Community Health Aide Program Expansion Builds Tribal Workforce

The Community Health Aide Program expansion gives Tribal health leaders a federally backed path to grow a local Native health workforce of mid-level behavioral, community, and dental health professionals working alongside licensed providers in Indian Country.

What the $2.3 Million Grants Fund

On September 16, 2026, the Indian Health Service awarded $2.3 million over three years to the California Rural Indian Health Board, Cherokee Nation, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, and Indian Health Council, with individual awards from $500,000 to $666,667 under the CHAP Tribal Planning and Implementation Grant Program.

“CHAP allows us to invest in our local leaders, create new pathways into the health professions, and give Tribes the flexibility to build programs around our own cultures and priorities,” said IHS Director Mark Cruz.

How the Community Health Aide Program Works

The Community Health Aide Program is a multidisciplinary system of community health aides, dental health aides, and behavioral health aides working alongside licensed providers in Tribal communities. IHS began consulting with Tribes on national expansion in 2016, and the National CHAP Board formed in 2024 to guide implementation across the lower 48 states.

Circular 24-16, signed November 7, 2024, sets national standards for all three health aide disciplines through Area Certification Boards. IHS describes the program’s vision as a health system rooted in cultural knowledge and practices to strengthen quality of life for future generations.

A Milestone Worth Celebrating for Indian Country

Ellsworth congratulates the Indian Health Service and the four Tribes and Tribal organizations on this achievement for Indian Country. The Community Health Aide Program expansion reflects years of Tribal consultation and a shared federal commitment to culturally competent care close to home.

Ellsworth, a Native owned small business and ISBEE certified staffing partner to IHS and Tribal 638 facilities across Arizona and New Mexico, stands ready to support Tribal health programs in any way it can as CHAP grows across Indian Country. Congratulations to everyone who made this milestone possible!