The Community Health Worker Outreach Initiative (CHWOI) mobilizes community health workers (CHWs) to conduct grassroots community outreach to amplify accurate, up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 throughout LA County. The information is tailored to those most impacted by the coronavirus. This initiative builds infrastructure for a community-based system of response and fosters collaboration across different peer outreach models, including violence intervention, Promotores, parent advocates, worker advocates, and others. The Community Health Worker Outreach Initiative mobilizes more than 200 CHWs by contracting with a fiscal lead agency to coordinate 16 community-based contracts to leverage existing networks of CHWs and other peer providers.

Our initiative's current partners include the following:

• Asian American Pacific Islander Equity Alliance
• Clínica Msr Oscar A. Romero
• Community Build, Inc.
• Community Warriors for Peace
• East LA Women's Center
• H.E.L.P.E.R. Foundation
• Providence Little Company of Mary Foundation
• Rising Communities
• Resilient
• Soledad Enrichment Action, Inc.
• Southern California Crossroads
• St. John's Community Health
• The Children's Center of the Antelope Valley
• The Wellness Center
• TRAP Medicine
• United American Indian Involvement

Are you hosting a community event? If your organization is interested in providing its attendees with information on COVID-19 and other health topics, please let us know. Our initiative's Community Health Workers can set up a booth at your event. Email us at CHWOI@ph.lacounty.gov so we can connect you to an organization serving in your community.

Since the inception of the Community Health Worker Outreach Initiative in 2020, more than 500 Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been trained on COVID-19 mitigation strategies and deployed to communities most affected by the pandemic. Here are some of our initiative's successes:

• CHWs have conducted more than 822,298 outreaches across Los Angeles County.
• CHWs have reached 6.5 million since February 2021.
• CHWs have been able to assist 29,000 Angelenos with vaccine appointments.
• In 2023, the CHWs' role was expanded to provide system navigation services to much needed resources such as food access, financial assistance, and housing.