Community Health Workers (CHWs) go directly to residents and community groups to provide on-going connection and support.
Our CHWs are dedicated to identifying needs and connecting people to services.
- They are involved in the community to support and enrich the lives of community members.
- Focus their attention to Social Determinants of Health - including education, income, employment, housing, and access to health care - in order to define and address these factors and help bridge the gaps and disparities they create.
- Offer a warm hand-off between community members and agencies, organizations, and programs that can offer assistance to the community member.
- Provide a safe, trusting environment to promote agency, encouraging and practicing tools and strategies to create next steps for community members as they continue to navigate community systems.
- Listen, create, and provide a safe space for individuals to communicate where they are at in the present.
- Promote advocacy for the individuals we are assisting.
- Build knowledge based on needs of the individual and work to increase skillsets to help members of the community meet their needs and advance their goals
The Healthy Infants Partnership of Tompkins County (HiP Tompkins) connects families with a Community Health Worker (CHW) to improve the overall health and well-being of mothers, pregnant or birthing people, and their infants.
HiP CHWs work one on one with clients to ensure they are aware of community services, and that they have the knowledge and skills to seek out and receive needed care and services. HiP CHWs make referrals and coordinate care to improve the health outcomes of their clients.
HiP CHWs are trained to help people of child-bearing age and their families with any health care or related issues which could impact their health, their pregnancy, and/or care of their infant. HIP CHWs help & support any person of childbearing age via home visits, or at a Whole Health location or other public space if needed.
What HiP CHWs can help you with:
- Getting health insurance
- Finding a doctor
- Getting to medical appointments
- Family planning or birth control options
- Free pregnancy testing sites
- Free STD testing sites
- Lactation and breastfeeding
- Parenting and raising a child
- Connecting to relevant support groups
- Finding other services (food, clothing, housing help, childcare, general transportation)
Who can use HiP CHWs' services (eligibility):
- Tompkins County residents (HIP CHWs can refer to similar services in other counties if you live outside of Tompkins County)
- People of childbearing age who are:
- Currently pregnant
- Planning on becoming pregnant
- Have with a child who is 2 years old or younger
- No insurance required to work with a HiP Tompkins Community Health Worker
- Services are available free of cost to you.
Contact HiP
Email us at CHW@tompkins-co.org or call us at 607-274-6604.
About HiP Tompkins
HiP Tompkins is grant funded by the New York State Department of Health Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives (PICHC) Initiative. This initiative aims to improve the overall health and well-being of mothers, birthing people and their families.
Learn more about the PICHC initiative in New York State: Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives (PICHC) Initiative (ny.gov)
The PICHC initiative encourages community mobilization and engagement involving active participation by community members on community boards or coalitions, with the goal of improving health outcomes related to maternal child health.
If you are interested in joining the Community Action Board for maternal and child health in Tompkins County, please email CHW Supervisor Emma Abbey.