Training and Coaching Community Health Workers as Expert Storytellers to Share Stories of Impact During the COVID-19 Pandemic

AAPCHO

May 3

Overview

The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) was formed in 1987 by Community Health Clinics (CHCs) primarily serving medically underserved Asian Americans (AA), Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander (NH/PI) communities. The goal of these organizations was to create a national voice to advocate for the unique and diverse health needs of AA and NH/PI communities and the community health providers that served those needs.

reimagine collective collaborated with AAPCHO staff and AAPCHO’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Workforce Collaborative to engage with CHWs across the country to develop and document the experiences and stories of CHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this storytelling project was to build the capacity of AAPCHO staff and partners to highlight the incredible work of CHWs and how they used culturally and linguistic approaches to help AA and NH/PI communities at a time when access to care was dire for these communities.

Our Approach

Through a series of values-based messaging, storytelling, and spokesperson trainings, both virtual and in-person, reimagine collective created a community-centered space for over 30 AAPCHO staff and CHWs to learn how to center values in communicating the impact of their work and practice the sharing of their stories during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Our approach to storytelling with the CHWs was to coach and guide them in crafting stories of personal and community care. Although the storytelling practice is intended for an audience of listeners, reimagine collective was intentional about supporting participants in telling stories that they felt comfortable sharing and sharing the stories that CHWs knew mattered most to them and the communities they serve.

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After multiple trainings and strategy sessions with the AAPCHO staff, reimagine collective and AAPCHO convened a smaller group of participants in an in-person storytelling intensive that culminated in the production of 10 CHW storytelling videos.

Impact

reimagine collective believes that storytelling is a tool for healing and sharing new perspectives. Through reimagine collective’s trainings, the AAPCHO staff and partners have used storytelling as a tool for sharing the importance of CHW work and why funders, partners, and allies need to continue supporting their work.

Today, AAPCHO and partners can reflect back on how their work in the community space has greatly impacted the health of AA and NH/PI communities across the country. Many of the storytelling participants were able to highlight mutual aid services, health education, and cultural resources that helped communities during the Pandemic. There are 10 unique videos of CHWs sharing different perspectives, insights on the challenges communities faced during the Pandemic, and success stories of communities coming together.