South Carolina’s CHW credentialing process is organized through the Community Health Worker Credentialing Council and association resources. It includes approved core training, a practicum and an examination. Program leads should verify the issued credential’s renewal instructions and the actual funding agreement, especially when older webpages or proposed legislation describe different requirements. Credentialing Council instructions SCCHWA core training House bill history
South Carolina CHW quick facts
| Topic | South Carolina guidance |
|---|---|
| Credential | The Credentialing Council’s route includes approved core training, a practicum and an examination. Credentialing Council instructions SCCHWA core training |
| Training | The association lists 80 hours of classroom work and 80 hours of practicum. SCCHWA core training |
| Renewal | The issuer’s dedicated instructions require 24 CEUs within two years, including 12 CHW-specific units. Council recertification instructions |
| Help for residents | DPH accepts nonurgent needs through its public CHW referral form. DPH community referral program |
| Hospital program | The budget’s hospital placement provision is separate from a proposed change to statewide credential and Medicaid law. House bill history Ratified state budget proviso |
For program leaders
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What does a CHW do in South Carolina?
South Carolina DPH describes CHWs connecting people with resources, supporting access to care, helping with benefit applications and providing health information. Its current program page offers a resource-assistance request route and regional contacts. The department also makes clear that CHWs are not clinicians and that its request form is not for urgent situations. DPH community referral program
Programs should give workers a clear role, service area and escalation process. A participant seeking help with food access, a medical appointment or a benefits application may need several contacts. A useful workflow preserves the person’s priorities and shows what remains unresolved.
How to request help from a South Carolina public health CHW
Use DPH’s Get Help form for a nonurgent request. It lists difficulty finding a provider, applying for WIC, SNAP or Medicaid, or accessing transportation, food and other essentials. A CHW follows up to discuss what the person wants. The form is not monitored in real time. If a hospital or other organization makes the referral, confirm how the person wants to be reached and what information they agree to share. DPH community referral program
The team’s first useful outcome may be as simple as reaching a parent in their preferred language and agreeing on a time to work on an application. Record the later application or appointment separately. DPH illustrates this distinction with examples of connecting a pregnant person to care and WIC, and helping someone navigate a hospital. DPH community referral program
How South Carolina CHW certification works
SCCHWA’s credentialing resources describe council-approved core competency training followed by the core competency examination. Training completion, exam passage and credential issuance should be tracked as separate events. A certificate for attending a short workshop does not establish completion of the full credentialing process. Credentialing Council instructions SCCHWA core training
For a job application, identify the credential issuer and ask whether the employer requires its credential. For a legislative change, consult the General Assembly’s actual action history. Credentialing Council instructions House bill history
How much training is required?
The association’s current training page describes 80 hours of facilitated learning and 80 hours of practicum supervised by an approved preceptor. It lists training organizations and links to their information. Contact a provider about its current cohort, format, admission, tuition and practical placement. SCCHWA core training
Before enrolling an employee, confirm who secures the practicum site and how hours and competency are verified. Budget for participation time and coverage of current work. A course’s advertised duration may not include every step needed to obtain the credential.
Preparing for certification
- Use SCCHWA’s current training and credentialing pages to identify an approved pathway.
- Confirm the specific course and practicum arrangement.
- Retain evidence of completed learning and supervised practice.
- Arrange the core competency exam and any needed accommodation.
- Complete the credentialing process and verify the issued dates.
- Set up continuing-education evidence tracking.
The association identifies English and Spanish examination options and a process for requesting accommodations. Ask about the current arrangements before setting an employment deadline. Credentialing Council instructions
When does South Carolina CHW certification renew?
The Council’s dedicated recertification instructions say to earn and submit 24 continuing education units (CEUs) within the two-year certification period, before expiration. At least 12 must be specific to CHW practice. Regular professional development can supply some of the rest. Service earns at most four units in a cycle and at most two per year. Once the CEUs are approved, apply for recertification. Council recertification instructions
Use the expiration date on the credential. If an older certificate or summary gives a different term, ask the Credentialing Council how its current instructions apply to that certificate. Keep the written answer with the renewal record. Credentialing Council instructions Council recertification instructions
Continuing education and workforce development
SCCHWA directs credentialed workers to its Member Compass system to track recertification education, including nonmembers who need an account for that purpose. Keep the actual activity evidence as well as any portal entry. A total without dates, topics or proof may be difficult to reconcile later. Credentialing Council instructions
For program development, choose education that addresses the work staff encounter: communication, community resources, boundaries, documentation and effective follow-up. These are planning priorities, not additional statewide CE mandates. Confirm approval when the activity will be used for credential renewal.
