“Before taking this course, I did not have a clear idea of the elements of home visiting or what being a home visitor entailed, but now I feel I have a deeper understanding.“
– Student Testimonial
The Santa Fe Community College Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification program is cross-walked with home visiting training. This course teaches students all basic skills to become a home visitor and to earn a CHW Certificate from the New Mexico Department of Health.
The course and certificate are designed to prepare individuals to work as home visitors in any home visiting program and are not specific to First Born.
Tekla Johnson, LCSW and certified personal coach, has worked in home visiting for 20 years in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. She was a home visitor for 10 years, started the First Born Program in Santa Fe, oversaw it for two and a half years, and then worked in various leadership roles for home visiting and Early Intervention for 10 years. Ms. Johnson now is the First Born Model Office Director through Santa Fe Community College, supporting programs and First Born staff across the state to create and sustain high-quality home visiting for families in New Mexico.
“I questioned if I was a good candidate to be a home visitor because of my ACE score, but learning about resiliency reassured me that home visiting is what I am called to do.“
– Student Testimonial
“This class differed from previous home visiting training in that it was more relationship based. We focused more on the realities of home visiting, the real struggle, real experiences, instead of just learning scenarios.“
– Student Testimonial
“Something else that I found fascinating about the course was the positive effects that a home visiting program can have in our communities.“
– Student Testimonial
“What the class taught me to see, is that we need to leave our own thoughts and ideas and biases at the door. We can’t take those in with us, because then the focus goes back on us, and we don’t want that. We want the focus to be on the family, the child, and how they are evolving, and not us.“
– Student Testimonial
“This course has not only taught me how to be a home visitor, it has given me tools to have healthy relationships with my family and friends. So much of the content has made me reflect on my own resilience and mental health and I believe it has made me a better version of myself.“
– Student Testimonial