Lunch & Learns

Joining a Lunch & Learn is a great way to stay up to date and connected on how Community Health Workers (CHWs) can be empowered to provide care in their communities. Registration is required for all Lunch & Learns. Register for the sessions that you would like to attend using the links below. You will receive the Zoom link upon registration. You can earn a certificate for one hour of attendance by attending a Lunch & Learn and completing the post-Lunch & Learn evaluation.

Other Events and Trainings:

August 4, 12:00 – 1:00 PM and August 11, 9:00 – 10:00 AM: IPHA is hosting a three-part training series designed to strengthen CHW documentation, billing, and compliance skills. Participants will explore documentation best practices, common documentation mistakes, Medicaid billing requirements, and strategies to reduce compliance risk while improving continuity of care. An in-person session will occur on September 1, 12:00 – 2:00 PM at the IPHA Pre-Conference. You are not required to attend all three sessions.

(select “From Outreach to Reimbursement: CHW Documentation for MCO Billing Success” as your pre-conference session)

August 4, 1:00 – 2:30 PM: The Help.Guide.Thrive. Operations Hub is hosting an Overview and Demonstration. The Hub is a collaboration among three Illinois-based nonprofit organizations, established to support providers with billing, care coordination, and access to sustainable funding across the following workforce areas:

• Community Health Workers
•  Maternal and Child Health providers (Doulas, Lactation Specialists)
• 1115 Waiver service providers (e.g., Street Outreach Workers, Medical Respite Care Providers)

Participants will receive an overview of the Help.Guide.Thrive Operations Hub and how it will support organizations across Illinois. A live demonstration of the platform will be shown.

August 13, 12:00 – 1:00 PM: IPHA is hosting a PHEd Talk titled “Deflection 101: A Public Health Approach to Community Safety.” Deflection connects people to treatment, housing, and social services at the first point of contact—before crisis or justice involvement—rather than relying on arrest or ER visits. This session covers deflection fundamentals, its public health foundations (prevention, harm reduction, equity), and why first-responder encounters are key intervention points.

August 26, 12:00 – 1:00 PM: The Immunize Illinois Coalition is hosting a webinar titled “Grandparents for Vaccines: A Storytelling Movement to Protect Every Child’s Tomorrow.” Through the voices of those who lived through these diseases, Grandparents for Vaccines preserves and shares stories that remind us what is at stake when vaccine confidence declines. This presentation will highlight the organization's work to reconnect generations to the realities of vaccine-preventable diseases and explore opportunities to become involved in the movement.

August 28, 12:00 – 1:00 PM: The Immunize Illinois Coalition, Illinois Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics, and Illinois Academy of Family Physicians welcome Allyssa Werner, Pharm.D., from AstraZeneca to provide information on FluMist® and FluMist Home®, an exciting option for eligible individuals to protect themselves against the flu.

National Community Health Worker Awareness Week Call to Action

As part of National Community Health Worker Awareness Week (August 24–28), the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA), in collaboration with partners across Illinois, is launching the Faces of Community Health campaign.

This statewide campaign will celebrate the many ways Community Health Workers (CHWs) improve health and strengthen communities by highlighting authentic CHW voices and experiences from across Illinois. Throughout Awareness Week, featured CHWs will share their stories through social media, culminating in a virtual storytelling event where selected participants will share their experiences live.

Our goal is to showcase the diversity of the CHW profession by featuring individuals representing a variety of:

• Geographic regions across Illinois
• Practice settings (healthcare, public health, schools, community-based organizations, re-entry programs, rural and urban communities, and more)
• Communities served
• Organizational types

We are seeking information:

• Community Health Workers who are interested in sharing their story and experience.
• Supervisors who can introduce the CHW role, describe how CHWs are grounded in their communities, and recognize the impact of their teams.

Participation may include:

• A short written profile
• A smartphone-recorded video (no professional equipment needed)
• Optional participation in the virtual storytelling event during CHW Awareness Week

Please complete the appropriate form below by August 10, 2026.

Thank you for helping us elevate the voices of Community Health Workers across Illinois and demonstrate the incredible impact of this workforce.

Questions can be directed to Mariah Menietti at mmenietti@ipha.com.

We look forward to celebrating Community Health Workers with you!

Community Health Worker 101 Instructors

This month, we would like to highlight some of the amazing Community Health Worker 101 instructors throughout the state. These passionate individuals are educating and sharing their experiences with the next generation of CHWs. Their hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed.

Maureen Burns, CHW, MPH (she/her/ella)

Maureen Burns (she/her/ella) is a dedicated Community Health Worker (CHW) with over 20 years of experience working in health care. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Health, Culture, and Aging and a Master of Public Health degree. Maureen serves as the Director of Community Health and Northside CHW at The HAP Foundation. At HAP, Maureen oversees the CHW program, which seeks to address serious illness and grief disparities through education and communal support. Maureen has also served in multiple teaching and consultant roles at many local organizations, including as an Adjunct CHW Instructor at Malcolm X College and as a contracted instructor at Health & Medicine Policy and Research Group, among others. Maureen is proud to be a leader who identifies as Disabled (Deaf), and she is a passionate advocate for the use of antiracist and liberatory practices to destroy systems of oppression. Furthermore, Maureen believes in the healing and transformational power of the collective; she believes in honoring grief and growing communities of care, mutual aid, and other practices of solidarity.