Does South Carolina Medicaid pay for every certified CHW service?
A CHW credential demonstrates a workforce qualification. For a funded hospital placement, ask the hospital for the applicable program agreement. For a proposed Medicaid claim, request the current coverage instructions for the specific member, service, billing provider and plan. The Department of Public Health’s referral service and the hospital budget provision establish different kinds of access and funding. Neither gives a general outpatient fee to an individual CHW. DPH community referral program Ratified state budget proviso
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What happened to South Carolina House Bill 5002?
H.5002, introduced in January 2026, proposes changes to certification and Medicaid policy. The official record reviewed shows introduction and committee referral, rather than enactment. Its proposed January 2027 requirements should not be presented as operative law or a guaranteed upcoming payment launch. House bill history
If your program is budgeting for a future benefit, separate the enacted authority, federal approval, implementing instructions and actual contract. A legislative proposal may justify monitoring, it does not justify booking revenue or assigning an unverified billing workflow.
Funding a South Carolina CHW program
South Carolina’s fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget describes a specific hospital initiative. Section 33.20(B) directs the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the University of South Carolina’s Center for Community Health Alignment to support CHW placements in hospitals. The goal is to connect people who lack access to affordable insurance with resources and safety-net providers. The proviso calls for program data and allows the department to tie hospital reimbursement to participation. Ratified state budget proviso H.5126 action history
A hospital participating in that initiative should identify its placement agreement, the participants it intends to reach, the referral destination, the data it must report and the period funded. A community organization outside the arrangement should confirm its own funding before promising a paid service. The budget does not supply a standard payment for every referral. Ratified state budget proviso
Before a South Carolina hospital refers someone to a CHW
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Ask what help the person wants and whether a nonurgent DPH referral or the hospital’s own CHW team is the better contact. DPH community referral program
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For a placement funded by the hospital initiative, check the hospital agreement, the eligible activity and the reporting definition. Ratified state budget proviso
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For staffing, reconcile core training and practicum records with the exam decision and current credential expiration. Credentialing Council instructions SCCHWA core training Council recertification instructions
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If a budget assumes new statewide payment, check the legislative history. H.5002’s referral to committee supplies no effective coverage date. House bill history
Document referrals as a process
A useful participant record identifies the need, the worker’s action, the person’s response and the agreed next step. Distinguish a resource offered from a referral accepted, an appointment scheduled and a connection confirmed.
For example, a participant may request help finding primary care. The worker identifies a resource, but the first clinic may not accept the participant’s coverage or have an available appointment. Preserve that history so another staff member can continue the work without starting over or assuming the need was resolved.
A South Carolina hospital referral from bedside to follow-up
A discharge planner learns that a participant cannot identify a regular provider and has no reliable ride. With the participant’s agreement, the CHW identifies a safety-net clinic and arranges to follow up at a time the participant can answer. Record first that the participant accepted help, then whether an appointment was offered and whether the participant could attend. If the clinic has no appointment, preserve that outcome and the next agreed action. DPH lists finding a provider and transportation among the needs its workforce can address. DPH community referral program
For a funded hospital placement, match the activity to the hospital initiative’s reporting definition before including it in a state report. For a community referral, link to the DPH intake instructions. A community program walkthrough can trace the difference between making contact and completing the connection. Ratified state budget proviso
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.
Frequently asked questions
Does core training include a practicum?
Yes. The association’s current training page describes both facilitated learning and supervised practical experience. SCCHWA core training
Is an examination part of the credentialing process?
Yes. The association identifies a core competency examination and language options. Credentialing Council instructions
Should every credential be assigned the same renewal cycle?
The dedicated renewal instructions specify two years and 24 CEUs. Use the expiration on the individual certificate, especially when reconciling an older certificate or summary. Council recertification instructions
Does H.5002 establish a current Medicaid benefit?
The official record reviewed identifies it as a proposal rather than an enacted benefit. Do not treat its proposed dates as current operational instructions. House bill history
Can I earn all 24 renewal units from community service?
The Council limits service credit to four units per two-year cycle, with a maximum of two each year. At least 12 of the 24 total units must be CHW-specific. Council recertification instructions