A CHW is not only someone who helps the community get access to services but is also someone who is trusted and closer to the community. Trust is the fundamental key for a CHW to work in a community. If we want to help the community, we must build trust first. We can build trust by how we behave, express ourselves, and serve the community. Trust is important because it helps us be closer to the community and be more comfortable with it. As a patient navigator and outreach worker, trust is essential for my clients because I am working in the sensitive field of HIV testing, navigation, and linkage. During outreach in the community, some clients express their fear of being open because they say they don’t see someone they can trust. I talk about confidentiality and why I am coming to them. Through empathy, listening, and caring, I earn the trust of my community and clients. A CHW should show the community that they are trustworthy by being a role model, behaving well, respecting people no matter their backgrounds, and not being judgmental. Active listening and empathy are the best way to earn the community’s trust. In this picture, we can see how the community needs someone who is there to listen to them and guide them. In this case, it’s a food pantry where people from different backgrounds meet. I was there to volunteer to help distribute groceries and, at the same time, conduct outreach. People who were present allowed me to take pictures because they trusted me. Trust is truly the first step for a CHW working in a community. If we want to be trusted by our clients and patients, we must know the community we serve and be open- minded.

As a CHW, having the community member’s trust is necessary to understand and successfully address their needs. Demonstrating empathy and sincerity as a CHW allows for the formation of trust with clients. Clients are then free to openly express their feelings and needs. Without trust, clients are afraid of opening up due to fears of being judged or taken advantage of. The trust built between the CHW and clients empowers the clients to be more independent. They can utilize the information, tools, and resources provided to them by the CHWs to take better care of themselves, their health, and their needs. In one instance, an illiterate participant needed to go to her doctor’s appointment but was unfamiliar with how to get there. She confided in me that she was unable to read or write in English or her native language Spanish. She did not know how to get to her medical appointment because she was not familiar with the place, and it was her first time visiting this particular clinic. She also told me that she didn’t know how to use a smartphone, so Google Maps was unfortunately not an option. Because of the pandemic, I couldn’t accompany her to her doctor’s appointment. The participant and I agreed to get on the phone during her commute so that I could try and guide her to the clinic. I had the idea of sending her a screenshot of the directions she needed to follow from Google Maps. Using the picture, she was able to follow the directions to get to the clinic. I then guided her back home safely by using Google Maps while on the phone with her. The participant had trust in me and my guidance and was able to arrive at her destination and receive the medical care she needed. The participant and I utilized this same method several times thereafter whenever necessary.

Empowering my participants and giving them tips and resources is my main mission as I help many strive for a healthier self. Gaining the trust of those we help is key to making sure that we get a clear picture of where we can bridge the gaps. Since participants speak to me from the comfort of their homes, they begin in a more relaxed state. This results in them sharing more than they normally do with their medical providers. I am almost inducted as a friend or family member. Another benefit is that I belong to the same cultural background as many participants I help. I understand the language and the dos and don’ts of those I serve. After listening to some information about the patient, I tend to share any personal experience relating to their situation. This allows for a more personal connection to the individual I am helping. Some even ask to speak to me when their home attendant leaves, so they only share with me. This gives CHWs an edge that is very different from the rest of the medical team.

One of the goals we help participants work on is medication adherence. Sometimes this can be a simple fix like flipping medicine caps upside down to make them easier to open. Or it can be very complex, like switching pharmacies and getting a blister pack, which requires multiple medical providers to change how they send the prescriptions. I have offered tips like putting an alarm on a cell phone to cue the participant when it’s time to take their medication. Another tip is to use a pill organizer to confirm that the medication is taken on the correct day and time. I have a particular case where the participant did not know how to read or even know their numbers. This person was completely reliant on their home attendant. During the pandemic, many home attendants stopped going to their assigned patients, which was concerning. What if the home attendant got sick or was not able to go for a day or even a week or a month? I was able to find a pharmacy that used pictures to indicate when to take medicine or what it was for. One participant I worked with was willing to switch pharmacies, and they are now able to take medicine without any help. This type of pill organization can be helpful to patients that read languages other than English as well.

