Washington, DC community health workers have training options, including Trinity Washington University’s certificate, while District certification and reimbursement policy have been developing separately. DOES currently lists no DC registration requirement for the CHW career. This guide explains the distinctions and helps program leaders build clear workforce, referral and reporting workflows. [1, 2, 3]
Washington, DC CHW quick facts
| Topic | Washington, DC guidance |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Washington, DC, the District of Columbia. |
| Workforce resource | Department of Employment Services (DOES), DC Alliance for Healthcare Careers. [1] |
| DC registration | DOES lists no registration requirement on its CHW career page. This is distinct from employer conditions. [1] |
| Training example | Trinity Washington University, postsecondary CHW certificate. [2] |
| Certificate size | 2026 to 2027 catalog lists 18-credit pathways for Main Campus and THEARC. [2] |
| Academic standard | Trinity requires C or better in courses counted toward the certificate. [2] |
| Policy evidence | DHCF’s FY24 to 25 response and December 2025 subcommittee proposal describe further workforce and payment work. [3, 4] |
| Billing reference | Use DHCF’s provider portal and the organization’s actual service agreement. [5] |
| Cross-border priority | Keep DC program rules separate from Maryland or Virginia referral destinations. |
| Last reviewed | November 6, 2026 |
For program leaders
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What do community health workers do in Washington, DC?
DOES describes CHWs as community liaisons and advocates who help people adopt healthier behaviors and improve access to support. Trinity’s program emphasizes rapport, care coordination, health equity and advocacy. [1, 2]
For a DC employer, the practical question is which part of that work the program is funded and equipped to deliver. Define the population, service area, partner network and boundaries of the role. Explain who coordinates a participant’s next step when a health plan, clinic and community organization are all involved.
A worker’s trusted relationship is valuable operational knowledge. Build a process that carries that relationship through referrals and staff changes instead of reducing the service to a completed screening.
Is there a DC CHW certification or registration requirement?
DOES currently marks “DC Registration Required?” as “No” on its CHW career page. District policy records also describe work toward formal certification and workforce standards. A college certificate, an employer’s requirements and a District-issued professional credential are separate things. [1, 3, 4]
Use precise language in recruiting. If the role requires a particular course, describe the issuer and program. If a contract requires a specific credential, retain that contract condition and verify the worker’s evidence.
Do not describe a training completion award as a DC license. Likewise, a Maryland or Virginia credential should be recorded by its actual issuer, with any employer recognition documented separately.
Where can you get CHW training in DC?
The DOES career page directs prospective workers to Trinity Washington University. Trinity’s 2026 to 2027 catalog lists an 18-credit postsecondary certificate, with course sets for Main Campus and Trinity at THEARC. [1, 2]
The catalog covers topics such as advocacy, community health, social issues and health policy. It requires a C or better in courses counted toward the certificate and allows qualifying transfer credit subject to its policies. [2]
Before enrolling, confirm the campus, current admission requirements, course schedule, tuition, financial aid and placement arrangements directly with Trinity or the applicable DOES partnership. A dated partnership page does not guarantee a current paid internship, available seat or continuing stipend.
For employers sponsoring staff, decide how coursework fits around outreach and participant follow-up. Name the supervisor who will help workers apply what they learn.
What should a Trinity applicant clarify before enrolling?
Trinity’s catalog lists different course sets for Main Campus and THEARC, both totaling 18 credits. It permits up to six transfer credits aligned with the certificate curriculum and allows certificate courses to count toward degree programs under its academic policies. Ask an advisor to review previous coursework and the appropriate campus pathway rather than assuming the two course lists are interchangeable. Trinity 2026 to 2027 catalog.
Use a short enrollment decision record: the chosen program, applicable course list, accepted transfer credit, remaining courses, expected cost and how classes fit the employee’s schedule. Record the university’s actual completion award separately from employer orientation and any payer-specific qualification.
How should DC employers verify workforce readiness?
Use an onboarding file with the worker’s role, training issuer, completion evidence, relevant experience, language skills and employer orientation. Identify the person who verified the evidence and when.
