Addressing Intergroup Communication Barriers Through the Voice of Community Health Workers

• In Event: Top Papers in Intergroup Communication

Abstract

Through shared language, Community Health Workers (CHWs) navigate two group identities, health care worker and community member. The current study included 28 in-depth interviews with CHWs, including 22 in Spanish. Results suggest that language, operating across three ecological levels, reinforced CHW in-group identity when working with community members, yet reinforced out-group identity when working with health care providers (HCPs) or other employers. Key findings included identity and communication challenges at the individual-level in English-based job training; relational-level with clients refusing interpreting services; and organizational level with lack of interpreters on staff. These findings have implications for CHW effectiveness and multi-level integration into the healthcare system, especially in low-resource rural environments, where staff shortages are problematic.

Authors

• Angela L Palmer-Wackerly, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Caitlyn Wayment, U of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Anthony Adams, Monmouth College

• Virginia Chaidez, U of Nebraska-Lincoln