UMass Boston

The program combines 64 hours of CHW core competency training with a 16-hour therapeutic mentoring specialization.

CHW Core Competencies (64 hours):

• Outreach methods and strategies.
• Individual and community assessment.
• Effective communication.
• Cultural responsiveness and mediation.
• Education to promote healthy behavior change.
• Care coordination and system navigation.
• Use of public health concepts and approaches.
• Advocacy and community capacity building.
• Documentation.
• Professional skills and conduct.

Therapeutic Mentoring Specialization (16 hours):

• History and evidence base of therapeutic mentoring.
• Strengths-based approaches to the mentor-mentee relationship.
• Multi-level systems of care and wraparound services.
• Safety planning for youth with behavioral health challenges.
• Working with community service agencies.
• Ethics and professional boundaries in therapeutic mentoring practice.

Do I need a college degree to enroll?
No! You need a high school diploma or equivalent and must be at least 18 years old.

Is this program available outside of Boston?
Yes. The program is certified statewide. Online coursework can be completed from anywhere in Massachusetts, and field placement sites are available in multiple regions across the commonwealth.

Is there credit and noncredit options?
The same curriculum can serve both degree seeking UMass Boston students and community participants. UMass Boston undergraduate psychology majors may take PSYCH 216 for academic credit through the regular registration system, while community participants may complete it as a noncredit certificate through Online and Continuing Education.

What are Some Examples of field placement sites?
Applied practice sites may include community behavioral health agencies that provide In Home Therapy and Therapeutic Mentoring under MassHealth, community health centers with youth behavioral health services, schools or school linked programs, youth mentoring organizations, after school programs working with vulnerable youth, and family service agencies that support children, adolescents, and caregivers. These settings allow participants to observe and practice the core functions of therapeutic mentoring in real world environments.

What do students engage in during applied practice?
During applied practice, students may observe or participate in structured youth activities, relationship building, strengths based communication, modeling and coaching of skills, family engagement, documentation, service coordination, and supervision meetings. The applied hours are meant to help students connect classroom learning to actual community based practice.

Do the 24 applied hours count towards the work experience requirement?
Yes, the 24 applied practice hours can count toward the 2,000 hour work experience requirement if they meet the Board’s standards for qualifying supervised experience. But students should understand that these 24 hours are only a small part of the total work experience needed.

How do students usually complete the remaining hours?
Most students complete the remaining required hours through paid or supervised work after or during the program. This may happen in therapeutic mentoring programs, community mental health agencies, schools, family service agencies, community health centers, or other settings where they are performing CHW related functions with appropriate supervision. The program prepares you to enter the field and begin accumulating hours toward certification, rather than assuming they become fully certified immediately upon course completion. To become a certified CHW in Massachusetts, students must also complete 2,000 hours of qualifying supervised work experience in addition to finishing this 80 hour Board approved training program.

What kind of jobs can I get after completing this program?
Graduates are prepared for roles as therapeutic mentors; community health workers; family support specialists; and behavioral health paraprofessionals in community service agencies, community health centers, schools, and family service agencies across Massachusetts.

What is the difference between a Certificate of Completion and CHW Board Certification?
The Certificate of Completion is awarded by UMass Boston when you finish the 80-hour program. CHW Board Certification is a state credential issued by the Massachusetts Board of Certification after you complete an approved training program and 2,000 hours of supervised work experience. Our program satisfies the training requirement.