Training should connect to actual assignments. For example, a CHW supporting a medical referral needs a clear process for questions they cannot answer and a reliable contact at the receiving organization. A program supporting benefits access needs current resources and a way to document application status without claiming to determine eligibility.
Maintain a development plan even when a particular District credential is not required. Track employer-required education by topic and completion date, rather than importing an unrelated state’s renewal clock.
Does DC Medicaid reimburse CHW services?
In its FY24 to 25 oversight response, DHCF said the District had not added a specific CHW state-plan benefit and identified certification standards, scope and payment design as necessary work. It also described existing ways entry-level workers could be supported within care teams and other arrangements. [3]
A December 2025 HSR subcommittee proposal recommended further policy changes. The proposal is evidence of a recommendation, not a claims instruction or automatic provider qualification. [4]
For a current organization, establish the actual covered service and contract. Use DHCF’s provider resources to confirm enrollment, billing and fee-schedule instructions. A managed-care staffing arrangement or team payment may operate differently from a claim for each CHW contact. [5]
An organization’s service agreement and current DHCF instructions determine its payment arrangement. Retain the actual approval and effective period before budgeting per-contact claims.
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Which District policy records answer which question?
| Record | What it establishes | What a program should obtain separately |
|---|---|---|
| DOES career information | The agency’s CHW role and posted registration information | Actual employer selection and onboarding conditions |
| Trinity academic catalog | The university’s certificate curriculum and academic rules | Admission, current course access and individual award |
| FY2024 to 2025 DHCF oversight response | The agency’s position and existing team arrangements at that time | Current service-specific coverage and contracting instructions |
| December 2025 HSR proposal | The subcommittee’s recommendations for future coordination and workforce design | Any later adoption, funded implementation and provider instructions |
The distinction matters when a program sees the same term in several places. A course can prepare a worker; a policy proposal can recommend expanding that worker’s role; an organization can employ them under a current contract. None of those records automatically supplies the terms of the other two. DOES, DHCF oversight response, question 80 and HSR proposal.
How can DC CHW programs document their funding model?
Create a program record with the executed agreement, service population, funding period, payment basis and required reports. If the program is grant-funded, preserve the deliverable definitions. If a health plan or provider funds a position, document the work and reporting obligations in that arrangement.
Separate service activity from payment status. A successful referral, a grant-reportable contact and a payable service are different determinations. Staff should not need to guess which contract applies at the end of the month.
Assign responsibility for monitoring new District policy. Review changes before they alter forms, staff qualification rules or revenue projections. Record the effective date so later configuration does not rewrite earlier services.
How should DC, Maryland and Virginia referrals be handled?
Keep the service program, participant residence and referral destination as distinct fields. A DC-funded encounter does not automatically become a Maryland service because a resource is located across the border.
Agree on what information the partner needs, what sharing is permitted and how the receiving organization acknowledges responsibility. Confirm whether the participant can use the resource, including location or eligibility restrictions, before presenting the referral as a solution.
For a fictional DC participant seeking a Maryland resource, document the participant’s request, destination, known eligibility conditions, response and next action. Keep the original service and funding context visible. This is a practical referral design, rather than a legal determination about cross-border professional practice.
How do you avoid competing care-coordination plans?
DC’s November 2025 HSR discussion notes identify uncertainty about which organization is responsible for coordination and the burden of parallel case-management systems. [6]
A useful program response is to name the lead contact for each agreed task. Record who accepted responsibility and what the participant understands will happen next. If a health plan already has a care coordinator, identify the CHW’s complementary role.
During supervision, review participants who receive repeated outreach without an agreed plan. With appropriate permission, coordinate the next step and document which team will follow through. Do not assume that sending a message transfers responsibility.
What belongs in a DC CHW encounter record?
Suggested core fields are the participant’s goal, date, worker, program, contact method, activity, participant response and next step. Add duration, consent, referral or review evidence required by the governing program.
Make the note useful for a colleague. Instead of “resources provided,” explain which need the participant wanted to address and whether a resource was accepted, contacted or available. Preserve uncertainty when the result is not yet known.
