Delaware’s voluntary CHW certification offers a training pathway and a time-limited route for experienced workers. CHWAD directs applicants to CHECK, a workforce platform for training and certification. This guide helps CHWs choose a route and helps program leads manage evidence, participant follow-up, funding questions and software without confusing these separate responsibilities. [1, 3]
Delaware CHW quick facts
| Topic | Delaware guidance |
|---|---|
| Credential framework | Voluntary certification led by the Community Health Workers Association of Delaware (CHWAD). [1, 5] |
| Minimum age | 18. Applicants agree to the CHW Code of Ethics. [1] |
| Standard route | Complete an accredited core-skills program and submit training evidence. [1] |
| Legacy route | At least 2,000 CHW hours during the five years before applying. [1] |
| Legacy deadline | Available through June 30, 2027. [1] |
| Application platform | CHECK; employer verification is part of the experience route. [1] |
| Current fee support | CHWAD advertises scholarship-supported certification fees. Confirm availability when applying. [1] |
| Training example | Delaware Tech lists 210 classroom hours and 40 internship hours for its certificate. [4] |
| Medicaid policy milestone | SJR2 required a coverage plan and report, not immediate universal billing authority. [6] |
| Software priority | Keep official credential work distinct from participant case management. |
| Last reviewed | November 6, 2026 |
For program leaders
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What do Delaware community health workers do?
CHWs help people navigate health and social services through trusted community relationships. Delaware’s training materials emphasize outreach, advocacy, education, ethical practice, data collection and support for healthier behavior. [2]
A director should define how that work fits the local program. For a maternal-health team, the goal may involve access to postpartum care. For a chronic-condition program, it may involve understanding the care plan and overcoming food or transportation barriers. The service model should explain who supervises the CHW and where clinical questions go.
Avoid treating a CHW role as an unlimited substitute for other professions. Train staff on their actual responsibilities, available resources and escalation process.
How do you become a certified CHW in Delaware?
The standard pathway uses accredited CHW core-skills training. Experienced workers can use the legacy route through June 30, 2027 if they meet its 2,000-hour, five-year experience standard. CHWAD directs applicants to CHECK. [1]
Choose the route before assembling evidence. For a training application, retain the completion record and provider details. For an experience application, prepare employment dates, duties and reliable verification contacts. Experience from multiple employers may be combined under CHWAD’s published route. [1]
Keep submitted, under review and awarded separate in your records. Completing a course or creating a CHECK account does not mean that certification has been issued.
What should experienced workers do before the legacy deadline?
Start evidence collection well before June 30, 2027. The published route depends on employer verification of hours and service areas. [1] A former supervisor may have changed roles, or an older employer may need time to retrieve records.
Recommended preparation:
- List relevant roles and date ranges.
- Separate verified hours from estimates that still need support.
- Identify a contact for every employer being used.
- Compare duties to the CHW work described in the application.
- Submit through the official platform and retain the acknowledgment.
A program can support workers by assigning an internal contact to reconcile records. That person should verify what the employer can attest to, rather than sign off on unsupported totals to meet a deadline.
Where can you find approved Delaware CHW training?
CHWAD’s core-skills page lists DPH, PHMC’s chwCORE, Delaware Technical Community College, IMPaCT Care and Delaware State University as accredited providers. Confirm that your specific course and cohort are recognized before enrolling; a provider’s name alone does not establish that every course it offers qualifies. [2]
Training formats differ. Delaware Tech describes a Georgetown certificate with 210 classroom hours and 40 internship hours, plus an information session and placement test before registration. Those are that college’s program conditions, rather than a universal Delaware minimum for every training provider. [4]
Ask any provider about current recognition, schedule, delivery language, attendance, fieldwork, total cost and the evidence supplied at completion. A course that is shorter or longer may have a different structure; compare approval and content before comparing hours alone.
How should you compare the standard and legacy pathways?
