Community Health Worker Certification for Mental Health Equity

(TEACH Trial)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Baylor Research Institute

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Not UTA student, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

The trial aims to improve access to mental health care for minority groups by training students from underrepresented backgrounds as community health workers (CHWs). These students will take a course that includes EMPOWER training to provide mental health support in their communities. The study compares the effectiveness of EMPOWER-trained CHWs with those lacking this specific training. Ideal candidates for the trial are undergraduate students at the University of Texas at Arlington who have unmet internship requirements and have completed the necessary CHW or EMPOWER training. As an unphased trial, this study offers students a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience and make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this training method is safe for students?

Research shows that specific safety information for the EMPOWER training for Community Health Workers (CHWs) is not available. However, these programs typically focus on teaching and skill-building, which are generally low-risk activities. Therefore, serious safety concerns are usually absent in such training programs.

In other contexts, CHW programs have increased participants' knowledge, though evidence on behavior change or health improvement remains mixed.

Overall, despite the lack of specific safety data for the EMPOWER training, the program is likely safe and not expected to cause harm. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification for Mental Health Equity trial because it explores a unique approach to mental health support through community-based interventions. Unlike traditional mental health treatments that often rely on professionals like psychologists or therapists, this trial aims to empower undergraduate students with specialized training. By equipping students with the EMPOWER training for delivering a trans-diagnostic psychosocial intervention, the trial hopes to enhance accessibility to mental health support in communities. This innovative strategy could bridge gaps in mental health care by utilizing trained community members to provide support, making mental health resources more widely available and culturally sensitive.

What evidence suggests that this trial's training methods could be effective for improving mental health care access for minority groups?

Research has shown that community health workers (CHWs) trained with the EMPOWER program can effectively provide mental health support. In this trial, some participants will be EMPOWER-trained CHWs, who will undergo a semester-long course that includes proven methods, such as basic counseling skills and activities that improve mood, to address various mental health issues. Studies have found that CHWs with this training can offer short mental health support sessions, making it easier for people to receive help. This is especially important in communities where professional mental health services are scarce. Overall, CHWs trained with EMPOWER offer a promising way to improve access to mental health care. ^{1 3 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Katherine Sanchez, PhD, LCSW

Principal Investigator

Baylor Scott and White Health

Ann Marie Warren, PhD, ABPP-RP

Principal Investigator

Baylor Scott and White Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups at a minority-serving institution. They should be interested in obtaining Community Health Worker Certification to help improve mental health care access within their communities.

Inclusion Criteria

Must be enrolled as a UTA undergraduate student with unmet internship hours

Must be able to provide informed consent

Must have successful completion of the UTA CHW/EMPOWER course (Phase 2) and/or State of Texas CHW certification (for non-EMPOWER-trained CHWs) at the start of internship

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 18 years old.

Non-successful completion of EMPOWER course and/or State of Texas CHW certification at the start of internship

Not enrolled as an undergraduate student at UTA

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training and Certification

Undergraduate students undergo a semester-long course for CHW certification and EMPOWER training

16 weeks

Weekly sessions (in-person)

Internship

CHW certified students engage in an internship at Baylor Scott and White Health

10 months

Regular supervision and support sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for job placement and mental health outcomes

12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• A semester-long course for training of students as CHWs with additional EMPOWER training for delivering a brief trans-diagnostic psychosocial intervention

Trial Overview The study tests a semester-long course that trains students as Community Health Workers (CHWs) with additional EMPOWER training for delivering brief psychosocial interventions aimed at diverse populations.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: EMPOWER-trained CHWs Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Undergraduate students at the University of Texas at Arlington will engage in a semester-long course for training of students as CHWs with additional EMPOWER training for delivering a brief trans-diagnostic psychosocial intervention. CHW certified students will then engage in an internship at Baylor Scott and White Health.

Group II: Non-EMPOWER-trained interns Active Control 1 Intervention

Intern health workers who have not undergone the EMPOWER training curriculum will engage in an internship at Baylor Scott and White Health.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Baylor Research Institute

Lead Sponsor

Trials

210

Recruited

205,000+

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

The University of Texas at Arlington

Collaborator

Trials

48

Recruited

7,300+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Community health workers (CHWs) have proven effective in various health care settings, but their perceived value is diminished due to inconsistent credentialing and lack of billing structures for their services.

The article proposes a framework to better define CHW roles and competencies, which could help integrate them into health care systems and improve recognition and payment for their contributions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development of a Framework to Describe Functions and Practice of Community Health Workers. Corder-Mabe, J., Johnson, S., Mazmanian, PE., et al.[2021]

A survey of 77 Community Health Workers (CHWs) revealed that while 79.2% provide medication management services, over half (57.1%) rated their confidence in this area as 'poor' or 'fair', indicating a significant gap in self-assessed competency.

The findings suggest a strong need for enhanced medication management training in CHW certificate and continuing education programs to improve their confidence and effectiveness in delivering these services.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Identifying Medication Management Confidence and Gaps in Training Among Community Health Workers in the United States. Jam, VA., McKay, KL., Holmes, JT.[2020]

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06868498

Train and EMPOWER A Community Health Workforce to ... ... CHWs with additional EMPOWER training for delivering a brief trans-diagnostic psychosocial intervention. ... health workers to deliver a brief psychological ...

2. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/search/VEW-LrKwXkGW9GG4QyfE3g/project-details/10934506

Project Details The EMPOWER curriculum consists of evidence-based psychosocial interventions covering foundational counseling skills and behavioral activation and will be ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-chw-certification-7-2024-114b9

Community Health Worker Certification for Mental ... ... training of students as CHWs with additional EMPOWER training for delivering a brief trans-diagnostic psychosocial intervention will have tolerable side ...

4. psychiatryonline.org psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.focus.20220042

EMPOWER: Toward the Global Dissemination of ... Psychosocial interventions are amongst the most effective for the full range of mental health conditions but the vast majority of people, in ...

5. nature.com nature.com/articles/s44184-024-00094-7

Advancing community health worker models to support ... As interventionists, CHWs have demonstrated effectiveness and feasibility in delivering mental health ... Do psychosocial treatment outcomes vary ...

6. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/search/I_bJWIRR_0Kb3TKRVha0zw/project-details/11111422

Train and EMPOWER A Community Health workforce (TEACH) The Project Outcomes shown here are displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions ...

7. ahrq.gov ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/comhealthwork/comhwork.pdf

Outcomes of Community Health Worker Interventions Limited evidence suggests CHW interventions can improve participant knowledge. There is mixed evidence for behavior change and health outcomes.