Record a declined referral respectfully. The participant may prefer a different option or timing. A useful next action follows that preference rather than converting a decline into an unexplained failure.
What should DC referral and outcome reports show?
Separate referrals offered, referrals accepted, partner acknowledgments and confirmed access. Show open needs that have no owner or have passed their follow-up date.
For regional reporting, distinguish the service jurisdiction from the destination. This allows a director to see which partnerships are helping DC participants without changing the funding classification of the original service.
Keep unique participants separate from repeated contacts. Report the period and denominator for every completion percentage. Where an outcome depends on a partner or participant report, identify that source and preserve unknown results.
Which DC resources should program leaders monitor?
Use DOES for workforce training leads, Trinity’s current catalog for its academic certificate and DHCF’s provider portal for service-specific provider materials. [1, 2, 5]
Use current DHCF instructions for the coverage process involved in the participant’s request. Confirm the applicable eligibility and application route before using an older presentation or handout. DHCF provider portal.
Assign an owner to update the resource directory. Confirm referral contact details, service area, intake method and capacity at regular intervals. A directory is useful only if workers can tell when a listing was last checked and what to do when it no longer works.
What should Washington, DC CHW software do?
Evaluate participant documentation, task ownership, referral status, supervisor review and program reporting together. Test whether a director can find unresolved needs across teams without granting every worker access to every record.
Explore community health workflows and the Smores Health platform. Bring a DC program agreement, a cross-border referral example and a blank note to evaluate the actual workflow.
Ask any vendor to show the proposed data exchange rather than assume it connects to an HIE, payer or partner platform. If an integration is needed, identify the data, permissions, implementation scope and support responsibility in writing.
What should you test in a DC CHW software demo?
Use fictional data for a DC participant, a Maryland destination and a separate health-plan coordinator.
- Select the actual DC program and assign the CHW.
- Record the participant’s goal and permitted referral information.
- Capture the destination’s response without changing the service jurisdiction.
- Assign a named owner and next follow-up date.
- Export a program report and trace its totals to source records.
Also review migration, training, permissions, export formats and the complete first-year cost. Book a program walkthrough with Smores Health to assess the scenario and document any configuration needs.
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 a Trinity CHW certificate a DC professional license?
No. It is an academic certificate. Record the training award separately from any professional credential, employer approval or payer enrollment. [2]
Does DC require CHW registration?
DOES lists no DC registration requirement on its CHW career page. Particular employers and service contracts may set additional qualifications. [1]
Can a policy proposal establish current Medicaid payment?
No. The cited HSR proposal recommends changes. A program needs applicable coverage, enrollment and operational billing instructions for its actual arrangement. [4, 5]
Should a DC team use Maryland renewal requirements for everyone?
No. Record the actual credential issuer and the requirements applicable to the worker’s role and program. A regional referral address does not determine the credential.
Can a referral be closed when it is sent?
Sending is one event. Track acknowledgment, access and unresolved needs separately so the program can see whether the participant received help.
Build a more coordinated DC CHW program
Bring your partner handoff and required report to Smores Health. Review how staff would document support, share responsibility and follow through when a referral stalls. Book a program walkthrough or request pricing for your team.
Sources
[1] DOES, CHW career and training entry point. https://does.dc.gov/page/community-health-worker
[2] Trinity Washington University, 2026 to 2027 CHW certificate catalog. https://discover.trinitydc.edu/catalog-26-27/certificate-in-community-health-worker/
[3] DHCF, FY24 to 25 oversight response, question 80. https://dccouncil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DHCF-FY24-25-Performance-Oversight-Responses.pdf
[4] DHCF HSR subcommittee, December 2025 care-coordination proposal. https://dhcf.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dhcf/page_content/attachments/HSR%20Care%20Coordination%20and%20Workforce%201115%20Proposal_12.2025.pdf
[5] DHCF, Medicaid provider portal. https://dhcf.dc.gov/featured-content/medicaid-provider-portal
[6] DHCF HSR subcommittee, November 13, 2025 discussion notes. https://dhcf.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dhcf/page_content/attachments/HSR%2011.13.25_Summarized%20Breakout%20Notes_Group_1.pdf