Overview

The Associate of Science in Community Healthcare Worker is designed to offer a tiered program to higher education in the field of community health.  It will serve as a pathway to develop leadership and advocacy skills of indigenous/grassroots health workers.  To address areas of concern, the students will be required to evaluate needs of the community, establish priority areas and focus, and develop educational materials to address areas of concern.  Health advising will target health maintenance, prevention, and wellness rather than treatment.  Subscribing to the tenet that healthcard is a human right rather than a privilege, the indicator of a healthly nation is a healthy community.  Community Healthcare Workers (CHW) provide health advising, intakes and referrals, carry out client orientations, and advocates for the community.  Under the guidance of the primary health provider and collaborating with the healthcare team, CHWs will approach health issues proactively. 

This program is designed for the entry-level health workers and onsite individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and confidence in the delivery of primary and preventive healthcare.  With the holistic curriculum, the student is prepared to view the patient's concerns as a human being rather than an isolated system or anatomical organ. 

Requirements

Degree Requirements

To receive the associate degree, students must complete at least 90 quarter units, 31.5 of which must be taken in residence at National University.  Students are urged to meet English requirements as early as possible in their college studies to avoid serious difficulties in other coursework.  In the absence of transfer credit, students may need to take additional electives to satisfy the total units for the degree.  Students shoudl refer to the section on undergraduate admission requirements for specific information regarding admission and evaluation.  The following courses are specific degree requirements.

Requirements for the Major
(8 courses; 36 quarter units)

CMM 200     Community Outreach, Advocacy and Organization
CMM 210     Complementary and Alternative Medicine
CMM 220     Environmental and Occupational Hazards
CMM 230     Issues in Death, Dying and the Human Experience
CMM 240     Health Promotion and Lifestyle Modification
CMM 250     Spanish for Healthcare Professionals
HSC 300     Legal and Ethical Issues and Health Professions
GER 310     Healthy Aging