Choose the pathway that matches the evidence you can actually submit. CHWAD’s standard route uses completion of recognized core-skills training. Its legacy route uses verified work experience in the specified lookback period. These are alternatives within the association’s certification program, not two different Medicaid benefits. Review CHWAD’s application routes.
| Your situation | Practical next step | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| You are new to CHW work | Compare recognized core-skills courses and confirm admission conditions | Provider name, course title, completion certificate and application acknowledgment |
| You have relevant experience | Reconcile eligible duties and hours before choosing the legacy route | Role dates, hours, duties and verification contacts |
| You have changed employers | Identify who can verify each period of experience | Separate employment periods and an accurate total without overlapping hours |
| You completed a course elsewhere | Ask CHWAD whether that exact course is accepted | Written response and the original course evidence |
| You have submitted an application | Track the decision through CHECK | Submission date, requests for additional evidence and the final award |
The last two rows are preparation recommendations, not additional published eligibility pathways. A course certificate from another state, a related health credential or years in a community-facing job should not be relabeled as an approved Delaware route without confirmation.
For a fictional experienced applicant, two employers may be able to verify different periods of CHW service. The useful task is to assemble a reliable history and ask how it fits the published route. Do not add overlapping shifts twice or assume that every hour in a broad administrative job was CHW service.
What should you ask about certification and training costs?
Ask separately about the credential application, course tuition, required materials, travel and fieldwork. CHWAD currently advertises scholarship-supported certification fees. That statement should not be interpreted as a promise that every course, provider or related expense is free. Check current certification support.
Before committing to a course, request its current schedule and total price in writing. Confirm how missed sessions are handled, whether there are prerequisites and what the completion record will show. If an employer is paying, agree on paid training time, travel arrangements and any repayment condition before enrollment.
A program lead can budget the worker’s preparation and the program’s service operations separately. This makes it possible to see whether a funding agreement pays for participant-facing contacts, training, supervision or some combination. Treating all these costs as one undifferentiated “CHW rate” makes it harder to assess whether the actual award can sustain the role.
What is CHECK used for?
CHECK is the Delaware workforce platform for training, certification and professional development. Its public site describes training registration, calendars and learning resources. Registration is free, and the platform welcomes CHWs, employers, allies and partners. [3]
Use the official links from CHWAD or CHECK to reach the application. Keep the applicant’s login private. An employer can maintain a status checklist without taking over a worker’s personal account.
CHECK’s workforce purpose is different from an organization’s participant record. A case-management system should not imply that it replaces the official certification platform or is integrated with it unless the vendor can demonstrate and document that connection.
What should employers track after a credential is issued?
Record the exact credential, issuer, award date, expiration shown on the credential and the next action required by the issuing program. Maintain professional-development evidence as it is earned.
The public certification page does not establish a complete numeric renewal standard in the material reviewed for this guide. Use the worker’s issued instructions and current CHECK guidance for the applicable renewal cycle. Avoid borrowing another state’s education hours or a neighboring board’s renewal rules.
Assign an owner for credential follow-up and a backup if that person leaves. Preserve the source of a verified status and the date checked, rather than relying on a permanent “certified” checkbox.
Does Delaware Medicaid reimburse CHW services?
SJR2, signed May 22, 2025, directed DMMA to produce a report and plan by January 1, 2026, including a draft state-plan amendment or waiver as appropriate. A direction to develop coverage does not itself create a complete current billing pathway. [6]
The certification program’s launch materials discuss future Medicaid opportunities. They should not be used as a current fee schedule. [5] For a specific organization, obtain the governing DMMA or managed-care instructions and confirm what service, staff and billing arrangements are actually approved.
Keep grants, health-system employment and negotiated contracts identifiable. The absence of a verified universal per-contact benefit does not mean every CHW role has the same funding model.
See it in your program
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How can a Delaware program build a sustainable operating plan?
Start with the population served and the work needed to support it. Estimate outreach, travel, participant contacts, partner coordination, supervision, training and reporting. Identify which costs the actual agreement covers.
