Community Health Workers are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of the community they serve.  This trusting relationship enables them to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural responsiveness of service delivery. 

Community Health Workers build individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as engagement, community education, social support and advocacy.  Community Health Workers hold a unique position within an often rigid health care system in that they can be flexible and creative in responding to specific individual and community needs.

The unique strength of Community Health Workers is their ability to develop rapport with people and other community members due to shared culture, community residence, chronic condition, disability, language, and life experiences. They are also able to enhance the cultural and linguistic appropriateness of care and help to counteract factors such as social exclusion, poverty, and marginalization. 

An important role of the Community Health Worker is to advocate for the socioeconomic, environmental, and political rights of individuals and their communities. Community Health Workers often link people to needed health information and services. 

Community Health Workers address the social and environmental situations that interfere with an individual or community achieving optimal health and well-being.

Community Health Worker’s may have various titles as it is used as an umbrella term.