title: Professionalization and the experience-based expert: strengthening partnerships between health educators and community health workers.
abstract: The recent inclusion of community health workers (CHWs) in the U.S. Department of Labor's 2010 Standard Occupational Classification System provides an opportunity for health educators to reflect on their relationship with CHWs. The authors discuss the ways that health educators and CHWs differ in their orientation toward professionalization and employ the concept of the "experience-based expert" to highlight what they believe to be the unique contributions of CHWs. Finally, considerations important for health educators and CHWs as they work to advance supportive and complementary practices are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilkey
authors.forename: Cezanne Cochran
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rush
mesh_terms: D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D040441:Health Educators / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D024382:Professional Role