Course Syllabus

EMC 170 - Community Health Worker
Section 5929 - Course Syllabus

Course Description

Students will focus on core competencies for community health workers (CHW), evolution of the CHW field in the United States, CHWs and public health, and promoting health equity. Students will apply their knowledge and skills in a clinical setting as part of the course. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be eligible for state certification as a CHW.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behavior needed to succeed in the role of a CHW.

2. Communicate, coach, and collaborate with a multi-disciplinary healthcare team effectively.

3. Recognize and respect the values and needs of the cultures and practices of the populations and communities served.

4. Describe how healthcare and public/community health systems are structured, function, the types of care they deliver, and the current technologies used.

5. Engage in advocacy and social support actions to promote client and community health needs.

6. Implement community/individual education programs, based on needs and strengths, to build capacity, support health, and promote wellness.

Class Meetings

This is an asynchronous class, with virtual meetings from time to time. Instructors will invite student to Zoom meetings on an as needed basis.

Instructor Contact

Martín Rivarola, MPH

Email: mrivarola@santarosa.edu

Phone: 415-430-7439

Office Hours: By appointment only

I respond to emails within 8 hours.

Nicamer Tolentino, MPH

Email: ntolentino@santarosa.edu

Phone: 415-713-6687

Office Hours: By appointment only

I respond to emails within 8 hours.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course web site for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmate's work, sharing resources, and viewing grades.

Textbook

Foundations for Community Health Workers by Tim Berthold, 2nd edition.

Free hard copy of the text will be available for pick up.

Required Software

You will need the following software for this course.

Important Dates

TBD

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.

Pass‐NoPass (P/NP)

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online with TLC or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get P.

You must file for the P/NP option by [date]. Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure.

Instructor Announcements and Q&A Forum

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. A “Q&A Forum” is also on Canvas to ask for assistance of your classmates or of instructor.

Attendance

Students who fail to attend the first class (face-to-face courses) or do not log-in to an online class after the second day of the semester will be dropped from the class. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact me to avoid being dropped from the class.

Late Policy

All assignments are due at midnight on the due date. A late submission will receive a 20% penalty. Submissions more than one week late are not accepted without prior arrangement. Late work will not be graded unless student sends instructor an email with URL for late work.

Exams

There will be online and final exams. The material comes from the textbook, class lectures and supplemental materials. If any exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the online exams by the due date.

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. We grade once a week and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

A	90%	xxx points or more
B	80%	xxx to xxx points
C	70%	xxx to xxx points
D	60%	xxx to xxx points

If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points and complete the midterm exam and the final exam to pass the class.

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's policy on Academic Integrity Links to an external site.

Other Important Policies and Practices

Avoid Plagiarism Like the, er, Plague

Although most students have likely heard about plagiarism during their years of schooling, it still is prevalent-even in higher education.

The video below reviews what plagiarism is and how not to do it.

Plagiarism: How to avoid it Links to an external site.

Netiquette, or Why Is It Harder to Be Polite Online?

Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication. All members of the class are expected to follow netiquette in all course communications. Use these guidelines:

Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
Cite all quotations, references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).
Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.
Use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when texting.

Special Needs

Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278), as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.