HPER
Community Health Education
What is Community Health Education?
Good question, even though it is sometimes difficult to explain to other people. Sort of like the question "Explain to me what self-esteem is." Sometimes it is hard to find an answer for that, even though we all kind of know what is meant by it. Let's spend a few minutes here answering some of those basic questions that appeared on the first page of this web site.
What is a Community Health Educator?
A Community Health Educator is a professional who specializes in assisting individuals and communities prevent or change negative health behaviors and health outcomes that are linked to disease, disability and poor quality of life. A Community Health Educator has specialized skills in planning, implementing and evaluating community programs that focus on negative health issues such as smoking, obesity, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, unprotected sexual activity, youth violence, inactivity, eating disorders, HIV/AIDS, heart disease, cancer, safety and stress.
Where do Community Health Educators work?
Depending on area of interest, Community Health Educators are academically prepared to work in hospitals, work site/corporate health promotion programs, government agencies (public health departments), health insurance companies (HMO's) and a variety of community-based organizations such as substance abuse agencies, pregnancy prevention programs, HIV/AIDS prevention programs, community assessment initiatives and heart and cancer associations.
What are some Community Health Education Agencies?
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
American Cancer Society and American Heart Association
Michigan Department of Community Health
CARES (Community Aids Resource and Education Services)
City of Detroit Health Department
Kalamazoo County Human Services Department
Macomb County Health Department
Borgess Health and Fitness Center
Chrysler/Daimler Staywell Wellness Program
What are the job opportunities?
Graduates of the CHE program at WMU typically work in 1 of 4 settings: local public health departments, hospitals, community-based agencies, or work sites. Their areas of interest span numerous health issues. Michigan is consistently one of the leading states in the country in relation to chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer, has tremendous obesity problems (2 out of 3 adults in Michigan are obese) and has communities that consistently rank high in terms of negative health issues such as youth smoking, teen pregnancy, low immunizations and violence. This poor state of health justifies the continual need for professionals with skills that are central to the academic preparation of Community Health Educators.
Nearly 100% of CHE graduates from WMU who actively seek employment have been employed in Community Health Education settings soon after graduation, with approximately 40% being employed by the end of their internship. WMU is only 1 of 2 universities in Michigan that offer an undergraduate degree in Community Health Education. Starting salaries for CHE graduates is typically between $30,000-40,000 per year, with numerous opportunities for advancement.