Oregon Health Authority
Office of Equity and Inclusion - Chapter 950
Division 60
TRADITIONAL HEALTH WORKERS
950-060-0010
Definitions
The following definitions apply to OAR 950-060-0000 through 950-060-0160:
(1) "Authority" means the Oregon Health Authority.
(2) "Authority Approved Training Program" means an organization that provides an education in the core curriculum that meets Authority standards for one or more types of traditional health workers and is approved by the Authority to train those types of traditional health workers.
(3) "Birth Doula" means a birth companion who provides personal, nonmedical support to birthing person and their families throughout a birthing person's pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum experience.
(4) "Birth Doula Certification Organization" is an entity recognized and approved by the Authority for training birth doulas whose educational requirements includes the core curriculum topics described in these rules.
(5) "Community-Based Organization (CBO)" means a public or private nonprofit organization that is representative of a community or significant segments of a community and engaged in meeting that community's needs in the areas of social, human, or health services.
(6) "Community Health Worker" has the meaning given that term in ORS 414.025.
(7) "Contact Hour" means an hour of classroom, group, or distance learning training. Contact hour does not include homework time, preparatory reading, or practicum.
(8) “Competencies” mean key skills and applied knowledge necessary for THWs to be effective in the work field and carry out their roles.
(9) “Equivalent Credit” means an individual fulfills the requirements of a course or combination of courses by completing a relatively comparable course or combination of courses.
(10) “Family Support Specialist” means an individual who meets qualification criteria adopted under ORS 414.665 and may be either a peer support specialist or a peer wellness specialist who, based on similar life experiences, provides support services to and has experience parenting a child who:
(a) Is a current or former consumer of mental health or addiction treatment; or
(b) Is facing or has faced difficulties in accessing education, health, and wellness services due to mental health or behavioral health barriers.
(11) “Legacy Clause for Traditional Health Workers" means an individual who has never been certified with the Authority before and gets recognition for Certification as a result of their prior training and work experience and fulfillment of all additional requirements for the Legacy clause as set forth in these rules.
(12) “Means Counseling” means the use of individual or family, in case of a child, strategies designed to reduce the access, by an individual who is at an elevated risk for suicide, to lethal means, including but not limited to firearms. Application of terms is in ORS 743A.168 and OAR 836-053-1403.
(13) “Peer Support Specialist” means an individual providing services to another individual who shares a similar life experience with the peer support specialist (addiction to addiction, mental health condition to mental health condition, family member of an individual with a mental health condition to family member of an individual with a mental health condition. A peer support specialist shall be:
(a) A self-identified individual currently or formerly receiving addictions or mental health services;
(b) A self-identified individual in recovery from an addiction disorder who meets the abstinence requirements for recovering staff in alcohol or other drug treatment programs;
(c) A self-identified individual in recovery from problem gambling.
(14) "Peer Wellness Specialist" has the meaning given that term in ORS 414.025.
(15) “Personal Health Navigator” has the meaning given that term in ORS 414.025.
(16) “Registry” means a list maintained by the Authority of traditional health workers certified under these rules.
(17) “Safety Planning” means a process of implementation of a document developed through a collaborative process in which the provider assisted the individual and family, in case of a child, that identified strategies to prevent suicide, overdose, or psychiatric emergency when the risk is elevated or following a period of crisis. Application of terms is in ORS 743A.168 and OAR 836-053-1403.
(18) “THW Applicant” means an individual who applies to the Authority for traditional health worker certification.
(19) “Traditional Health Worker (THW)” means a community health worker, peer wellness specialist, personal health navigator, peer support specialist, or birth doula not otherwise regulated or certified by the State of Oregon.
(20) “Training Program Applicant” means an organization or entity that applies for Authority approval of its training program and curricula for any of the traditional health worker types.
(21) “Verifiable Evidence” means a pay statement, services contract, student practicum, volunteer time log, or other documentation reflecting hours worked or volunteered.
(22) “Youth Support Specialist” means an individual who meets qualification criteria adopted under ORS 414.665 and may be either a peer support specialist or a peer wellness specialist and who, based on a similar life experience, provides supportive services to an individual who:
(a) Is not older than 30 years old, and
(b) Is a current or former consumer of mental health or addiction treatment; or
(c) Is facing or has faced difficulties in accessing education, health, and wellness services due to mental health or behavioral health barriers;
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 413.042, 414.665 & ORS 414.635
Statutes/Other Implemented: 181.537, 414.665 & ORS 414.635
History:
OEI 12-2023, minor correction filed 05/12/2023, effective 05/12/2023
DMAP 40-2023, renumbered from 410-180-0305, filed 05/04/2023, effective 05/04/2023
DMAP 49-2022, amend filed 04/22/2022, effective 04/22/2022
DMAP 80-2018, amend filed 07/06/2018, effective 07/06/2018
DMAP 56-2016, f. 9-30-16, cert. ef. 10-1-16
DMAP 66-2013, f. & cert. ef. 12-3-13
DMAP 42-2013(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 8-2-13 thru 1-29-14