Create a funding calendar that shows contract end dates, renewal decisions and reporting deadlines. Link each program to the relevant award or agreement. If funding may change, establish who will handle participants with unresolved needs.
A useful director’s report shows the work completed and the barriers that remain. It should help explain why a worker made several attempts and whether a partner could accept the referral, rather than rewarding contact volume alone.
How do Delaware maternal-health programs use CHWs?
Delaware’s fiscal-year 2026 maternal and child health action plan identifies CHWs as a link to postpartum care in Healthy Women Healthy Babies and home-visiting work. It calls for tracking postpartum visits and relevant enrollment information, and for CHW training in perinatal health, postpartum care and community engagement. The same plan describes screening for housing-related needs and connecting pregnant participants with resources. These are named program strategies, not a universal CHW credential or billing standard. Delaware State Action Plan, maternal and perinatal sections.
For an organization working under one of these programs, begin with the actual reporting instructions. Record the participant’s goal, the barrier, the agreed action and what happened next. An appointment scheduled is different from an appointment attended. A referral sent is different from a housing resource that the participant can actually use.
In a fictional postpartum example, a participant wants to attend a follow-up visit but has no confirmed ride. The CHW helps identify transportation, checks the participant’s preference and records the result. If the ride remains unconfirmed, the follow-up task remains open. The record should support the program’s required measures without suggesting that the CHW provided the clinician’s postpartum visit.
Why can supervision and funding differ between Delaware programs?
Read the specific agreement before treating a program condition as a statewide rule. Delaware’s March 2026 Food Is Medicine Infrastructure Initiative addendum is a useful example: its CHW staffing questions concern rural Kent and Sussex practices, and its response expresses a preference for local, in-person supervision. This March 19, 2026 procurement is a dated example, not an invitation to apply or a statement that funding is currently available. The addendum describes funding for the CHW deployment within that procurement. It does not establish a statewide rule that every Delaware CHW must have the same supervisor, staffing level or payment arrangement. DHSS procurement addendum, questions 3 and 7.
When reviewing a new opportunity, make a short obligations sheet: which population is covered, which locations are included, who supervises, which activities are allowed, how payment is calculated and which evidence supports a report. Give each obligation a source in the executed agreement or current program instructions.
A rural nutrition initiative and a postpartum-access program may both employ CHWs while needing different partners, training and outcome measures. Reuse the basic contact-record structure, then add the specific fields the agreement needs. Copying every field from another program can create unnecessary work and still miss the measure the new funder actually requires.
What should supervision and ethics look like in practice?
CHWAD’s Code of Ethics addresses confidentiality, professional boundaries, truthful presentation of qualifications and respect for community expertise. [7] Turn these principles into observable routines during onboarding and supervision.
Discuss how staff communicate in shared community settings, how much information a partner needs and how to respond when a participant declines help. Set clear expectations for personal messaging, photographs and information stored on devices.
Supervision should also create space for workers to identify policies that do not fit the community. Record the concern, proposed change and follow-up decision so feedback becomes an operating improvement.
How should Delaware CHW notes and referrals be documented?
Use a short record that connects the participant’s goal, the worker’s action and the next step. Suggested fields include service date, worker, program, contact method, need addressed, support provided, participant response and follow-up owner. Add funder-specific fields only when the governing program needs them.
For referrals, separate offered, accepted, sent, acknowledged and assistance received. A referral awaiting eligibility review is still pending even if the CHW completed the task of sending it.
A fictional example: a participant wants help reaching a follow-up appointment. The CHW identifies a transport option, obtains the information-sharing permission the organization requires, contacts the service and records that availability is unconfirmed. The next task remains assigned until the participant receives an answer or agrees on another plan.
Which reports should a Delaware CHW leader review?
Review unique participants, completed contacts, open referrals, confirmed access and unresolved needs by program. Keep worker certification and training reports separate from participant service totals.
For maternal or other specialized programs, use the measures in the actual agreement. Do not add every possible field to every record. Explain the denominator, reporting period and source of each outcome so a director can defend the result.
