Maternal Health for Iowa Community Health Workers

Maternal Health for Iowa Community Health Workers is a practical, skills-first course that prepares CHWs to support pregnant and postpartum clients with confidence, compassion, and cultural responsiveness.
Built for real-world outreach, this training strengthens core CHW practices like trust-building, motivational interviewing, and goal-setting while helping learners recognize common perinatal needs, respond to red flags, and connect families to the right services at the right time.

This course requires strong CHW skills and experience as prerequisites.

Course combines short lessons, job aids, and interactive practice so CHWs can apply new skills immediately

Learners practice navigating typical scenarios CHWs face every day. The course reinforces clear boundaries, consent and confidentiality, and effective follow-up so CHWs can collaborate across care teams without losing sight of client priorities.
Learners practice navigating typical scenarios CHWs face every day: supporting a client experiencing postpartum depression, helping a family address housing or food insecurity, coordinating with partner agencies while protecting client privacy, and coaching clients who feel overwhelmed by appointments, paperwork, and systems. The course reinforces clear boundaries, consent and confidentiality, and effective follow-up so CHWs can collaborate across care teams without losing sight of the client’s priorities.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
  • Build stronger relationships with pregnant and postpartum clients through respectful, trauma-informed communication
  • Identify warning signs and know when and how to escalate concerns safely
  • Support maternal mental health with practical conversation tools and referral pathways
  • Help clients navigate postpartum care, benefits, and community resources
  • Use documentation and follow-up strategies that keep care coordinated and client-centered

Designed for online learning and busy schedules, the course combines short lessons, job aids, and interactive practice so CHWs can apply new skills immediately. Supporting healthier parents, safer babies, and stronger connections to care.

What We Offer

What's included in this online course?

Practical Resources

Provides links to real-world tools, guides, and trusted information CHWs can use right away in the field.

Unique learning experience

You will not learn just by watching many hours of videos. We are offering interactive courses with different media and case based scenarios, to improve your knowledge.

Study at your own pace

You can enroll in this course whenever you want, and study at your own time and pace.

HealthTeamWorks

HealthTeamWorks is a nonprofit with deep experience strengthening care delivery through training, practice facilitation, and quality improvement support. We partner with health systems, primary care practices, public health, and community-based organizations to build workforce skills, improve coordination, and help teams deliver culturally responsive care. Our work includes developing and delivering Community Health Worker training and other workforce programs, creating practical tools and job aids that translate evidence into day-to-day practice, and supporting teams addressing maternal and infant health and whole-person care. Through our merger with the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC), we expanded our reach and expertise in community-based workforce development and implementation support, strengthening our ability to design CHW training that is practical, accurate, and ready to use..
Patrick Jones - Course author


This training was made possible through a grant in partnership with Iowa Total Care.