California Community Health Worker Certification Requirements

California community health worker certification requirements are not what most people expect to find: there is no active state-issued certificate to apply for. The statewide certificate program the legislature authorized in 2022 was paused in late 2023 and remains shelved. What actually matters right now is qualifying under the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) rules so you can deliver Medi-Cal-reimbursable preventive services. That means meeting a lived-experience requirement, completing either a training pathway or an experience pathway, and working under a supervising provider enrolled in Medi-Cal.

Why There Is No State Certificate to Apply For

Welfare and Institutions Code Section 18998 directed the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to develop a statewide CHW certificate program.1California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 18998.2 HCAI issued a proposed framework in July 2023, stakeholders objected that November, and the 2024 Budget Act cut the funding needed to run a statewide certificate function.2California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Community Health Workers, Promotores and Representatives For the foreseeable future, no state agency is issuing CHW certificates. Qualification happens through DHCS’s Medi-Cal rules instead, and it is verified by your supervising provider rather than by any state portal.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements

The Two Qualification Pathways

Every CHW who wants to provide Medi-Cal-reimbursable services must meet two baseline conditions: lived experience that connects them to the community they serve, and completion of either a training pathway or an experience pathway.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements The certificate of completion does not need to be approved by DHCS, HCAI, or any other state agency. It can come from any organization, California-based, out-of-state, or international, as long as the training covers the required core competencies and field experience.

The Training Pathway

The training pathway requires completing a CHW program that results in a certificate of completion. Per Medi-Cal policy, the program must provide at least 80 hours of instruction, including a minimum of 10 hours of supervised field experience, and the curriculum must cover all of the core competencies listed below. Because no state approval process for training programs currently exists, format and cost vary widely. Tuition runs from free community-based programs up to roughly $1,900 depending on the provider.

When evaluating a program, look for one that explicitly addresses the Medi-Cal core competencies and issues a certificate of completion your supervising provider can verify. Community colleges, community-based organizations, and local health departments are common sources. The training does not need to be California-specific.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements

The Experience Pathway

CHWs already working in the field can qualify through experience instead of completing a training program up front. This route requires at least 2,000 hours of paid or volunteer CHW experience. One deadline matters: a CHW entering Medi-Cal billing through the experience pathway must earn a CHW certificate within 18 months of their first service provided to a Medi-Cal member.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements Missing that window can jeopardize billing eligibility.

Documentation of your 2,000 hours should come from the employers or organizations where the work occurred. Keep records of your hours as you go rather than reconstructing them later. Your supervising provider is the one who ultimately verifies the experience satisfies Medi-Cal requirements.

The Lived Experience Requirement

Both pathways require lived experience that aligns with and connects you to the community or population you serve.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements Lived experience means personal, firsthand knowledge of a health condition, social circumstance, or cultural identity you share with those you serve. Examples include experience with homelessness, managing a chronic illness, navigating the foster care system, immigration, or belonging to the same cultural or linguistic community.

This is currently a self-attestation. There is no formal test or verification process, but the connection should be genuine. Your supervising provider determines whether you meet this requirement as part of their overall verification responsibilities.

Core Competencies Your Training Must Cover

Whether you take the training pathway or earn a certificate later under the experience pathway, the curriculum must address every competency area in the Medi-Cal state plan.4Medicaid.gov. California State Plan Amendment 25-0023 The required areas are:

  • Communication: breaking down complex health information, active listening, and bridging language or cultural gaps.
  • Interpersonal and relationship building: building trust, motivational interviewing, and working within a care team.
  • Service coordination and navigation: helping clients access care, arranging transportation, and explaining systems like Medi-Cal.
  • Capacity building: teaching individuals to advocate for themselves and identify local resources.
  • Advocacy: identifying community-level needs and speaking on behalf of clients.
  • Education and facilitation: encouraging learning about health risks and disease prevention.
  • Individual and community assessment: using formal tools to evaluate needs at the individual and community level.
  • Outreach: educating communities about available programs and tailoring communication to specific populations.
  • Professional skills and conduct: time and resource management, ethical standards, and confidentiality.
  • Evaluation and research: using evidence-based practices and evaluating program outcomes.
  • Knowledge base: understanding public health principles and social factors driving health outcomes.

A training program that skips any of these may not satisfy Medi-Cal requirements, even if it otherwise looks thorough. Check the syllabus against this list before enrolling.

You Must Work Under a Supervising Provider

CHWs cannot bill Medi-Cal independently. Every CHW must work under a supervising provider enrolled in Medi-Cal who takes responsibility for claims submission and qualification verification.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements Eligible supervising providers include:

  • Licensed health care providers
  • Hospitals
  • Outpatient clinics, including tribal health centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers
  • Local health jurisdictions, including county First 5 agencies
  • Nonprofit community-based organizations
  • Pharmacies

Community-based organizations and local health jurisdictions can supervise CHWs even without a licensed provider on staff. The supervising provider must maintain documentation showing that each CHW they supervise meets all qualification and annual training requirements, and must make that documentation available to DHCS on request or in an audit.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements Because the state is not running a certification portal, your relationship with your supervising provider is where qualification actually gets confirmed.

Annual Continuing Education

Once qualified, CHWs must complete a minimum of six hours of additional training each year to maintain eligibility for Medi-Cal billing.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements The training can focus on the core competencies above or on an area of special focus relevant to the community you serve. Medi-Cal policy updates, trauma-informed care, and chronic disease management all count.

Your supervising provider keeps the records that show you’ve completed the required hours. If you work for multiple organizations or change employers, keep your own copies of training certificates and completion records too.

Certificates From Other States

CHW programs are run independently by each state, and there are no formal reciprocity agreements. A certificate earned in California satisfies California’s Medi-Cal requirements, but if you move to another state you will likely need to meet that state’s separate requirements from scratch. Certificates earned outside California can count here, as long as the training covers the required competencies and field experience, because California does not require state agency approval of the training program.3Department of Health Care Services. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Community Health Worker Services – Provider Requirements

Practical Steps to Get Started

  • Confirm your lived experience. Identify the specific community connection you bring. This is a threshold requirement and cannot be substituted with additional training.
  • Choose your pathway. New to CHW work? Find a training program that covers all eleven core competencies and includes field experience. Already have 2,000 or more hours? Enter through the experience pathway and earn your certificate within 18 months of your first Medi-Cal service.
  • Find a supervising provider. You cannot bill Medi-Cal on your own. Connect with an enrolled Medi-Cal provider, community-based organization, clinic, or local health jurisdiction willing to supervise your work and submit claims.
  • Keep your documentation organized. Hold onto your certificate of completion, training hour logs, field experience records, and any employer verification of hours.
  • Complete annual continuing education. Budget for at least six hours of relevant training each year.

With no state application to submit and no approval letter to wait for, qualification lives at the employer and supervising provider level. That makes choosing the right training program and keeping thorough records the two things most worth your attention.