Collegiate Health Service Corps (CHSC)

Partners

• National Health Service Corps
• Connecticut Area Health Education Centers
• University of Connecticut Professional Schools of Study
• Connecticut Community College System

Our Mission

To prepare health professionals and other interested community members to volunteer in settings that serve marginalized populations; and to increase awareness of careers in health care delivery and public health.

Benefits to Participants

• Become a part of the community you live in
• Fulfill a large need for volunteer service in the community
• Acquire “real life” experiences
• Satisfy school requirements for volunteer hours
• Build your resume
• Develop an interest in fast growing health care and public health careers

Benefits for Volunteer Sites

• Increase capacity with energetic, well prepared volunteers.
• Engage and involve local community groups in projects and fund raising.
• Increase exposure and awareness of your organization.

Health Service Corps Program Outline

Tier 1. College students will take a knowledge based pre and post test and must get at least 95 percent correct to be considered as having “mastered” the core curriculum. At least 25 hours of service learning is also required to complete this tier.

Tier 2. The minimum volunteer time commitment is another 25 hours of service learning) and a rating of 95 percent correct for each of the five on-line courses. First-Aid and CPR Certification are optional.

Tier 3. An overall accumulation of 75 hours of service learning results in Tier III recognition.

Graduates of Tier III are qualified to teach and mentor the Youth and College Health Service Corps. Exposure to teaching and mentoring is thus a function of the program, as well as contributing to a sustainability plan by utilizing the student body to support the program.

Overview
The Connecticut Area Health Education Center (AHEC) developed this eight module curriculum to build the Connecticut Health Service Corps (CHSC) for college students and other adults who are interested in serving their communities. The curriculum is designed to expose health profession students to medically under-serviced populations such as people receiving services from other health and social service sites and/or those who are marginally employed.

Essential Program Components
As a Health Service Corps volunteer, participants will be required to complete three core modules and pass the post-test with a score of 95 percent or higher. The three core modules will be taught as one unit and will take approximately 4 hours to complete.

Tier I: Core Curriculum

• Understanding Marginalized Populations
• Ethical and Legal Issues
• Applied Health Services

Upon successful completion of the core curriculum participants will be expected to volunteer at least 25 hours of their time in a health care or social service environment. All students who complete the core curriculum and their 25 hours of community service will receive recognition at a CHSC Awards Ceremony.

Tier II: Advanced Curriculum
The five modules seek to provide students with additional opportunities to build upon their knowledge learned in the core curriculum. They are designed to further participants’ skill sets that will make them knowledgeable and informed volunteers. Each module will take approximately one hour and will be taken on-line. An addition 25 hours of community service and the five modules are required for the completion of Tier II.

• Cultural Competencies and Health Literacy
• Health Education and Disease Prevention
• Data Collection
• Emergency Preparedness
• Peer Education and Leadership

Tier III: Completion of Tier I and II and an additional 25 hours of community service, cumulating to a total of 75 hours.

First Aid and CPR Certification will be offered two times a year. Eligible participants must complete Tier I.