UMass Boston

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Community Health Worker Training

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Become a Certified Therapeutic Mentor

State certified. Medicaid reimbursable. Practice-ready in 80 hours.

UMass Boston’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Therapeutic Mentoring Certificate is an 80-hour, state-certified training program that prepares participants to work as therapeutic mentors with youth under age 21 in the Massachusetts behavioral health system. Approved by the Massachusetts Board of Certification of Community Health Workers under License CHWTP10408, the program offers a direct pathway to CHW certification with a specialization in Therapeutic Mentoring. Therapeutic Mentoring services are available for MassHealth members under age 21 and are delivered as part of the youth’s treatment plan, making this training relevant to Medicaid-reimbursable practice in Massachusetts.

Why therapeutic mentoring?

Over 12 million young people in the United States experience a mental health disorder each year, and the majority cannot access care. Massachusetts has responded by building one of the most advanced community-based behavioral health systems in the country through the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative. Therapeutic mentors are a critical part of that system. They are trained, nonclinical providers who work directly with youth, delivering strengths-based support, safety planning, and systems navigation in homes, schools, and community settings.

The demand for qualified therapeutic mentors far exceeds the supply. Managed-care organizations and community service agencies across Massachusetts consistently report difficulty recruiting adequately trained staff. UMass Boston’s program was built to close that gap.

Schedule

Fall 2026:
September 8 - December 11

Register For Fall

Community Health Worker - Woman with clipboard

Who is this program for?

This program is a strong fit if you are:

  • a community member passionate about supporting youth mental health
  • a current or aspiring human services professional seeking a state-recognized credential
  • a paraprofessional already working in schools, afterschool programs, or family service agencies who wants formal certification
  • a career changer looking for a direct entry point into the behavioral health workforce
Seal of Massachusetts: State-Certified Statewide

What sets this program apart?

  • State-Certified Statewide
  • Built by Researchers and Practitioners Together
  • Direct Pathway to Reimbursable Practice
  • Equity by Design
  • Field Placement Partnerships
Community Health Worker - Male & 2 Females

Career Possibilities

Graduates are prepared for roles as:

  • Therapeutic mentors
  • Community health workers
  • Family support specialists
  • Behavioral health paraprofessionals in community service agencies, community health centers, schools, and family service agencies across Massachusetts

Plan Your Education

Schedule & Registration

Cohorts offered fall and spring, with sessions designed to accommodate working adults and UMass Boston students.

Schedule:
Fall 2026: September 8 - December 11
Tuition: $1,650 (for the full 80-hour certificate program)

Register

Registration:
Enrollment is open to adults age 18 and older who have a high school diploma or equivalent. Massachusetts residency is not required, and you do not need to be a UMass Boston student to enroll. The program is designed to prepare participants for CHW practice and certification in Massachusetts, so it is especially well suited for those who plan to work in the Commonwealth’s behavioral health and community health systems.

For more information, contact:
Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
jean.rhodes@umb.edu
617.287.7585

Program Format

Total Hours: 80 hours

  • Hybrid (56 hours online, 24 hours applied practice)
  • Online Component: Asynchronous coursework via Canvas and live synchronous sessions via Zoom

Applied Practice: You’ll need to complete 24 hours at approved field placement sites. Field placement could be in approved community health centers, mentoring programs, schools, or family service agencies across Massachusetts.

Duration: Approximately 10–12 weeks per cohort

Program Details

Learning Outcomes

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

Can I get college credit for this program?
The noncredit certificate does not carry academic credit. UMass Boston students who wish to earn credit may enroll in the for-credit course (PSYCH 216).

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.

Instructors

Jean E. Rhodes, PhD
Frank L. Boyden Professor of Psychology and director of the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring at UMass Boston. One of the nation’s leading researchers on youth mentoring, with over 200 peer-reviewed publications on mentoring, community-based intervention, and nonclinical workforce development.

Josephine Cardona, MA
Certified community health worker and program director of therapeutic mentoring for the Southeast region of Child and Family Services. An active member of the Association for Behavioral Healthcare’s Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative Committee and a pioneer in the development of CHW certification for therapeutic mentors in Massachusetts. Cardona brings over a decade of frontline experience working with youth and families in the behavioral health system.

Your Credential & Career Pathway

When you complete this program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion from UMass Boston, one of the nation’s most diverse public research universities. That certificate makes you eligible to apply for Massachusetts CHW certification through the Board of Certification of Community Health Workers after completing 2,000 hours of supervised CHW work experience.

CHW certification is the key to Medicaid-reimbursable practice as a therapeutic mentor within the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative system. That means your services are billable, your role is sustainable, and your career has a defined economic foundation.

The median annual wage for Community Health Workers in the Boston metropolitan area was $68,567 as of March 2024.

Your career pathway after completing this program: Certificate of Completion from UMass Boston; then field placement or employment at a community service agency or behavioral health provider; then 2,000 hours of supervised CHW work experience; then Massachusetts CHW board certification; then Medicaid-reimbursable practice as a therapeutic mentor.