AmeriCorps Apprenticeship program of its kind in the U.S. The launch of Colorado Public Health Works builds on more than a year of planning and program development efforts.
Introducing a Registered Community Health Worker Apprenticeship in Colorado
In 2021, Trailhead began the Community Health Worker (CHW) U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program in Colorado. The program was developed in partnership with Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE), the Patient Navigation and Community Health Worker Training Collaborative, Arapahoe Community College, and the Office of the Future of Work at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Integrating Career Development with National Service
Following the development of the CHW Apprenticeship, Trailhead received a planning grant from Serve Colorado, the Colorado AmeriCorps administrator, to align AmeriCorps programs and the CHW registered apprenticeship program. This innovative approach offers opportunities for individuals to complete both programs simultaneously, increasing their living allowance, obtaining an education award, and providing an onramp to a career in public health through apprenticeship certification.
Funding Invests Nationally in Public Health Workforce
The launch of Colorado Public Health Works is made possible through funding from AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who together joined forces in September of 2021 to launch Public Health AmeriCorps. In its inaugural year, Public Health AmeriCorps issued more than $60 million in first-year grants to recruit nearly 3,000 AmeriCorps members across the United States.
Investing in Equitable Recruitment of Public Health AmeriCorps Members
Building on the funding awarded by AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Schultz Family Foundation awarded significant funding to Trailhead to increase the living allowance of participating AmeriCorps members, supporting efforts to equitably recruit and compensate members throughout their service. Additionally, funding from Arapahoe Community College is supporting efforts to recruit, market, and provide technical assistance to increase the number of health-related apprenticeships in Colorado.
Local Collaboration
In addition to our generous funders, the launch of Colorado Public Health Works would not be possible without the incredible collaboration, thought-partnership, and vision of our partners. We would like to give special thanks to our partners at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and Serve Colorado for working with us to bring Colorado Public Health Works to life.