“I first became a CHW in 2020, and my entry into the field served as a major turning point in my life. Upon learning about this career path, I instantly knew it was going to be my life’s work! I jumped in headfirst and haven’t looked back. I have been blessed that each stage of my CHW professional career served as a stepping stone, with each milestone, my confidence increased, and so did new opportunities. I can’t imagine doing anything else, and I love this work so much that I often have a hard time saying no to any opportunity. I live and breathe Community Health Work! I feel incredibly honored to do work that feels sacred and impactful.

My work as a CHW has included a good deal of community-based education. I am tasked with educating community members on some really heavy subjects, such as hospice and grief. I feel like that work helped prepare me for more formal teaching roles. I am an alumnus of Malcolm X College. I completed the CHW Certificate Program in 2021. When I saw a job posting for an instructor position there, I knew it would be an excellent opportunity for me. I wanted to use my experiences as an adult learner, someone who had returned to school after a long gap, to help other students be successful academically. I have benefited from some amazing teachers, and I wanted to pay it forward and pour into the next generation of CHWs. I have taught part-time at Malcolm X College since 2023. I have also served as a contracted instructor in many other CHW programs, including the Youth CHW Pathways Program at Health & Medicine Policy and Research Group.

It’s the responsibility. I think for me, I have a clear understanding of both the good and bad that can occur in academic institutions and in the classroom. When done right, education can awaken our passions, empower us, and transform the world. However, many people also have harmful experiences with education. I have certainly had my own negative experiences. So, I feel a real responsibility to not only work as a teacher but to do that work intentionally and from the heart. I want my students to feel respected and welcomed and to know that I am there to help and support them. I have seen how education can transform lives, and I just want to be a small part of that process. The subject matter, Community Health Work, is my passion and calling. I love helping others discover this work and their role in it.” – Maureen

Dr. Courtney Gehrig, PhD, MBA, MPH, CHW, CMA (AAMA)

“I have dedicated my career to improving the health and well-being of individuals through education, healthcare, and community outreach. I currently serve as the Community Health Worker (CHW) instructor at Illinois Central College, where I have the privilege of preparing future CHWs to become trusted advocates and leaders within their communities. I also serve as the Program Director for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) program and work as a PRN Health Education Specialist with Carle Health.

My journey into Community Health Worker education began through my passion for public health and helping individuals overcome barriers that affect their health and quality of life. Throughout my career, I have worked with diverse populations, including individuals reentering the workforce after incarceration, people facing employment and socioeconomic challenges, and community members navigating complex healthcare systems. These experiences reinforced my belief that improving health extends far beyond the walls of a clinic—it requires meeting people where they are, listening to their needs, and connecting them with the resources and support necessary to thrive.

I earned my PhD in Health Education and Promotion with an emphasis in Community Health, as well as a Master of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration. My doctoral research focused on understanding behavioral risk factors contributing to elevated sexually transmitted infection rates among young women in Peoria, Illinois. This work deepened my commitment to health education, disease prevention, and addressing health disparities through community-based approaches.

What I enjoy most about teaching CHWs is watching students discover the incredible impact they can have on the lives of others. Community Health Workers serve as bridges between healthcare systems and the communities they serve, helping individuals navigate resources, advocate for themselves, and improve their overall well-being. I strive to equip my students with not only the knowledge and skills they need but also the compassion, empathy, and confidence to make meaningful differences in the lives of the people they serve.

I believe every person deserves access to quality healthcare, education, and support, regardless of their circumstances. My passion for CHW education comes from knowing that by educating one Community Health Worker, we ultimately impact hundreds—if not thousands—of individuals and families throughout our communities. Helping students become confident, compassionate advocates is one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.” – Courtney

Sinai Urban Health Institute’s Center for CHW Research, Outcomes, and Workforce Development (CROWD)

“Sinai Urban Health Institute’s Center for CHW Research, Outcomes, and Workforce Development (CROWD) is a nationally recognized community health worker (CHW) training and technical assistance center. CROWD has partnered with more than 80 organizations nationwide and issued more than 3,000 CHW training certificates since launching in 2017. CHWs co-design and co-deliver trainings in English and Spanish, ensuring content is culturally and linguistically relevant and grounded in community experience, trust, and practical application.

