Policy Corner 4: State CHW Certification Article

he state of Illinois passed the CHW Certification and Reimbursement Act in 2021, calling for the IL Department of Public Health and the IL Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a CHW certification program and to reimburse certified CHW services through Medicaid, respectively. The program is not yet available and still in the planning process, but is set to begin some time in 2026. 

This state CHW certification is NOT MANDATORY. 

• CHWs may continue to work even without the state certification. 
• If experienced CHWs want to pursue certification, they can apply without completing a formal training program through the work experience pathway, although the details are still being discussed by the CHW Review Board. 
• CHWs who are new and have little to no experience and want to become certified, will need to complete an IDPH-certified academic or community-based training program.

The requirements for certification are not solidified yet; draft rules are currently under review and not yet public. 

This law is important because up until now, CHW salaries have been paid through short-term grant-funded programs. This has made it difficult for employers to offer well-paying long-term positions to the CHW work force. With this law, the state will provide an ongoing stream of funding through Medicaid for specific CHW services, although these services and the reimbursement rates have not been determined yet. The hope is that with a stable source of funding, employers will be able to maintain stronger CHW programs and increase the consistency of sorely needed services to community-members. 

This law isn’t requiring employers to only hire certified CHW’s. There is still incredible value in the experiences of CHWs without certification, and grant-funded positions continue to be available for non-certified CHW’s. This is more of a financial decision for employers; it gives them the ability to employ CHW’s for specific reimbursable services if grants are not available or if they would like to supplement grant-funded CHW programs/teams. 

Although certification is optional, there are some benefits to being a Certified CHW in Illinois. The credential gives employers additional confidence that a potential employee can perform CHW duties well, and employers can be reimbursed for certain CHW activities. 

It is also encouraged that CHWs participate in the process of developing the certification program. These are some ways you can provide input into the development of the CHW Certification Program:

• Attend CHW Review Board meetings as a member of the public; information on Board Meetings may be found on the CHW Review Board webpage.
• Request to speak at the public comment session of CHW Review Board meeting(s).
• If you are a subject matter expert, serve on a relevant committee as needed and as requested by CHW Review Board co-chairs.

If you would like to contact someone at IDPH, please reach out to Sarahjini Nunn, Program Manager, CHW Certification Program at sarahjini.r.nunn@illinois.gov.