Community Health Worker onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: State CHW certification, Certified Application Counselor (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: electronic health records; phones and tablets; educational materials; enrollment portals
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Community Health Worker training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Share your schedule for home visits
Trust your instincts
Follow infection control
Protect privacy
Shadow an experienced community health worker through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: use teach-back
Supervised practice: screen for social needs
Supervised practice: conduct a home visit
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Conduct outreach and home visits: independently
Help people enroll in insurance: independently
Schedule and remind about appointments: independently
Teach about chronic disease and prevention: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, State CHW certification)
Discuss the career path: Community Health Worker → Lead CHW → Program Coordinator
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Use Teach-Back
Screen for Social Needs
Conduct a Home Visit
Health education
Outreach
Care coordination
Insurance enrollment

How to measure onboarding success

Time to independent caseload
Documentation timeliness and audit results
Client outcomes and satisfaction
First-year retention

How Community Health Worker training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Community Health Worker Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Community Health Worker Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Community Health Worker Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Community Health Worker Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)