Building on over 26 years of experience, CROWD’s training modules are developed, tested, and refined to build core CHW skills and competencies, with topic-specific offerings in behavioral health, chronic disease, maternal and child health, system navigation, and more. Trainings are designed and delivered by a multidisciplinary team of CHWs, CHW supervisors, training and curriculum specialists, and subject matter experts as needed. Using a popular education model, CROWD draws on participants’ knowledge of the communities they serve, facilitates dialogue around shared challenges, and connects group-generated solutions to broader frameworks that can be applied across populations, settings (e.g., urban and rural), and organizations. Training is available in person, virtually, or in hybrid formats and is relevant to CHWs and aligned roles, including outreach specialists, navigators, and peer educators.” – CROWD training team

Arné Burns, MPH, CHES®

Arné Burns, MPH, CHES® is the Public Health Education and Training Manager and Co-Director of the Training Center at the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA). At IPHA, she leads statewide professional development initiatives and serves as the primary planner for the Annual Public Health Workforce Conference, helping public health professionals connect, learn, and grow in their careers.

“I started my public health career as a Community Worker with SNAP Education in 2018. I hold my Master of Public Health and dual bachelor’s degrees in Public and Biological Sciences from Southern Illinois University (SIUE), and I am a Certified Health Education Specialist. Here at IPHA, I work on our professional development and training team, but I have a soft spot for students and early career professionals. After I completed grad school, I started teaching at SIUE in their public health department. I feel like this is what essentially opened the door to start teaching our CHW 101 course. As I built my class curriculum, I was able to apply many of these same teaching strategies and topics to our CHW 101 training. I’m happy that I’m able to blend my passions like this within my job.

I really enjoy everyone’s diverse experiences that they bring to the training. I learn something new with every cohort, which only helps us to strengthen our training overall.

My friends and I have started pulling recipes out of the group chat to finally start making! So far, I’ve perfected making my own sandwich bread and matcha lattes. If anyone has any recipes from scratch they want to share, please let me know!” – Arné

New Report | Strengthening Health Information and Workforce Supports for Community Health Workers

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are often the first people community members turn to with questions about health care, Medicaid, and local resources. As the landscape continues to shift, CHWs are left navigating fragmented, outdated, or unclear information, and communities can miss out on the care and support they need. Changes to Medicaid eligibility and work requirements only heighten the risk that people may lose coverage, miss referrals, or struggle to access essential services.

A new report from Health Management Associates, supported by Michael Reese Health Trust and Community Memorial Foundation, explores how health information flows to and through CHWs in Cook County. The findings reinforce that CHWs are indispensable "voices of the community," operating within systems that make it difficult to access timely, accurate, and culturally relevant guidance.

With growing momentum to sustain the CHW workforce across Illinois, the report highlights critical opportunities to invest in multilingual, multidirectional communication and workforce supports that help ensure health information reaches communities in the right way, at the right time, while community insights help shape services that better meet local needs.

Peggy Peryam, CHW, MS El Ed and the Alzheimer’s Association

As a CHW, Peggy Peryam serves an Illinois tri-county area, giving workshops and consultations for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Alzheimer’s Association is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to ending Alzheimer’s disease and all other dementias through research, care, support, and advocacy. The Alzheimer’s Association provides care and support more than 10 million times annually, including care consultations, support groups, education programs, and a free 24/7 Helpline available in over 200 languages. Visit alz.org to learn more.

Volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association, Peggy uses what she learned through the CHW 101 training with the HAP Foundation as a building block to make connections between adults who need services, caregivers, and those community organizations desiring education.

 As a CHW, she compiled a resource list of over 100 tri-county organizations that serve those facing challenges, such as housing, medical needs, education, social services, senior needs, food pantries, transportation, and more. Peggy adds necessary resources to the FindFoodIL site, ensuring her community has better access. Outside of the Alzheimer’s Association, she is a harpist and uses her musical skills to minister to hospice and memory care patients through various health organizations. Peggy’s CHW work has provided opportunities to offer services in a variety of settings and training to meet the needs of the population. Even though she works independently as a CHW, she regularly interacts with other CHWs in the field. Participation in community health fairs, public and private events, workshops, and consultations provides the participants with hands-on experience with the work some CHWs do.

“The CHW training provided me with empathy, brain knowledge, socio-economic savvy skills, and important information needed to do my job properly. Because the Alzheimer’s Association is a reputable organization, and the CHW training gave me valuable knowledge, my impact on the community I serve is trusted. I really enjoy the opportunities given by my CHW training. The help I give others makes their lives more meaningful, and that is all I need.” – Peggy

Immunize Illinois Vaccine Needs Survey

If you provide vaccines, advocate for vaccines, or educate on vaccines in Illinois, this survey is for you! The Immunize Illinois Coalition has released a survey to gather feedback from across the state on the challenges, barriers, and needs related to vaccine access. The survey will be live through August 7, 2026, and more than one person from an organization can complete the survey. They want to hear from as many voices across Illinois as possible. Please feel free to share this survey with your colleagues and networks.

 Have a safe month,

Tracey Smith, Associate Executive Director for Public Health Practice at IPHA, Director of the CHW Capacity Building Center and Claire Hughes, IPHA Program Manager.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. 

We strive to keep CHWs, their employers, educators, and allies informed and connected. If you would like to contribute information for a future newsletter, please contact Mariah Menietti at mmenietti@ipha.com. We look forward to showcasing ways in which CHWs are making an impact in Illinois.