Providing Coaching and Social Support

The core role of providing coaching and social support includes four sub-roles: providing individual support and coaching; motivating and encouraging people to obtain care and other services; supporting self-management of disease prevention and management of health conditions (including chronic disease); and planning and/or leading support groups. In this chapter, two teams describe the role of community health workers (CHWs) in providing coaching and social support in New York City, New York, and Chicago, Illinois. The first team explores the work of Cure Violence (CV) Credible Messengers, CHWs, to implement a neighborhood-based, public health approach to gun violence reduction. The history, trends, and disparities in community gun violence across New York City are highlighted to illustrate the landscape in which CV CHWs work. This section also describes a shift in how local government agencies work to prevent gun violence, largely in response to the work done by these CHWs. The second team shares the stories of a team of CHWs who work at Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI), serving some of the poorest and most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Chicago. By providing social support and utilizing effective coaching techniques, this team of CHWs moves their clients toward the ultimate goal of “thriving in health,” a key component of SUHI’s mission. The stories and lessons contained herein will support others interested in more effectively utilizing CHWs in providing social support and coaching.