Disrupting the Cycle: Community Health Workers at the Front Lines of Overdose Prevention

Originally presented live at the 2026 Kentucky Overdose Prevention Summit (Louisville, KY). The presenter provides an overview of Project RISE (Resilience In an Opioid Stricken Environment), a rural Kentucky workforce development initiative grounded in harm reduction, describing its Community Health Worker and Peer Support Specialist training and certification pathways, including paid apprenticeships that remove barriers such as training costs, transportation challenges, and certification hurdles for motivated rural residents. The session highlights collaboration with Kentucky Homeplace, local health departments, and behavioral health providers.

 

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. List at least three specific components of the Project RISE training and apprenticeship model and describe how each prepares workers for rural overdose prevention roles.

2. Identify at least two ways that dually-certified Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists paraprofessionals can become a sustainable solution in overdose prevention and help to strengthen the public health workforce.

3. Explain at least two measurable ways Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists paraprofessionals foster family-centered support and improve local capacity to respond to substance use in rural communities.

 

Presented by: Kyle Burnett, CHW, CCHW – Rural Project Manager, University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health.

Learning Objectives

1. List at least three specific components of the Project RISE training and apprenticeship model and describe how each prepares workers for rural overdose prevention roles.

2. Identify at least two ways that dually-certified Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists paraprofessionals can become a sustainable solution in overdose prevention and help to strengthen the public health workforce.

3. Explain at least two measurable ways Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists paraprofessionals foster family-centered support and improve local capacity to respond to substance use in rural communities.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACPE

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    This knowledge-based activity will award 1.00 contact hour(s) (0.100 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit in states that recognize ACPE providers. Course JA-UAN Number: JA0000312-0000-26-081-H08-P

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    This Enduring activity is designated for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 0526KBML-H7.5-UKCEOPS2026

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ Participation

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    This Enduring activity is designated for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ Participation. Learners should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.00 ANCC (UK Healthcare CECentral)

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.00 nursing contact hour(s).

  • 1.00 ASWB

    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, UK HealthCare CECentral is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. UK HealthCare CECentral maintains responsibility for this course.

    Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 clinical continuing education credit(s).

  • 1.00 Certified Community Health Work
    This training is approved by the Office of Community Health Workers Program to provide 1.00 continuing education unit(s) for Certified Community Health Workers.
  • 1.00 EMS (Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services)
    The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) certifies that this educational activity is designated for 1.00 KBEMS contact hour(s). Approval Number: KBEMS-2026-UKHCCE-0002
Course opens: 
07/26/2026
Course expires: 
06/15/2029
Part of: 
2026 Kentucky Overdose Prevention Summit: Enduring Sessions
Rating: 
0

Brief Session Outline:

The presenter will provide an overview of Project RISE (Resilience In an Opioid Stricken Environment), a rural Kentucky workforce development initiative grounded in harm reduction. The session will describe the program's CHW and PSS training and certification pathways, including paid apprenticeship opportunities, and discuss how the model removes barriers such as training costs, transportation challenges, and certification hurdles for motivated rural residents. The session will highlight collaboration with Kentucky Homeplace, local health departments, and behavioral health providers, demonstrating an integrated model of care that centers overdose prevention within workforce development. Attendees will learn how trauma-informed practice, motivational interviewing, and cultural humility are integrated throughout the curriculum, and how the program supports families affected by opioid use disorder.

Kyle Burnett, CHW, CCHW – Rural Project Manager, University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health

CHES Continuing Education Category I hours have been applied for and are pending approval by WKU’s CHES Continuing Education Program Review Committee.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACPE

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    This knowledge-based activity will award 1.00 contact hour(s) (0.100 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit in states that recognize ACPE providers. Course JA-UAN Number: JA0000312-0000-26-081-H08-P

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    This Enduring activity is designated for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 0526KBML-H7.5-UKCEOPS2026

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ Participation

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    This Enduring activity is designated for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ Participation. Learners should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.00 ANCC (UK Healthcare CECentral)

    In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

    The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.00 nursing contact hour(s).

  • 1.00 ASWB

    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, UK HealthCare CECentral is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. UK HealthCare CECentral maintains responsibility for this course.

    Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 clinical continuing education credit(s).

  • 1.00 Certified Community Health Work
    This training is approved by the Office of Community Health Workers Program to provide 1.00 continuing education unit(s) for Certified Community Health Workers.
  • 1.00 EMS (Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services)
    The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) certifies that this educational activity is designated for 1.00 KBEMS contact hour(s). Approval Number: KBEMS-2026-UKHCCE-0002
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