Learn It
Live It
Share ItCommunication and Relationships
in the Academy
💬 Welcome, future CHW!
Listen first, build trust, talk about change. This unit is 16 hours of CHW Foundations and CHW Pro training across video lessons, group practice, this eBook and the Qwest station.
By the end you can
- Use active listening and open questions
- Use OARS to support a conversation about change
- Write clear, factual notes
AZ core competencies: Communication skills; Interpersonal and relationship-building
Communication and Relationships
Active listening
Give full attention. Put your phone away, face the person and let them finish. Listen for feelings as well as facts. Most people can tell in seconds whether you are really listening.
OARS
Open questions ("What worries you most?"), Affirmations ("You came back, and that took effort"), Reflections ("It sounds like the cost is the hard part") and Summaries. These four skills keep the client talking and leading.
Talking about change
Motivational interviewing is a way of talking that helps people find their own reasons to change. Ask, listen and reflect instead of lecturing. When someone says why they want to change, reflect it back.
Communication and Relationships continued
Trust is built over time
Show up when you say you will. Follow through on small promises. Admit when you do not know and find out. Respect what the person decides today, and keep the door open.
Clear notes
Write what you saw and heard, not your opinion. "Client said she skipped two meals this week" is a fact. "Client is lazy" is a judgment and has no place in a record.
Words CHWs Use
Giving full attention and checking that you understood.
A question that cannot be answered with yes or no, such as "What gets in the way?"
Saying back what you heard so the person feels understood.
A respectful way of talking that helps people find their own reasons to change.
Mr. Jackson stopped coming
Mr. Jackson, 58, has missed three diabetes appointments. When you call, he says, "Doctors don't listen to me anyway."
Your CHW steps
- Ask if it is OK to talk about the appointments
- Ask an open question about what makes visits hard
- Reflect what you hear without arguing
- Ask what he would like to do next
- Summarize and agree on one small step
In the Qwest, the steps are shuffled. Put them in the best order to help the client and earn your LIVE It coins.
Keep going: Communication and Relationships
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, unit check, Qwest lab, practicum log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 12 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49CHW Pro learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlockCheck Your CHW Skills
- Did you take your medicine?
- Are you OK?
- What makes it hard to get to your visits?
- Is your ride reliable?
- Rules
- Reminders
- Referrals
- Reflections
- "Being there for them really matters to you."
- "Then you need to lose weight."
- "Everyone says that."
- "Let's talk about your labs."
- Client is in denial
- Client said she missed two meals this week
- Client seems lazy
- Client doesn't care about her health
- Promise to fix everything
- Agree with everything the client says
- Follow through on small promises
- Share your own problems
Answers are on page 11. In the Qwest this is the Boss Quiz — score 80% to earn the station badge.
Keep going: Communication and Relationships
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, unit check, Qwest lab, practicum log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 12 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49CHW Pro learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlockStation 2 Qwest Lab
Every challenge uses this unit. Each one earns Live It coins and moves you toward the next CHW rank.
Keep going: Communication and Relationships
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, unit check, Qwest lab, practicum log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 12 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49CHW Pro learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlockTeach It Forward
The fastest way to master a skill is to teach it. Your Share It challenge:
- Try OARS in one everyday conversation this week, then tell your group what happened.
- Use teach-back: ask them to explain it in their own words.
- Post what you learned (no client names) in your group or the Share It Studio to earn SHARE It coins.
Keep going: Communication and Relationships
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, unit check, Qwest lab, practicum log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 12 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49CHW Pro learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlockRecord What Changed
Log one row per client goal during your practicum (up to 130 hours). A site supervisor initials each row. Record counts and minutes, never private health details.
| Date | Client goal (no names) | C3 role | Outcome | Minutes | Supervisor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outcome codes: SC screening completed · RM referral made · RC referral closed (loop confirmed) · AK appointment kept · CB coverage or benefits application submitted · HE health education delivered.
Keep going: Communication and Relationships
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, unit check, Qwest lab, practicum log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 12 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49CHW Pro learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlockAnswer Key
- C. What makes it hard to get to your visits? — Open questions invite the person to explain in their own words.
- D. Reflections — Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries.
- A. "Being there for them really matters to you." — Reflect their own reason for change.
- B. Client said she missed two meals this week — Notes record facts, not judgments.
- C. Follow through on small promises — Trust grows when you do what you say you will do.
Source: Community Health Worker Pro, Force for Health Academy (2026). CHW certification, scope and payment rules vary by state and change; check your state's current rules. CHW Pro is a training program, not a state certification.
Keep going: Communication and Relationships
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, unit check, Qwest lab, practicum log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 12 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49CHW Pro learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlock12 units. 160 hours.
Each eBook pairs with a video lesson in the Force for Health Academy and a station in the CHW Qwest.
theforce.health/community-health-worker · FFH Virtual LibraryKeep going: Communication and Relationships
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, unit check, Qwest lab, practicum log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 12 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49CHW Pro learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlock