WVW Academy's 14-week CHW Certification Training Program is accredited by the Maryland Department of Health. Designed for community advocates, healthcare paraprofessionals, and career changers ready to serve.
WVW Academy's program prepares you for the Maryland CHW certification exam and the real work of community health. You leave with a credential, a competency set, and a professional identity.
Issued upon successful program completion. Meets Maryland Department of Health documentation requirements for CHW certification application.
Graduates are eligible to apply for Maryland CHW Certification through the Maryland OneStop portal. WVW Academy's accreditation is recognized by the state.
40 hours of real-world practice in a community health setting. Documented, verified, and portfolio-ready. Employers value this above classroom hours.
WVW's curriculum builds more than technical competency — it builds CHWs who understand their role, their ethics, and their sustainability in the field.
The curriculum is built from Maryland's state framework and WVW's organizational wellness philosophy. Rigorous, human-centered, and designed to produce CHWs who can sustain their practice over time.
History and evolution of CHWs, scope of practice, professional identity, ethics, and the CHW as bridge, advocate, and systems navigator.
SDOH frameworks, structural racism and health inequity, housing, food access, education, employment, and community-level intervention.
Trauma-informed care principles, healing-centered engagement, cultural humility, trust-building, and protecting yourself while protecting others.
Common mental health conditions, substance use awareness, suicide prevention basics, crisis recognition, de-escalation, and referral pathways.
Active listening, motivational interviewing fundamentals, conflict navigation, advocacy, working with families and systems, and health literacy.
Healthcare, behavioral health, and social service systems. Referrals, warm handoffs, case coordination, resource mapping, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Professional conduct, ethical decision-making, HIPAA basics, documentation standards, reporting, compliance, and workplace accountability.
Burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral injury. Boundary-setting, emotional labor, self-regulation, and longevity in the field using the Soft Hustle™ framework.
Part of the expanded 11-module curriculum. Final title and module detail will be published shortly.
Part of the expanded 11-module curriculum. Final title and module detail will be published shortly.
Part of the expanded 11-module curriculum. Final title and module detail will be published shortly.
Submit your application for Cohort 1. Receive a decision within 10 business days. Complete enrollment with tuition confirmation.
→Attend weekly 2.5-hour live sessions, complete async coursework, and fulfill your 40 practicum hours over 14 weeks.
→Upon successful completion, receive your WVW Academy Certificate of Completion — the document required for your MDH application.
→Submit your CHW certification application through Maryland OneStop. WVW Academy will guide you through every step of this process.
→Receive your Maryland CHW Certification. A state-recognized credential that validates your competency and opens doors to employment.
WVW Academy is accredited by the Maryland Department of Health under COMAR 10.68.02. Graduates apply for individual CHW certification through the Maryland OneStop portal. Questions about the state certification process: contact the MDH CHW team at chw@maryland.gov or 410-767-5971. Learn more about Maryland CHW certification →
MHFA teaches you to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges — for a colleague, a client, a loved one, or yourself. Delivered 100% virtually, grounded in WVW's healing-centered practice, and built around the ALGEE action plan. Adult and Youth pathways are offered.
WVW Academy partners with healthcare organizations, nonprofits, public health departments, and community-based organizations to train and certify their frontline community health workforce.
A WVW Academy representative will respond within 3 business days.
Or email directly: academy@wvwacademy.com
WVW Academy is the educational arm of Wholistic Vibes Wellness LLC, a luxury Black-led organizational wellness firm based in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Our CHW Certification Training Program is accredited by the Maryland Department of Health and designed to produce Community Health Workers who are technically skilled, ethically grounded, and equipped to sustain their practice over time.
We create learning environments where students can make mistakes, ask real questions, and grow without fear.
We model what we teach. Rest, pace, and sustainability are built into how we operate — including in how we train.
We center the health and humanity of Black communities without apology — in our curriculum, our cohort design, and our institutional values.
Our program is designed for the full range of how minds work — not a narrow default. Structured, clear, and non-overwhelming.
Early submission is encouraged. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and you will receive a decision within 10 business days of submission.
Apply for Cohort 1 →