Audit a sample of records before a report is submitted. Check duplicate participants, missing follow-up owners and referrals counted complete without evidence. Preserve corrections so a previously submitted period remains explainable.
What makes CHW software useful in Delaware?
A strong evaluation connects workforce oversight with day-to-day participant support while keeping the records appropriately separated. Test whether supervisors can identify missing evidence, stalled referrals and overdue tasks without opening every chart.
Explore community health workflows and the Smores Health platform. Ask how your forms, partner handoffs and reports would be represented. Verify the current product and any required configuration using a written scope.
For a Delaware-specific demonstration, use a legacy-pathway applicant and a participant waiting on transportation. Show the employer verification checklist, the participant contact, the partner response and the reporting output. No applicant reference should appear in the participant record.
See it in your program
Build your program around a connected workflow.
Bring your forms and reporting needs. See how Smores Health connects service notes, supervisor review, and program reporting in a walkthrough focused on your team.
A 20-minute walkthrough for your program.
What should you ask before buying a platform?
Clarify setup, data migration, training, staff permissions, reporting, support and export costs. Ask who will maintain partner details and approve future form changes.
Use fictional data to test a staff handoff, a declined referral, a corrected note and a report that separates unique people from contacts. On the devices your team uses, verify what happens when connectivity is interrupted; do not infer offline support from a mobile-friendly page.
Book a program walkthrough with Smores Health using one blank form and one funder report. The best purchasing evidence is a completed workflow your team can inspect.
Frequently asked questions
Is Delaware CHW certification mandatory for every position?
The cited program is voluntary. Employers and particular contracts can have their own workforce conditions, which should be verified for the role. [1, 5]
When does the legacy pathway close?
CHWAD publishes June 30, 2027 as the deadline. Plan early enough to obtain required verification. [1]
Is CHECK participant case-management software?
Its published purpose is workforce training, certification and professional development. Keep participant documentation in the system approved for your organization’s service work. [3]
Are all approved Delaware courses the same length?
No single training length should be inferred from one provider. Delaware Tech’s published hours describe its certificate; use CHWAD’s accredited-provider list and each provider’s current conditions. [2, 4]
Does certification create a Medicaid billing code?
No. Certification recognizes workforce qualifications. Coverage, provider enrollment and payment instructions require their own current authority. [6]
Can a course certificate replace CHWAD’s certification decision?
Keep them separate. A training completion record supports the standard-pathway application; the association’s application and decision process is a further step. CHWAD certification.
Does a grant requirement apply to every Delaware CHW?
Read it within the named program and agreement. A staffing or supervision preference in a particular procurement is not automatically a statewide workforce rule. DHSS Food Is Medicine procurement example.
Bring your Delaware CHW program into clearer view
Smores Health can help you evaluate participant documentation, referral follow-up and program reporting against your actual workflow. Bring a certification checklist and a service example. Book a program walkthrough or request pricing for a defined implementation scope.
Sources
[1] CHWAD, certification pathways. https://chwadelaware.org/certification/
[2] CHWAD, accredited core-skills training providers. https://chwadelaware.org/chw-core-skills-training/
[3] Delaware CHECK, workforce platform. https://delawarecheck.com/
[4] Delaware Technical Community College, CHW certificate. https://www.dtcc.edu/academics/programs-study/community-health-worker/
[5] ChristianaCare, certification-program launch, October 2025. https://news.christianacare.org/2025/10/christianacare-invests-in-certification-program-to-strengthen-delawares-community-health-workforce/
[6] Delaware General Assembly, Senate Joint Resolution 2. https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail/141860
[7] CHWAD, Code of Ethics. https://chwadelaware.org/code-of-ethics-for-community-health-workers/
[8] Delaware State Action Plan, 2026 application and 2024 annual report. Maternal and perinatal program strategies. HRSA-hosted state plan.
[9] Delaware DHSS, Food Is Medicine Infrastructure Initiative, Addendum 1, March 19, 2026. Program-specific CHW staffing, supervision and funding responses. Official procurement addendum.