Utah offers voluntary state certification for community health workers. The standard application includes core skills training, verified community experience and supporting documents. Medicaid’s justice-involved re-entry pathway has a narrower scope: certification and enrollment do not create a general statewide payment benefit for every community-based CHW service. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5 Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
Utah CHW quick facts
| Topic | Utah guidance |
|---|---|
| Certification | Voluntary for working as a CHW. Utah restricts use of the state-certified designation. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5 |
| Standard route | Age 18 or older, 90 hours of core training and 300 hours of community involvement, with supporting evidence. Utah DHHS certification Utah CHW rule amendment |
| Legacy route | At least 4,000 CHW hours may qualify for a core-training exemption. Contact UCHWA for experience verification. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5 |
| Cost | DHHS lists a $50 application fee plus $2 handling and a $25 renewal fee. Utah DHHS certification |
| Renewal | Check the printed expiration and original issue date. The administrative rule specifies a transition and requires 15 continuing education units. Utah Code, Part 5 Utah CHW rule amendment Rule effective-date notice |
| Medicaid | Utah identifies pre-release CHW services for eligible members at participating facilities within a defined 90-day window. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide Utah Medicaid demonstration |
For program leaders
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What does a community health worker do in Utah?
Utah’s framework describes workers who connect communities with health and social services and help improve access, understanding and self-sufficiency. Community knowledge and relationships are central to the role. State certification recognizes a defined qualification process without making CHWs licensed clinicians. Utah Code, Part 5
For an employer, start with the community served and the worker’s responsibilities. Explain how staff support participant goals, coordinate with partners and escalate concerns. A CHW credential should not be substituted for Utah’s separate peer-support or clinical qualifications.
Is Utah CHW certification required?
Utah law makes this state certification voluntary and restricts use of the “state certified” description to people who hold it. An employer or a particular funded program can still require certification. General employment eligibility and payer qualifications are different questions. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5
Keep the issuer, credential identifier and verified status visible in the workforce record. A course completion certificate is evidence of training, not proof that the state has approved the application.
How to apply for Utah state certification
- Review the current DHHS requirements and choose the applicable route.
- Complete core training or obtain the relevant legacy determination.
- Complete the statute’s basic medical confidentiality training requirement, including HIPAA, and prepare community-experience evidence and the required portfolio. Utah Code, section 26B-2-505.
- Submit the online application and required payment.
- Resolve any missing information.
- Verify the issued credential and expiration.
The agency page links the application, payment and provider portal. Use a durable personal email as the page recommends so credential access and reminders do not depend on a former employer’s account. Utah DHHS certification
Core skills training and community experience
The state’s core-skill framework combines education and community involvement. The current agency page directs applicants to the Utah Community Health Worker Association for core training and assistance with evidence. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5
Before enrolling, confirm the current course, format, attendance, assessments and completion record. For community experience, preserve dates, roles and evidence sources. Training attendance should not be counted again as service experience without confirmation that the applicable instructions permit it.
Portfolio preparation
DHHS’s current page describes a PDF portfolio with a cover letter, training completion evidence, résumé or CV and additional approved documentation. Review the exact menu and combinations before submitting. Utah DHHS certification
A clear portfolio should let a reviewer understand what the applicant did, when and how it connects to the role. Obtain organization records or references where appropriate. Avoid placing unnecessary identifiable participant information into supporting materials.
The legacy pathway
Utah’s statute provides a core-skill training exemption for workers with at least 4,000 hours of CHW experience. The agency directs applicants to UCHWA for experience verification and next steps. This does not waive every other certification condition. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5
Ask which documents establish the experience and which application requirements remain. The public statute and agency page describe the exemption at different levels of detail, so obtain the applicable determination rather than assuming a résumé alone completes the route.
Renewal and workforce tracking
Start with the expiration printed on the certificate. Utah law sets a two-year default and lets the department lengthen or shorten a renewal cycle by up to one year to stagger renewals. A rule amendment effective June 16, 2026 says that on recertification the department dates the new certificate three years from the original expiration if the original certificate was issued before January 1, 2028. For an original certificate issued on or after that date, it uses two years from original expiration. Utah Code, Part 5 Utah CHW rule amendment Rule effective-date notice
The rule requires 15 continuing education units earned since the previous certification or recertification. The DHHS application page lists a $25 renewal fee and summarizes the cycle as two years. A coordinator should verify the original issue date, printed expiration and the department’s issued renewal. A generic two-year reminder can miss this transition. Utah DHHS certification Utah CHW rule amendment Rule effective-date notice
Does Utah Medicaid cover CHW services?