CHWs change the world by Teaching and Empowering Patients. What I am showing here are feelings about technology before and after the start of the pandemic. Working from home was overwhelming at first. Among other challenges, there was finding an area to set up a desk and chair, knowing what to plug into where, dealing with laptop and phone issues and spotty internet service, adapting to new protocols and procedures, and at times having feelings of isolation. I thought about our participants not having the tech tools to communicate with their doctors, family, and friends. Many participants shared that they were alone, afraid to go out and be disconnected from family and social activities.

This picture is about personal experiences related to the trust found between the members of a community and their CHWs. When the people in the community we serve know that we can provide them with food assistance that allows them to put healthy food on their tables for their families, they trust us. I once gave a talk about healthy food choices and the effects of sodium on health to a group of ten people. The participants were focused and attentive, and I realized that their trust in me as their CHW also gave them confidence that the information I provided was beneficial for their health. Many community members benefit from receiving education from us related to healthy lifestyles and how to eat more nutritious food. We also support our community in managing their housing problems and refer them to health centers to receive treatment. With all the resources we offer, our patients and clients realize that our interest is that they gain the tools they need to have a good quality of life for themselves and their families. This is how community members develop trust in their CHWs, who care deeply for their community.

CHWs have different forms of expertise, and we help each other become stronger in different areas. I work with CHWs who are very skilled with technology and are always ready to share their knowledge. We created a WhatsApp group to learn where help is needed in the community. On this platform, we can share resources and up-to-date information. We make sure no identifying information is shared about the families we assist. As CHWs, we learn from one another and rely on each other’s expertise. That’s how we get our work done.

CHWs have the opportunity to support patients with their health needs. Many patients not only struggle with their medical needs but have challenges when it comes to their social needs as well. One of the challenges is when patients have difficulties paying their utility bills, phone bills, rent, internet services, hospital bills, etc. Patients can feel overwhelmed by the situation, and as a result, this can impact their overall health. As a CHW, my role is to support and guide patients to overcome these barriers. I assist patients with obtaining information and connecting them to community resources, such as housing assistance, which can provide patients with the appropriate resources. Also, I inform patients about affordable services available within their community, like free phone and internet services. Due to the COVID pandemic, many of our patients had to adapt to telehealth services to receive medical care. But many of our patients didn't have access to technology or couldn't afford to use the internet. One of my patients was unable to afford her internet service bill because it was too high. I connected my patient with the Emergency Broadband Benefits (EBB) program. This program provides low-income community members with a temporary internet service discount, so they can get access and meet their medical needs. This is only one of the many examples of how I can help patients get the resources they need and assist them through the process. There are many existing resources in the community available for our patients. Therefore, it is important to ensure that they are able to navigate them. As a CHW, my goal is to empower patients so they can continue improving their health and social needs in the best way they can.

CHWs help connect community members with technology support. They assist many members of my community, teaching them how to navigate the internet, reach their doctors, refill medications, and make appointments. CHWs also apply for social resources, such as food SNAP, transportation, food delivery, etc. Working from home has taught me the importance of connecting our community members with technological devices and support, because knowing how to navigate the web is a way to empower their abilities to overcome any future obstacles.

Para mi gente [For my People]”: Using my cellphone and personal narratives, I am constantly on the hunt for public health campaigns, opportunities, resources, ideas, motivation, or new ways to raise awareness. With the use of popular education comments, we enrich each other. I told a client about this project and asked her if she trusted me and why? She responded, “Absolutely!” She told me that she feels God put me in her path and that I can make complex things easy to understand. She feels that I will never let her down and that I always help the community and don’t expect anything in return. This lady has been my client for 12 years, and I see great improvement in all aspects of her life. She tells me that she has learned to be a better mother and has become more empowered with her decisions and communication. I feel very proud to see her growing as a person, and I have great expectations for her life and her family. I am thankful to be recognized as a respected member of my in-person and virtual communities. My most important value is that people believe in my word, and I have developed professional credibility with my actions. During the pandemic, my postings about resources and services available in our community, like vaccines, food, economic rescue for undocumented immigrants, and more, were vital for my clients’ survival. Most importantly, my community members knew we could communicate with ease because I spoke the language of my people.

Learning new online tech tools and resources helped me provide and share this new information with our participants. This empowered our participants to connect via the patient portal, schedule a video visit with their health providers, and have zoom meetings with family and friends. Confidence in learning new tools in technology helped empower our participants in this new journey.