A verified pathway exists within the justice-involved re-entry demonstration. Its current operational guide limits CHW services to eligible members in participating carceral facilities within the 90-day pre-release period. CHWs must hold state certification and enroll with Medicaid under the program instructions. Utah Medicaid demonstration Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
That limited pathway should not be described as universal coverage for every CHW contact in the community. For another program, obtain current Medicaid, plan or contract confirmation for the actual service and organization before projecting payment.
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Use the current re-entry guide
Utah’s program page links both an earlier operational guide and Version 2. The current Version 2 document includes a CHW section and a restricted service-code appendix. Do not treat an older PRISM release note or a generic code listing as the complete coverage rule. Utah Medicaid demonstration Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
For a participating organization, confirm facility readiness, member eligibility, provider enrollment, permitted services, documentation and transition responsibilities. A system release can show that enrollment functionality was added, it does not prove a particular provider or facility has been approved.
Which services appear in Utah’s pre-release CHW code table?
Version 2, page 57 identifies patient self-management education and training for a 30-minute individual service (98960), a group of two to four (98961), or a group of five to eight (98962). The table is explicitly restricted to services in a participating carceral facility for an eligible Medicaid member during the 90 days before release. A code appearing here is only one element of the decision. Confirm worker certification, enrollment, facility participation and individual service details. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
Where the same CHW helps someone after release, first identify the community arrangement and who is responsible for that service. The justice-involved guide assigns distinct roles to pre-release and post-release case managers. A discharge handoff in the record should name the receiving party and the outstanding need. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide Utah Medicaid demonstration
Re-entry and community follow-up are different stages
The operational guide addresses pre-release services and post-release transitions. A participant’s need may continue across release, but the payment authority and responsible team may change. Preserve the service dates and the actual arrangement instead of extending a pre-release benefit automatically into community work. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
Operationally, identify the receiving contact, unresolved referrals and agreed next step. Make clear who will follow up and how the organization will confirm the handoff. A transfer recorded as sent should not imply that the receiving service accepted it.
Before a Utah facility assigns pre-release CHW services
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Verify the worker’s Utah state certification and required Medicaid enrollment. Record the printed expiration before using a renewal reminder. Utah Code, Part 5 Utah Medicaid re-entry guide Utah CHW rule amendment
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Confirm the facility is participating, the person is eligible, and the proposed service date is within the pre-release window. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide Utah Medicaid demonstration
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For education, select the service description based on the work and actual group size. Confirm the person’s goal and record the work delivered. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
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Confirm the receiving case manager and permission needed for a warm handoff. Identify the arrangement for follow-up after release. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
What should useful CHW documentation show?
Connect the participant’s goal with the contact, assistance, response and next action. Identify who performed the work and when. Preserve referral history so the next staff member understands what has already been tried.
For example, a CHW may help someone identify a community clinic and discuss a barrier to attending. A later contact should show whether the appointment was scheduled, whether the barrier changed and what follow-up remains. A referral made is a different event from a confirmed connection.
Preparing for a Utah release-date change
Suppose a facility expects a participant’s release in 75 days. The CHW plans an authorized self-management education session for a person whose eligibility and facility participation are confirmed. Before it occurs, the facility learns the expected release date has moved. Recheck whether the actual date of service still falls within the pre-release window. Document the date used to make that determination and resolve any uncertainty with the facility’s Medicaid lead. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
Plan the transition separately. The Version 2 guide assigns the warm handoff to the relevant pre-release and post-release case managers and describes the release of information when necessary. The CHW can record the participant’s goals and outstanding access needs without marking the handoff completed before the receiving team takes it. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
To review a community health coordination workflow, use this example once with a visit before release and once with a follow-up in the community.
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
Is Utah state certification mandatory for every CHW job?
No. State certification is voluntary generally, while an employer or funded program may require it. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5
Can substantial experience support a training exemption?
The statute provides a legacy exemption tied to qualifying experience. Follow the agency’s verification process and confirm the remaining requirements. Utah DHHS certification Utah Code, Part 5
Is a course completion certificate state certification?
No. The state application and approval are separate steps.
Does the re-entry pathway cover all community CHW work after release?
The verified CHW provision is limited to eligible pre-release work at participating facilities. Confirm separate authority for another setting or stage. Utah Medicaid re-entry guide
Can a Utah program use a single two-year renewal timer?
Use the expiration on the certificate and the rule governing its renewal. The June 2026 amendment sets the new certificate date based on whether the original was issued before January 1, 2028 or on or after that date. The law allows the department to stagger the default cycle. Utah Code, Part 5 Utah CHW rule amendment Rule effective-date notice